Sign Language Interpreters – ASL Interpreters

Las Vegas…….1980 something…..walking down the strip with my sister. It’s late of course and the sound of slot machines and the smell of cigarette smoke waft out of every casino doorway. People everywhere. So many flashing lights and so many sounds. As we’re walking, I hear a man behind us. He begins making comments about […]

I recently came across statistics related to Deafness and hearing loss.  These were compiled by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). I found a few to be surprising. For instance, “9 out of 10 children who are born deaf are born to parents who can hear’. Why did I assume that […]

What’s the difference between “Hard of Hearing” and “Deaf” ? In contemplating this question, it occurs to me that many labels are actually degrees on a spectrum of experience.  If you imagine that the range is from zero to ten, with zero being “no hearing whatsoever….at any time….with any device….complete silence. Then ‘ten’ would equal […]

   The Name Game Recent news has brought our attention to our language and terms we use to describe each other. Countless labels involving race or gender are widely known and deemed to be distasteful, insulting,   or just politically incorrect. Many in the Deaf community have fought tirelessly over the years to change the […]

  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 […]

Wow…..twenty five years ago! This month we are remembering the “Deaf President Now” movement at Gallaudet University in 1988. In light of this historic moment in Deaf History, it seems appropriate to look back and remember how Deaf Culture has evolved over time. Thank you to Wendy Shaner at College of The Canyons for putting […]

What’s happening lately?  ASL and Sign Language Interpreters and Deaf Awareness is becoming so “trendy”.  Let’s take a look at recent happenings.  ABC Family’s award-winning original series, “Switched At Birth,” will produce an episode told entirely in American Sign Language (ASL), a first for a scripted series on mainstream television, which will premiere Monday, March 4 at […]

Ice Age: Continental Drift Voiced by many well-known talents such as Ray Romano and Queen Latifah, will also feature a Sign Along choice for fans of American Sign Language (ASL). ABC Family’s Switched At Birth’s star, Sean Berdy, and actress Amber Zion are featured in the Signing Picture in Picture option which showcases the content […]

This bench sits in a beautiful meditation garden in Southern California. There are signs posted to “Please Respect the Quiet”, the peacefulness and this special place where many come to relax and meditate.  On a recent visit, I sat on this bench to enjoy some peace and quiet after a busy week. Ahhhh…….with eyes closed, […]

The train left the station. The passenger next to me began a friendly conversation and ultimately asked me “In what kind of settings would a sign language interpreter be needed?”.  This lovely lady was unfamiliar with Deaf Culture and was just making polite conversation.  I was afraid my answer sounded a bit ‘flip’, but I […]