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Trusted provider to aid government entities in becoming more accessible and inclusive

SALT LAKE CITY – (Feb. 23, 2023) Sorenson today announced it has been awarded a General Services Administration (GSA Schedule) Contract, entitling the company to sell its language services to federal, state, and local government and non-profit entities. The new GSA designation also allows Sorenson to further its mission of creating opportunities for greater connection and collaboration among diverse government workers in the public sector. The GSA designation is beneficial for agencies already familiar with compliance requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. “To truly nurture organizational belonging and expand opportunities for all people to thrive, we must establish inclusive and accessible cultures – cultures of belonging – where workers have the tools they need to effectively communicate on an equal basis,” said Jorge Rodriguez, CEO of Sorenson, the leading provider of communication services for Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and diverse communities. “We are eager to support government agencies and, as we have done in the private sector, provide them with various options for communication.” Currently, through the new GSA designation, any government agency can now directly make purchases from Sorenson. Sorenson’s GSA Schedule is a five-year, renewable contract. More information can be found here. “Adding Sorenson to the GSA Schedule is a win for everyone – Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing people. Now government agencies have more options for a broad spectrum of accessible communication tools, a key component of breaking down conversational barriers and creating a fully inclusive work environment that fosters networking and professional growth among all workers within the culture,” said Cham Le, president of Deaf in Government, an advocacy organization that supports local, state, and federal employees who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing and that also serves as a resource organization for the government. GSA Schedule Contracts streamline the government sales process because they have pre-established pricing, terms, and conditions that government buyers can use to purchase from a company. While GSA Schedule Contracts are primarily used to sell to federal agencies, in certain circumstances they can also be used to sell to state and local government. The GSA Schedule was started by President Harry Truman in 1949 to simplify and organize government purchasing of products and services. Today, the GSA Schedule is the primary and preferred resource to procure goods and services for the government. In fiscal year 2021, more than $195M was contracted through GSA for translation and interpretation services. Sorenson connects more than 140 million conversations each year by offering a full suite of inclusive language services – caption and video relay services, over-video and in-person sign language and spoken language interpreting, real-time event captioning services, and post-production language services. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people can have full access to communication through Sorenson products and services. To learn more about the full range of services Sorenson offers, visit sorenson.com

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About Sorenson

Sorenson is one of the world’s leading language services providers, combining patented technology with human-centric solutions. We strive to increase accessibility through communication solutions for all. We provide call captioning and video relay services, video remote and in-person sign language and spoken language interpreting, translation, real-time captioning, and post-production language services. Our company impact extends beyond the 140 million conversations we facilitate annually— Sorenson improves lives through interpreted emergency and health services. Sorenson is a portfolio company of Ariel Alternatives, and we strive to manage and minimize our environmental impact. To learn more, visit sorenson.com.

Sorenson press contacts

U.S.

Ann Norman Dir of Government Affairs & Public Relations +1 (801) 317‑7789 [email protected]

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Multifaceted interpreter education aims to ensure high quality services to the Deaf Community 

SALT LAKE CITY – (Feb. 16, 2023) During 2022, Sorenson provided more than 50,000 hours of instruction to sign language interpreters – both inside Sorenson and to the broader interpreting community. Sorenson, an industry leader in the provision of language services, hosted 17 panel webinars for nearly 1,000 underrepresented interpreters and interpreting students. Sorenson also propelled more than 275 new interpreters into Video Relay Service (VRS) careers through its Emerald Program, designed to bridge the school-to-work gap that delays employment for many interpreters.

“We are committed to providing ongoing professional training and development of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters because we know the tremendous and meaningful impact it has in the lives of the communities we serve,” said Jorge Rodriguez, CEO of Sorenson, one of the world’s leading language services providers for Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing communities.

Sorenson continues to lead the industry in training ASL interpreters and does so with more than 50 best-in-class interpreter educators who are experienced and passionate about teaching interpreting.

Integral to Sorenson’s mission to support the communication needs of Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and DeafBlind people is ensuring Sorenson’s 5,000-plus diverse interpreters receive training and education that advances skills and propels them forward in their interpreting careers.

In addition, Sorenson promotes connections between Deaf people and people who don’t sign by supporting employment of interpreters of various backgrounds and communities. Sorenson programs like Corporate Consortium, in collaboration with Amazon, last year supported 29 new interpreters into the field of interpreting including six trilingual interpreters.

Traditional educational paths to becoming an interpreter may not always be suitable for those who grew up with Deaf parents. Sorenson’s Compass program, administered by educators who are Deaf or Deaf-parented, provided tailored educational and employment opportunities to more than 100 participants in 2022. Over the past five years, Compass supported more than 450 Deaf-parented, near-fluent participants on their journey toward becoming employed as professional interpreters for Sorenson and their local communities.

“Authenticity and inclusion are values that are reflected in Sorenson’s interpreting education—over half of the Sorenson interpreter educators are themselves Deaf or heritage language users,” said Stephanie Criner, Sorenson’s Interpreter Education and Professional Development Executive Director.

Sorenson’s Deaf Interpreter Academy (DIA) works to promote best practices and employment of Deaf Interpreters. In 2022, DIA hosted monthly affinity mentoring for Deaf interpreters from traditionally underrepresented communities and supported over 75 Deaf interpreters’ transition into and level up in their professional interpreting work. Connecting people beyond words is a Sorenson commitment and accomplishing that requires unwavering dedication to training interpreting professionals who perform that pivotal work.

“Since 2018, Sorenson has provided over 160,000 hours of instructional content to thousands of interpreters,” said Laura Hartness, Sorenson Senior Vice President of Operations.  “Sorenson’s commitment to training and diversity within the field of interpreting is what distinguishes our education programs.”

Announcement in ASL

About Sorenson

Sorenson is one of the world’s leading language services providers, combining patented technology with human-centric solutions. We strive to increase accessibility through communication solutions for all. We provide call captioning and video relay services, video remote and in-person sign language and spoken language interpreting, translation, real-time captioning, and post-production language services. Our company impact extends beyond the 140 million conversations we facilitate annually— Sorenson improves lives through interpreted emergency and health services. Sorenson is a portfolio company of Ariel Alternatives, and we strive to manage and minimize our environmental impact. To learn more, visit sorenson.com.

Sorenson press contacts

U.S.

Ann Norman Dir of Government Affairs & Public Relations +1 (801) 317‑7789 [email protected]

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SALT LAKE CITY – (Feb. 15, 2023) Today, for the second year in a row, Sorenson, the global leader in inclusive language services for Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing people, was named to the Forbes list of America’s Best Midsize Employers. The prestigious honor, announced on the Forbes website, is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.

“We are ecstatic to once again be recognized as one of America’s best employers,” said Sorenson Chief Human Resources Officer Brian Breinholt. “We strive to live our company values and foster a culture of belonging, which is supported by our enthusiastic and engaged team members.”

Forbes and Statista selected America’s Best Employers 2023 through an independent survey administered to a vast sample of approximately 45,000 American employees working for companies with more than 1,000 employees located in the U.S.  Across 25 industry sectors, 1,000 employers were awarded, 500 large employers and 500 midsize employers.

The evaluation was based on two distinct criteria from employees:

• Direct recommendations: Employees were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family. The responses were analyzed on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 meaning “I wouldn’t recommend my employer under any circumstances” and 10 meaning “I would definitely recommend my employer.”
• Indirect recommendations: Participants were also prompted to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stood out either positively or negatively.

Furthermore, the employees were asked to give their opinions on a series of statements surrounding work-related topics, such as salary, working conditions, potential for development, and company image regarding their current employer.

This award comes on the heels of a series of other prestigious employer awards for Sorenson. In February 2022, Sorenson was named to Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers. In March, Fast Company named Sorenson a World’s Most Innovative Company. In April 2022, Sorenson was named to the list of Best Employers for Diversity. In July 2022, the company was named among Best Employers for Women. And, in August 2022, Sorenson was named to Forbes’ list of Best-in-State Employers. At the CandE Awards & TalentNet Live Conference in Dallas last November, Sorenson was recognized for providing job applicants with an exceptional candidate experience, placing in the top 10 percent of all large technology companies in North America. Most recently, Sorenson has received the Business Intelligence Group’s BIG Award for Business, named in the 2022 Company of the Year category.

Announcement in ASL

About Sorenson

Sorenson is one of the world’s leading language services providers, combining patented technology with human-centric solutions. We strive to increase accessibility through communication solutions for all. We provide call captioning and video relay services, video remote and in-person sign language and spoken language interpreting, translation, real-time captioning, and post-production language services. Our company impact extends beyond the 140 million conversations we facilitate annually— Sorenson improves lives through interpreted emergency and health services. Sorenson is a portfolio company of Ariel Alternatives, and we strive to manage and minimize our environmental impact. To learn more, visit sorenson.com.

Sorenson press contacts

U.S.

Ann Norman
Dir of Government Affairs & Public Relations
+1 (801) 317‑7789
[email protected]