Sign Language Interpreters – ASL Interpreters

Wow……I guess we should join the chorus of voices commenting on the ‘fake’ interpreter highlighted at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. I haven’t seen this much attention focused on Deaf issues since “Deaf President Now” at Gallaudet back in 1988!  The initial rumblings began early and suddenly the story is on Page One around the world! […]

  Go ahead and ‘Google’  “How do deaf people………………………………?”  and you’ll discover how many hearing people are curious about managing life with ‘no’ or ‘diminished’ sound. How do deaf people “hear” doorbells? How do deaf people use alarm clocks? You get the idea. Over the years, new technology has provided innovative ideas . Here are […]

Silly questions?  When ‘googling’ these questions, it’s amazing to see how many people are still asking these questions in 2012. For those of us living and working in the world of ‘deafness’, sign language interpreting, and ASL, these questions DO seem silly. Long, long ago….in a land far away….actually it was Atlanta in the 1980’s, […]

There are thousands of recipes for homemade chili and stews, but every now and then you come across one that is just exactly right! All the usual basic ingredients are there, but special ingredients have been added to enhance everything else and it just makes you go “Wow”! Sign Language Interpreters are kind of like […]

An upcoming publication questions the typical communication styles of the Deaf population – comparing it to the styles of the Hearing population. Unless you’ve experienced both, you may not be aware of the difference. Even if you have spent time in the company of both, you may not have consciously noticed the difference. If you’re […]

Advice for Service Providers When Requesting Sign Language Interpreting Services Did you know that “sign language” is not a ‘one size fits all’ language? To ensure optimal communication, it is important for service providers to question the sign language style that best fits the Deaf person. Sign Language Agencies often receive requests from service providers […]

REPEAT AFTER ME… Written by:   Mary Anne Pugin ~Mary Anne continues her series of stories reflecting upon ‘growing up as a deaf child’ in the 1950’s and 1960’s~ “Don-n-n-n,” I said.  “No, no – dol-l-l-l,” Miss Wright corrected.  It is so written in the October 6, 1955 article published by the Washington, D.C. Evening Star.  […]

Hearing schools vs deaf schools: Mary Anne continues to share her memories – – navigating the educational system as a deaf child in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  Guest Blogger : Mary Anne Pugin I had two kinds of teachers while growing up – those who knew how to communicate with me and teach me, and […]

So back to the questions mentioned in the earlier blog. Do deaf people hear in their dreams? Do blind people see in theirs? Before we sprint toward the answers, let take a deeper look at the questions. If you are reading this as a hearing person, think for a moment how many of “us” are […]

Isn’t it funny how we can become so immersed in our particular industry, that we overlook how foreign our unique industry lingo and protocol can be to those working outside our arena.  The airline industry talks about ETAs and Widgets while the medical industry has terms like STAT and CRASH CART which most of us […]