Choosing ASL Interpreter Support: What You Need to Know
Ensure smooth events with an experienced ASL interpreter and expert support. Don’t risk inclusivity—hire a pro for seamless communication and peace of mind.
Table of Contents
When choosing an ASL interpreter, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, especially if it’s your first time.
Considering the nationwide shortage of ASL interpreters, it doesn’t come as a big surprise that it is hard to hire qualified professionals. They may already be booked weeks and months ahead.
On a more positive side, American Sign Language is the third most popular language choice among high-school students. There is a rising interest in inclusivity and better understanding.
Even with the best ASL interpreting services, challenges can arise if you overlook critical details and take things at face value.
For instance, increased reliance on video communication can cause technical challenges for remote interpreting services.
While it may seem simple to find a fluent ASL interpreter, ensuring your event is accessible, inclusive, and runs smoothly requires much more than sign language skills.
Let’s explore how to make the right choice and avoid such common pitfalls.
How to Choose an ASL Interpreter
Here are the key criteria you must not overlook when selecting ASL interpreters:
1. Qualifications and certifications
The obvious first step is to begin with qualifications—quality matters.
Someone who has learned ASL at home or in family settings (being trained by deaf parents, for example), can be helpful in certain casual situations.
However, for events involving industry jargon, such as legal, medical, or government settings, relying on informal training can pose a significant risk.
Be cautious of interpreters with only informal training, as they might lack the skills needed for complex or high-stakes events.
The American Sign Language (ASL)
The ASL language is unique to America, with no direct equivalents elsewhere in the world. While there are some minimal similarities with other sign languages, a true professional should be specifically trained, certified, and experienced in ASL.
ASL is Unique
ASL isn’t universal; it’s deeply rooted in American culture and can vary slightly by region. If your audience includes participants from diverse backgrounds, hiring interpreters familiar with these nuances can make a significant difference.
ASL Certifications
Certification provides proficiency in this language specifics—posture, specific hand movements, and facial expressions.
Certified interpreters also have skills in gesture, mimics, and using drawings, and other tools to enhance communication.
For example, when asking a question, an ASL interpreter may signify an inquisitive tone by raising the eyebrows, opening the eyes, and tilting the head forward.
Most importantly, certain official settings, such as courts, mandate certified professionals.
The industry standard certification is the RID certificate provided by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). Such certifications validate the interpreter’s skills, qualifications, and adherence to ethical standards for working with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.
RID Certification
There are five general requirements for a candidate to get RID-certified:
- Ethical practice. Must follow RID’s Code of Professional Conduct.
- Education.
- NIC. Requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
- CDI. Initially, it requires 40 hours of interpreter training and, for six months after the CASLI Generalist Performance Exam release, an associate degree or equivalent. After six months, the requirement changes to a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
- Assessment. Must pass both knowledge and performance exams.
- Membership. Certification requires joining RID.
- Maintenance. Certified members must complete ongoing professional development to maintain their credentials.
Some states, like Texas, offer specific ASL certifications such as the BEI ASL certificate.
Always check for these credentials to ensure the interpreter matches your needs.
2. Availability for physical or virtual presence
If you’re considering hiring someone locally for an event that requires physical presence, you may want to account for costs such as transportation and meals, especially for longer events.
When hiring individuals, ask whether the interpreter has a replacement to avoid last-minute cancelations.
However, if you have multiple events needing ASL interpretation, consider hiring an agency that offers both on-site and remote services.
Both options have their advantages, depending on the situation, so it’s always wise to ask upfront about costs and features included in the services. The best ASL interpreting services often provide both options.
3. Timeliness and setup
Many things can go wrong when setting up a live event, whether on-site or virtual.
People may arrive late, technical issues may arise, or someone might cancel at the last minute. As an organizer, the last thing you need is to panic about your ASL interpreter.
Confidence in this part of the event planning will make other aspects more manageable, stress-free, and less costly.
Therefore, organizing everything—including technicalities related to ASL interpretation—well in advance is crucial.
Many ASL agencies even provide a meeting link with event details a day ahead so you can focus on being a better organizer for your guests instead of worrying about the details.
4. Technical support beyond ASL knowledge
Even the best ASL interpreters don’t come with a degree in the technical setup process.
While they know the language, setting up other technical aspects may fall on you.
To illustrate, imagine you’re hosting a high-stakes business meeting via Zoom, and the ASL interpreter logs in.
They’re experienced in ASL but not familiar with virtual meeting platforms. As participants join, the interpreter accidentally disables their video or positions their camera too low, cutting off the visibility of their hands.
Worse, they forget to pin themselves, leaving DOHH participants scrambling to find them in a sea of attendees.
When looking for the best ASL interpreting services, make sure the ASL agency can walk you through the process so you feel confident, even as a first-timer.
5. Handling poor coordination or visibility
Even if you think everything is ready, last-minute issues can arise, such as interpreters not being visible to participants or software incompatibilities during virtual events.
For example, some participants may prefer Google Meet, while others are used to Zoom. Alternatively, certain organizations may have only access to Microsoft Teams. These differences can lead to challenges.
Having technical support throughout the process can prevent these issues.
Keep in mind that some services may charge extra for this, so ensure you discuss what’s necessary and what isn’t with your provider.
6. Transcripts for accessibility
Many people with hearing difficulties prefer written communication over watching videos, especially when they need to use the text for studying or research as part of digital accessibility.
Even if your ASL interpretation runs smoothly, a well-done transcript can eliminate inconsistencies or confusion and help students feel supported, included, and well-prepared for exams.
A transcript also provides a clear record of the event, which may be essential for legal proceedings.
Remember to discuss the type of transcript you need.
Agencies offering SRT files or transcripts ensure you don’t need to create them yourself, saving you time and effort. You can directly upload an SRT file as video captions and make it accessible to a DOHH audience.
On the other hand, a verbatim transcript may be the only one that suffices when it comes to legal matters.
7. Expertise in specialized needs.
Legal and medical jargon can be difficult for anyone, let alone an ASL interpreter.
ASL doesn’t always have specific signs for every term, so interpreters need to rely on fingerspelling or preparation ahead of time.
Agencies can facilitate this process by allowing interpreters to review materials or clarify facts beforehand.
This is especially crucial for courts, police investigations, or confidential medical hearings.
8. Cancellation policies
Consider whether cancellations are possible and whether fees apply.
Some interpreters charge 50% of the fee for cancellations close to the event, while others provide a grace period for free rescheduling.
However, you may not always have the comfort of rescheduling free of charge.
You may need to pay the full price, which is inconvenient if you work in high-pressure and quickly-changing environments such as law or the government. In truth, frequent changes and rescheduled meeting needs are not uncommon in such professions.
9. Personalized Support
Hiring an unqualified ASL interpreter without the right personalized support can lead to communication breakdowns.
Let’s break this down with an example:
Imagine a hospital needing an ASL interpreter for a critical medical appointment.
The interpreter wasn’t briefed about the patient’s background. The patient uses regional ASL signs unfamiliar to the interpreter, creating even more confusion.
With no preparation or coordination between the hospital, patient, and interpreter, the patient leaves the appointment frustrated and unclear about their medical condition.
This highlights why personalized support is crucial. A qualified ASL agency would ensure the interpreter is not only certified but also briefed on the medical context and patient’s preferences.
Additionally, an ASL agency can be available 24/7 through a dedicated client relationship manager that handles last-minute changes, giving you peace of mind.
Conclusion
Many of us take hearing and speech for granted.
Yet, inclusive communication requires preparation and professional help.
Whether you’re hosting a virtual or in-person event, working with an experienced ASL agency that provides certified providers, personalized support, and technical assistance ensures your event is accessible, reliable, and glitch-free.
Choosing an ASL interpreter isn’t just about meeting legal requirements—it’s about fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all participants.
A great agency won’t just assign you an interpreter—they’ll support you through the entire process. This includes helping with technical setup, managing last-minute changes, and ensuring smooth communication.
Delays or technical issues can derail your event.
A seasoned ASL interpreter will arrive prepared, whether in person or online, and will test equipment beforehand.
Hosting a legal hearing, a medical appointment, or a business meeting? Selecting ASL interpreters with the right expertise, experience, and support is key.
Work with our experienced team of ASL professionals — click below to get started!
Our Latest Resources
Request A
Call Back
Request A Call Back
Do you have additional questions?
Click here to meet your dedicated Client Relationship Manager.