1505, 2023

Why Healthcare Providers Need Interpreting Services

Hearing and Deaf individuals alike need—and deserve—complete access to their diagnoses and treatment options. Nevertheless, without appropriate accommodations, the Deaf community faces accessibility barriers to the information physicians and medical staff describe. Moreover, the medical field’s technical complexity necessitates ASL interpreting services familiar with the terminology and knowledge to deliver accurate information. Yet by hiring qualified providers, medical professionals can reduce miscommunication and misdiagnosis, facilitate patients’ awareness, mitigate anxiety, and…

1904, 2023

How to Improve Deaf Accessibility in the Workplace

All employees and attendees should feel welcome to participate in meetings or conferences, regardless of their ability. Accessibility is thus vital to creating an inclusive environment for everyone, yet the Deaf community’s needs are easy to overlook. Still, thanks to recent efforts for inclusivity and the rise of remote jobs, interpreters for the Deaf and other accessibility measures have become sought after. Therefore, business owners should learn how to improve…

1605, 2022

ASL Interpreting 101 for Hearing People

Before employing the services of an ASL interpreter, Hearing individuals should learn the best practices for interpreted interactions and events: careful event preparation, social expectation delineation, and the incorporation of demonstrative communication behaviors. These procedures serve as standards of conduct while also reflecting Deaf culture values. They help make for smooth interactions between Hearing, Deaf, and Hard of Hearing individuals. To ensure your interpreted event turns out successfully, engage ASL…

1602, 2022

The Purpose of CART & TypeWell Services

Speech-to-text services provide tremendous value to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals. These technologies—including Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) and TypeWell—help create equal communication access for Hearing and Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing individuals through verbatim translation and concept transcription. Improve accessibility at your business/organization today by seeking professional CART and TypeWell services from HIS Sign. HIS Sign specializes in onsite and virtual ASL Interpreting, TypeWell, and CART services. Our real-time speech-to-text services are available for…

2001, 2022

The History of Sign Language and Deaf Communication

For centuries, Deaf people faced harsh oppression and were denied fundamental rights. Some of the earliest discourse on Deaf individuals comes from the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who claimed that Deaf people were incapable of learning and critical thinking. This false and ill-informed belief contributed to the view that the Deaf were “non-persons,” discrimination that prohibited them from buying property, marrying, or securing a job. Fortunately, the tide turned during the…

0401, 2022

2021 Team Reflections

Christina and Brian Hammrich We keep thinking that life is going to slow down and every year we keep being proven wrong…2021 was no different. We gained a second granddaughter, but lost two family members. We strengthened relationships with our children, created new relationships with nieces, nephews and friends and we grew even closer to each other. We travelled around the country, visiting new places for the first time and…

0812, 2021

Impacting an Industry: Associate Feature

Mrs. Elaine Ziehl—a fixture of the Northern Virginia Deaf community—retired on September 30th, 2021. For over 20 years,  Elaine worked at the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH), where she was a Virginia Quality Assurance Screening (VQAS) Coordinator. To commemorate her crucial role in the DMV’s interpreting community, this ‘Impacting an Industry’ piece will reflect on Elaine’s legacy. Influence on the Community As a VQAS coordinator,…

1011, 2021

7 Situations In Which ASL Interpreting Can Help

The hearing population tends to overlook many circumstances that present difficulties to Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. Job interviews, professional conferences, sports games/practices, and traveling may pose challenges for non-Hearing folks. Nevertheless, accessibility options–such as an English to ASL Interpreter or Translator–can help Deaf/HOH individuals overcome barriers and receive equal footing. Organizational leaders, then, should turn to a local provider of interpreting services. Businesses and individuals around Leesburg, VA,…

2710, 2021

How to Help Make Entertainment More Deaf-Accessible

Television, movies, and theater are great platforms for universal messages of friendship, kindness, and acceptance of others. However, these media–and other forms of entertainment–have historically lacked accessibility for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population. Although there have been efforts to amend this oversight, Deaf advocates continue working for improvements. Professional organizations–such as Cart Service Providers–seek widespread captioning and assistive technology use, content featuring Deaf/HOH actors, and more.  Such an…

2209, 2021

Different Types of Sign Language

According to the Ethnologue Languages of the World, around 142 sign languages are in use worldwide. But the small variations and mixtures of dialects, which can arise in single communities, make it difficult to pin down an exact number. This uncertainty tells us that sign languages are as complex and fickle as their spoken counterparts. Thus, professional ASL Interpreting Services invest significant time and attention to understanding and applying these…