Signs2go Wants to Know

According to a recent FCC report on closed captioning, there are an estimated 48 million deaf and Hard of Hearing people in the United States, about 26 million of those use sign language for full communication access or for information clarification.

The guy signing in this video clip:

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/10/24/sign-language-interpreter-goes-viral-during-de-blasio-ebola-press-conference/#.VErWj0xIP6U.facebook

is Deaf, AND he is a certified interpreter. The other person signing to him is a hearing interpreter. The hearing interpreter is providing the signed interpretation of what is being said to the Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) who is in turn, giving the in depth, linguistically and culturally mediated interpretation so that the information can be understood on multiple language levels for the population at large. This type of interpreting is done in some court and medical situations, in catastrophic/disaster situations, or major public service announcements. I think all situations should work with the CDI and Hearing interpreter team scenario.

Have you ever heard someone talking and you had to ask someone else to clarify what was said? Compare it to someone from a foreign country who is fluent in English, but their accent may make them difficult for EVERYBODY to understand, so the person who does understand runs interference for the rest of the people who are trying to "listen" for the information needed. They share the clear intent of the communication with a NATIVE member of the target language group, who in turn, shares the needed info with everybody else. Result, everybody informed with equal possibilities of staying safe.

On a side note, human bodies are made up of about 30,000 genetic codes. About 100 of them are related to deafness. Approximately 1 in 10 people carry a gene that will produce Deaf offspring. At any time, it could be a member of your family that needs interpreting services. Illness or injury can strike and leave someone with a need  to communicate in sign. In that regard, you could be joining the ranks of those needing an interpreter.  Interpreting is a job that requires lifelong commitment to education in order to be effective in the numerous venues that interpreters are called to provide access. Be supportive. Be proactive... learn about sign language and the Deaf community now!

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Signs2go Interpreting is looking for CERTIFIED Independent Vendor/Contractor Sign Language Interpreters to fill jobs that come in on a daily basis.

We are still a young company, therefore, we can only provide work to independent vendor/contractor interpreters at this time. We don't have enough work to hire full time/part time or guarantee hours at this time, but we have more work than we can handle without you!

We are looking for:

-RID/NIC Certified
-Texas BEI Level III/Advanced Certified or higher
-Court Certified
-Texas BEI Level I/Basic Certified with high skills who require just a bit of mentoring support to move up to that next level

To work with us, Independent Vendor/Contractor Sign Language Interpreters must have:

-a CERTIFICATION
-a good attitude
-ability to work autonomously
-ability to work in a team
-a good attitude
-a hunger for knowledge
-a passion for attending and/or presenting Professional Development workshops
-a good attitude
-ability and ethics to follow the Code of Professional Conduct
-a wardrobe of PROFESSIONAL attire that satisfies the CPC tenet and the common sense to follow the CPC tenet on attire (my OPINION of appropriate dress includes: don't show your belly, your bare back, your butt crack, your boobs, your bra or your armpits (especially if they are not shaved!). If you wear leggings, the shirt should be long enough to COVER the butt and jeans/pants should not be so tight that everyone can see your cellulite pucks! - people want a professional interpreter, not a street walker... Put yourself together- you are representing another human being who shouldn't be embarrassed when you show up!)
-a good attitude
-your own insured vehicle AND gas money to get to assignments
-a sense of humor
-a love of the Deaf community and an understanding of the Culture
-a good attitude
-a willingness to apply in front of a panel of Deaf consumers and certified interpreters
- a willingness to get the shots required to work in hospital/clinic settings if that is one of your preferred venues
-General / Professional Errors and Omissions Liability Insurance (I do carry this insurance on the company, but individuals with certifications could be subject to a separate lawsuit and should cover themselves as well. I do not list with any Independent vendor/contractor Sign Language Interpreters who do not protect themselves. When Signs2go Interpreting becomes large enough to HIRE and sustain staff interpreters, those interpreters will be covered under the company insurance.)
-a good attitude
-an appreciation for the people behind the scenes who gather information, procure contracts, handle scheduling/ invoicing/ collections, support paperwork, and spend their day in effort to spoil and pamper our interpreters
- and did I say... a good attitude!

The interpreters who list with us are cherished individuals who are knowledgeable, skilled, friendly, still learning every day, and looking to help me create a consummate team of professionals... with ethics and skills to make any Deaf consumer confident, in us, as service providers.

Come join us!

Although we are based in Fort Worth, we serve: Arlington, Dallas, Denton, Granbury, Grand Prairie, H-E-B, Irving, Midlothian, Mineral wells, Weatherford, Waxahachie, and other places too numerous to list.

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Today a phone call came in to one of our vendors. The caller claimed that they were with a warrant processing center and that a payday loan (that had been paid in full) had the final payment missing and was therefore in default. The caller then began to terrify our vendor with threats of jail/prison time for "check fraud" via payday loan default. Our vendor was told that she had until 5pm to get a moneygram with the amount owed plus fees for default and fees for the warrant status and wire it to the collectors. This is a fraudulent situation. I think they have already gotten someone else in my family with the idea that a payday loan payment was missed and jail time was soon to follow. The call today came in from a toll free number 855-345-6112. We called the District Attorney's office to verify whether or not a warrant existed. There was not one. This scam was reported to the District Attorney's office, who in turn advised us to report this type of identity fraud/theft to the Federal Trade Commission. If you receive a similar call, CALL THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BEFORE YOU MAKE A PAYMENT! Watch for the above number...DON'T BE A VICTIM!

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Trying to make sense of a loss, trying to comfort a friend during their time of loss is hard to do. It becomes even worse when distance causes a conflict and leaves one unable to attend the services to show support for the family. 

We had originally searched the internet database from a national florist and had been disappointed with the choices, shocked by the prices, and the salesperson wanted to sell us a different arrangement at a higher cost. Add to this situation, the fact that the national florist called at the "11th hour" and said that the floral arrangement couldn't be filled and they didn't have anything comparable to replace the order... so we would have to order the more expensive flowers...Stress! I was upset and determined not to use the national florist.

In an effort to resolve the problem, I called the local florists in the distant city and was warmly welcomed by Debbie at:
Castro's Flower Shop
2101 Horne Rd Corpus Christi, TX 78416

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We are a profession built on the shared language of the Deaf Culture, a culture that values reciprocity second only to the value they hold for their language. How odd that the people who are earning their living based on the language and culture of the Deaf struggle to accept one of the core values. We need to perpetuate the ideas of language and reciprocity within our profession in order to honor the values of those we serve. Following the Code of Professional Conduct, we find the mandate to demonstrate respect for colleagues and our outline for professional behavior. It is valid. Yet some interpreters are "territorial" when it comes to working with the newbies. The territorial issues are better than they used to be...at least here in this area, but the competitive edge for the client still exists. BUT:

If one uses the formula of U.S. population: 308 million in 2010 census X 8.5%= approximately 36 million Deaf and Hard of Hearing, with 26 million of those either fully dependent on sign or using sign for clarification of information (this is based on the rough equation used by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services in Texas- which breaks down to about 6 million Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Texas. From that number, approximately 2.5 million depend on signs and approximately 1.5 million use sign for clarification in Texas alone!), or the FCC's and TDI's most recent estimate of 48 million Deaf and Hard of Hearing citizens in the U. S. alone who depend on captioning, or the main argument for captioning on the world wide web: is that the world population of Deaf and Hard of Hearing who require captions for potential internet access is estimated to be around 700 million by 2015. We just begin to grasp the magnitude of our profession.

Another factor to consider is that there are only approximately 18,000-20,000 certified interpreters nationwide (USA). That is interpreters who hold RID, NAD, NIC, Texas BEI, and State Quality Assurance certifications. Texas has roughly 1600 of these certified interpreters.  The numbers definitely show that there are enough Deaf clients to go around.

Instead of being competitive/territorial/superior, we should be perpetuating the education of our future generations of interpreting service providers. We need to remember that it is not always the most educated, "superior" interpreter that is preferred by the Deaf community, but the one who has a Deaf heart and respect for the people and culture that we serve.

Those interpreters who are truly "superior" are those who think of others and think of providing service to future generations, sharing their knowledge and skills to benefit both the up and coming interpreter and the Deaf community of tomorrow. The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex has been blessed with several of these superior interpreters.

We succeed and make our mark as individuals by leaving ourselves, our skills, our knowledge... on the hands and hearts of our trainees. I have been honored to work with a large group of interpreters here in Texas who place the next generation as priority for our future.  That is the legacy I want to leave behind.

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Signs2go Interpreting & Support Services, LLC is excited to offer services to the Arlington Texas area.  We currently have 12 Interpreters ready to provide for your communication needs. 

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Signs2go Interpreting & Support Services, LLC  currently has 12 interpreters ready to answer your call in Dallas and throughout Dallas County. Let us serve you!

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Signs2go Interpreting & Support Services Is located in Fort Worth Texas and we currently have 12 interpreters ready to answer your call.

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Do you have something to say that doesn't fit the other posts? Add it here!

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We had a great turnout for the Ethics workshop today! Let me know how you felt about the workshop!

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D and G Quality Roofing did an excellent job replacing our roof several months ago.  When bad weather struck on April 03, 2012 one of the owners called to make sure we were OK and that we didn't have any roofing problems caused by the weather.  This was not a solicitation call... we are still under warranty... this was pure customer care at it's best.  If you have a roofing need, D and G Quality Roofing gets a high recommendation from me.  Check them out at:  www.dandgquailtyroofing.com 

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Dr. Adan Penilla came in and gave an amazing workshop!  If you attended please share your views!

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It is a bit different sitting on this side of the desk...  There are lots of different things involved in running a business.  Thank God for my attorney, financial adviser, office manager, staff, Interpreters, my Deaf Community Advisers and my amazing husband!.  This would not be possible without each one of you. 

We are "breaking the rules" as far as agencies go... We charge our clients less and we pay our interpreters more.  We are working on acquiring new contracts daily and hope to be in the top 5 out of 12 agencies in the D/FW area before the end of our first year.

Yes, sometimes things are slow.  We didn't take our first assignment until September 6, 2011, but we are already approximately 2 years ahead of our business and financial plans.

We are not perfect...trial and error has bit me several times, but we are learning and growing fast.  Most of our interpreters have many years of experience and we interact with each other to provide a supportive environment.  We work as a TEAM here...everyone has something to offer to make this business grow and benefit the Deaf Community.  The support and involvement of the  Deaf Community is our best resource and potential for success.  We are truly blessed!

We would love to have you join us!

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Who would you like to have come present a workshop or what topic do you need presented?  

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I would like to welcome you to our company website!  In addition to providing Interpreting services, workshops for Interpreter certification maintenance, Deaf Awareness Community Outreach/Training, basic communicative sign language classes, Deaf Studies Library access and Silent Socials,  I also hope to be a provider of hard to find information, fun facts, culture and history of the Deaf Community.

I will attempt to build a site that gives the visitor access to a small peek of the Deaf World and Culture that has shaped my life.  If you need something specific, let me know. I will try to help you find it!

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