Sorenson Develops ASL Interpreters to Impact and Improve Lives Through Communication

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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.”

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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.

Nathaniel Free
Senior Manager of PR & Brand
Sorenson
+1 (801) 287-9400
[email protected]