SERVICES
The
overall goal of LIFESIGNS is to promote self-determination and
self-sufficiency of deaf and hard of hearing people within the
mainstream of life through the provision of comprehensive,
dependable and effective communication services.
-
Interpreter
Referral:
Provide sign language interpretation in manual, oral and tactile
modes for agencies, organizations and individuals 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week.
-
Communication
Aids:
Cued speech transliterators and referrals to Real Time
Captioning available upon request.
-
Individualized
Requests:
LIFESIGNS makes every effort to work with its consumers to meet
their individual communication need(s).
Methods of
Communication
ASL – American Sign Language
TACTILE – Deaf and Blind Community
TRI-LINGUAL – ASL, Spanish
(spoken) and English
CDI – Certified Deaf Interpreter
Communication with a deaf or hard of hearing person through writing
takes, on average, five to six times longer than speaking or using a
sign language interpreter. It is cumbersome, always limited in its
content and often results in misunderstanding. Written communication
is effective only when the communication is brief and simple.
Relying on speech or lip reading is a risky venture. It is a fact
that even the most talented speech reader is able to recognize only
30% of what is said on the lips. The remaining 70% of the message is
left to guesswork.
To
ensure that your communication is conveyed and understood in the way
you want it to be, a certified interpreter is the most effective
method to use. Often, people will ask “Why can’t I use a friend,
family member or someone who knows sign language to ‘interpret’ for
me?” There is a world of difference between a professional
interpreter and a signer. To understand the difference, one must
understand the complexities of interpreting.
The
task of interpreting is really quite complex. It requires an
individual to have fluent command of both languages, as well as
excellent recall and short term memory. An interpreter must
translate from one language to another while simultaneously
listening, storing new information and recalling what is being said.
Interpreters adhere to a strict code of ethics which promotes
neutrality, confidentiality and objectivity. |