Sign Language Interpreters – ASL Interpreters

California Assembly Bill 5 or AB 5 is a state statute that codifies into law a landmark Supreme Court of California case, Dynamex Operations West, Inc. vs. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, and which holds that most workers are employees, ought to be classified as such, and the burden of proof for classifying individuals as independent contractors belongs to the hiring […]

On September 11, 2019, the California State Senate voted to pass gig-worker bill AB5 without an exemption for translators and interpreters. Final vote was 26 to 11 and AB5 has now been signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom. The bill kicks in January 1, 2020. AB5 or “Worker status: employees and independent contractors,” clarifies the definition of […]

    As an agency, we often get requests from those who believe sign language interpreters probably picked up an extra class at a community college, or maybe they have a deaf relative, or thought they were mostly “volunteers”. We really should have a perfect response recorded so we can just hit the play button. […]

An Interpreter’s Balancing Act: Sign language interpreters. What do they do? For those unfamiliar, it may seem pretty simple…similar to the work of foreign language interpreters. However, there are issues particular to this profession that only come to light when one looks deeper. Foreign Language Interpreters are interpreting one spoken language to another. The vast […]

    Don’t Sign That!! Recently, after reading a conversation among sign language interpreters, I was reminded of a dramatic episode tucked away in my memory banks. Some memories stick with us long past their expiration date. In a group discussion, an interpreter asked about signing lyrics to rap songs and hip-hop songs that likely […]

  It’s been called a “disturbing trend” and sometimes it seems we are watching an ominous wave as it gradually approaches the beach. A bit of history. Back in the 1960’s, Deaf students had the choice of either navigating their way through Public / Private schools or attending a School for the Deaf. Let’s face […]

Deaf people have a legal right to a qualified interpreter. In legal settings, a qualified legal interpreter will have a specific skill set to ensure that the deaf person’s right to be present and participate is not compromised. Legal interpreting requires highly skilled and trained specialists because of the significant consequences to the people involved in the […]

  I recently came across an article from Beth Adams in Rochester, NY.  In this article, she addresses the issue of health conditions affecting the Deaf and Hearing populations. It seems relevant to share the research findings as they highlight the gaps in “access to information” – – especially for deaf individuals growing up in […]

TITLE III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) makes it illegal for any business, building or other place that is open to the public to discriminate against people with disabilities. Such places are called “public accommodations” and include restaurants, hotels, theaters, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, retail stores, museums, libraries, parks, private schools, and day care […]

The case of the chicken and the egg. Recently, in California’s Coachella Valley, local Deaf residents met with area officials regarding the need for Sign Language Interpreters to service their communication needs in this California desert. Recently, in California’s Coachella Valley, attempts were made to draw Sign Language Interpreters to the area to help bridge […]