SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In 2018, Sorenson Communications, LLC provided 18,000 hours of instruction to more than 6,000 American Sign Language (ASL) community and video interpreters. Interpreters who qualified received 1,839 continuing education units (CEUs), which are required to maintain professional certification status and to continue to work as professional ASL interpreters.
Programming was provided by Sorenson’s Interpreter Education and Professional Development (IEPD) instructors, who offered 36 different webinar topics related to interpreting skills, self-care, power and privilege, linguistics and ASL, as well as specialized workshops for tri-lingual interpreters. In addition, Sorenson sponsored more than 600 interpreting webinars, individualized language mentoring, small group mentoring discussions, and eLearning.
Sorenson supported local communities by providing five community workshops held in the United States and Canada, with 284 interpreters attending. As in past years, CEU workshop registration fees were donated to local communities and Deaf groups, including schools, youth camps, sports and senior clubs and interpreter organizations.
During 2018, 84 heritage language users – bilingual hearing participants raised with one or more Deaf parents – participated in programs that prepared them to become community or Video Relay Service (VRS) interpreters. Sorenson also initiated a Deaf Interpreter Academy to raise awareness of best practices in Deaf interpreter teaming and to create opportunities to foster Deaf interpreter development throughout North America.
“As the largest private employer of ASL interpreters in the U.S., Sorenson is dedicated to supporting the communication needs of the Deaf community,” notes Stephanie Criner, executive director of Sorenson’s IEPD team.”
Criner adds, “Our goal is to provide accurate and meaningful interpretation for the Deaf community. When interpreters’ skills are refined, the overall quality of ASL interpreting is elevated. We are committed to providing interpreters with opportunities to receive training, education, and professional development while, at the same time, earning required CEUs to maintain their professional certification status. The instruction also provides a way for interpreters to give back to the community.”
About Sorenson Communications, LLC
Sorenson Communications, LLC (www.svrs.com) connects people by delivering the world’s most trusted service and innovative products for the Deaf, which include Sorenson Video Relay Service (VRS®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the ntouch® VP and the ntouch VP2 videophones, designed especially for use by Deaf individuals; ntouch PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; ntouch for Mac®, software that connects users to SVRS by using an Apple® computer; and ntouch Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via tablet and mobile devices. Sorenson is the leading provider of Video Relay Service.
Disclaimer
If you choose Sorenson as your default provider, you can port your existing 10-digit number to Sorenson from another provider or Sorenson can provide you with one for the geographic area where you live or work. If you later change your default provider, you can port your number to that provider. When selecting Sorenson, you must provide to Sorenson the physical address (i.e., the Registered Location) from which you are placing the call, so that Sorenson can properly route any 911 calls you may make. If you move or change your location, you must notify Sorenson immediately. You can update your Registered Location from your Sorenson videophone by calling 800-659-4810 or by visiting www.svrs.com/moving. Sorenson will confirm receipt of your Registered Location information. Emergency calls made via internet-based TRS may not function the same as traditional E911 service. For example, you may not be able to dial 911 if there is an internet-service failure or if you lose electrical power, and your 911 call may not be routed correctly if you have not updated your Registered Location. For more information on the process of obtaining 10-digit numbers and the limitations and risks associated with using Sorenson’s VRS to place a 911 call, please visit Sorenson’s website: www.sorenson.com/disclaimer. For information on toll-free numbering, please visit www.svrs.com/tollfree.