The Department of American Sign Language is proud of their long standing partnerships with many local, state and national organizations. Some of the partners include:

• Sorenson Communications
• Communication Services for the Deaf
• Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services
• Deaf Interpreter Services
• Methodist Mission Home
• Northside Independent School District
• Region XX
• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
• San Antonio Independent Living Services
• San Antonio Independent School Districts
• San Antonio Public Library
• Texas School for the Deaf
• Texas Society of Interpreters for the Deaf

Sorenson Communications and San Antonio College (SAC) Partner to Address Demand for Highly-Skilled, Trilingual Interpreters for the Deaf

http://www.sorenson.com/press/ press_release_full.php?pr_id=122

Press releases for:    2007     2006    

SALT LAKE CITY (Aug. 8, 2007) - Sorenson Communications, the leading provider of Video Relay Services (VRS) for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community who use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate, today announced a partnership with San Antonio College (SAC). The partnership provides VRS mentor-based training to SAC interpreting students who are interested in a career in the growing VRS field. The unique program, designed to strengthen both the quality and quantity of interpreters available to meet the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, provides two advanced certification programs-Enhanced Interpreting and Trilingual Interpreting.

The two certificate programs at SAC will begin fall semester and may be taken for college credit. Enhanced Interpreting is aimed at working Level 1 interpreters who want to improve their skills and certification level. Trilingual Interpreting, for which there is a growing demand, will prepare students for VRS interpreting for both English and Spanish speaking individuals as well as provide state certification for this specialty.

"The advent of VRS for the deaf community has created a world of new opportunity for both deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals and the interpreters who serve them," says Lauri Metcalf, department Chair of the ASL Training and Deaf and Hard of-Hearing Services at SAC. "Our partnership with Sorenson Communications provides students with accelerated training and focused experience that will prepare them to move more quickly into these highly-skilled, high-value professional positions."

A key component of Sorenson Communications' involvement with SAC is through its Video Interpreter-Provisional (VI-P) Mentorship Program. Promising individuals, identified through the SAC Interpreting Program, join the Sorenson team for 60 to 80 hours of intensified training and mentoring in video relay interpreting under the guidance of two or three seasoned Sorenson VRS professionals. VI-P graduates typically move into more highly-skilled positions in a fraction of the time that would normally be required for them to gain comparable skills. In addition, Sorenson Communications also advises SAC on curriculum and providing practical experience for students to better prepare them for careers in ASL interpreting.

" San Antonio College is on the forefront in training quality VRS trilingual interpreters," notes Pat Nola, president and CEO of Sorenson Communications. "The quality of SAC graduates is exceptional. We are fortunate to participate with SAC in developing programs that will ensure future quality interpreting services for a growing number of VRS users."

"The real payoff is to see the look of joy on the face of a deaf individual who is able to easily communicate through VRS with Spanish-speaking relatives or friends," said Sarah Compton, manager and trainer for the Sorenson Communications San Antonio VRS Interpreting Center. "That's the ultimate purpose of this partnership and program."

For additional information about the Sorenson Communications-SAC Enhanced Interpreting and Trilingual Interpreting programs, contact Sarah Compton at 866-403-1376 or at scompton@sorenson.com.

About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications™ ( www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communication offerings for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, which include Sorenson Video Relay Service (Sorenson VRS®), the company's line of videophones, Sorenson IP Relay™ (SIPRelay) and Sorenson Video Remote Interpreting™ (VRI). Sorenson VRS ( www.sorensonvrs.com) enables deaf callers to conduct video relay conversations with hearing friends, family members and business colleagues through a qualified ASL interpreter. The Sorenson VP-100 is the first consumer-based broadband videophone appliance specifically designed for deaf individuals. Sorenson IP Relay service ( www.siprelay.com) allows deaf and hard-of-hearing users to place instant text-based relay calls from a personal computer (PC) or mobile device to any telephone user. Sorenson Video Remote Interpreting™ ( www.sorensonvri.com) is a fee-based video interpreting service ideal for use in situations where an interpreter cannot be physically present to interpret betwee