Client Overview

Organization: Schroeder Industries
Industry: Manufacturing / Industrial Production
Solution: Scheduled American Sign Language (ASL) Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) and Sorenson Express (on-demand VRI)
Objective: Improve everyday communication, meeting participation, and workplace inclusion for a long-tenured Deaf employee

The challenge: Communication without full context

David Crawford, a Deaf production team member at Schroeder Industries, has worked on the production floor for 18 years. For much of that time, communication relied on handwritten notes.

While pen and paper worked for basic exchanges, it consistently fell short during more complex interactions—especially meetings, one-on-ones, and companywide updates.

David could see the slides during presentations, but he often missed the spoken explanation that gave them meaning.

“David would always be there looking at the content — but he’d miss the context of what the president was speaking about — where our business is going, how we’re performing.”
— Mark Smith, Plant Manager

Without full access to communication, David was expected to fill in the blanks, limiting his ability to fully participate and connect with leadership.

The Solution: Bringing interpreting into everyday conversations

When Mark joined the leadership team, he revisited David’s earlier suggestion to use professional interpreting services. After exploring options, the decision quickly gained support.

“We recognize there was a need — it’s the right thing to do.”
— Mark Smith

Schroeder Industries implemented a dual layer approach to interpreting:

• Sorenson Express (on-demand VRI) for spontaneous floor conversations and quick questions
• Scheduled VRI for one-on-ones, safety meetings, town halls, and company updates

This shift replaced handwritten notes with real-time communication in ASL.

Implementation: Interpreters available in seconds

Implementation was straightforward and required minimal disruption.

David received access to Sorenson Express on his mobile device, allowing him and his teammates to connect with a qualified ASL interpreter in seconds.

For planned meetings and company events, supervisors schedule a VRI interpreter in advance to ensure full access to discussion and context.

Mark says the change immediately improved day-to-day communication.

“It’s a lot quicker... we can be more detailed with one another.”
— Mark Smith

The Impact: Faster communication and stronger relationships

Faster, more natural conversations

Replacing written notes with real-time interpreting made everyday interactions smoother and more productive.

David says having communication in his primary language makes a significant difference.

“Having communication in my language in ASL is very clear — I appreciate that.”
— David Crawford

More meaningful participation

Scheduled meetings have also become more engaging.

With an interpreter present, discussions extend beyond task updates to include real dialogue between supervisors and team members.

“We’ve gotten to know each other on a personal level, which was much harder to do before.”
— Mark Smith

This deeper communication has helped strengthen working relationships across the team.

Stronger retention

Accessible communication has also had a meaningful impact on David’s connection to the workplace.

Being able to participate fully in conversations and meetings has strengthened his sense of belonging and long-term commitment to the company.

“Finally, with communication in ASL, I’m able to communicate — which then makes me want to stay here longer.”
— David Crawford

Peace of mind for leadership

On-demand interpreting eliminated the need to scramble for in-person interpreters, giving leaders confidence they can communicate quickly when it matters most.

“To just have that peace of mind that we’re able to get somebody quickly — that’s huge.”
— Mark Smith

Broader business benefits

Accessible communication has supported Schroeder Industries’ broader organizational goals, including:

• Strengthening its reputation as an inclusive employer
• Expanding the potential labor pool
• Improving team collaboration and understanding
• Demonstrating investment in employee success

“As a company, we can let people know we offer this. It widens our labor pool.”
— Mark Smith

Conclusion: A simple step with meaningful impact

For Schroeder Industries, adopting on-demand and scheduled ASL interpreting closed a longstanding communication gap and reinforced the company’s commitment to its people.

The result is not just faster conversations, but stronger relationships, higher engagement, and greater confidence—for employees and leadership alike.

For organizations exploring how to make communication more accessible, Mark offers simple advice:

“Give it a try. You’ve got more to gain than you do to lose.”
— Mark Smith