ASL Interpreting: Access Is Needed Not Just for Press Conferences

If you are keeping up with any local or state daily press conferences and health briefings on COVID-19 in the U.S., chances are you will notice an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter working to ensure direct access for the Deaf Community. ASL interpreter services are having a moment in the spotlight, as they have a few times in the last decade.

There has been both positive and negative press regarding the provision of our work. Who can forget the positive press coverage for Lydia Callis’ work during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 beside then NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg? The attention on her essential work was so amplified it was even parodied on Saturday Night Live.

Our profession has seen negative press as well; however, this has always been in the context of unqualified people who were not professional interpreters being put in the spotlight of high-profile interpreting work. Two high profile cases occurred during Nelson Mandela’s funeral in 2013 and a Florida press conference during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

While those negative events brought negative attention, and outrage, most of the press focused on inappropriate work being done, rather than on the real issue: the struggle to access to qualified sign language interpreters, in everyday ongoing situations for the Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing Communities.

ASL interpreters perform essential work providing effective communication access – to both the Deaf Community and people that can hear. This service is just as essential to people who use sign language and those that don’t. You may be a healthcare provider, a first responder, an educator, an employer, a faith leader, an attorney or even a family member who needs an interpreter.

In July 2020, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandated access to qualified interpreters will be on the books for 30 years, and yet the Deaf Community still struggles to get access when needed. There are tax credits available to help cover the cost of providing interpreters.

Let this “moment” in 2020 become a movement when everyone recognizes the need and is willing to ensure effective communication access! To learn how you can be part of the solution, please contact us at: info@crestlandconsulting.com.