Frequently Asked Questions

VRI refers to using a remote interpreter over the internet to interpret all auditory content into visual sign language and all signed communication into spoken language. VRI is available via a variety of platforms, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meets. VRI is not appropriate for all situations or settings, such as for events that contain sensitive or confidential information, as well as in regards to high-risk situations. In these instances, an in-person interpreter is the wiser choice.

Booking a VRI with ICS is straightforward. When requesting services, ICS will need the virtual meeting link for your event, meeting ID, password, as well as prep material, such as the agenda, event description, intros for keynote speakers, or scripts. It is preferred that all VRI requests be made at least 48-hours in advance. In return, your service provider will login 15-20 minutes early to go over any last minute details or changes. Booking windows and scheduling minimums are covered under Scheduling Support.

In many ways, virtual events can actually be more convenient and user-friendly for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing. Not only does a screen give individuals the option to not disclose their disability, but it often means less background noise, overlapping speakers, and better equal access.

A Certified Deaf Interpreter [CDI] is someone who identifies as Deaf while also possessing an exceptional knowledge of sign language, Deaf culture, and rights advocacy. CDIs work in teams alongside at least one hearing interpreter to provide a professional and clear interpreted message, which will be easily understood by Deaf immigrants, individuals with multiple disabilities, and/or Deaf individuals in specialized settings, such as with Deaf-blind interpreting, medical interpreting, legal interpreting, and document translation.

Working with a Deaf interpreter is a bit more complex than working with a hearing one. For the most part, Deaf interpreters operate as part of a two-person team where one of them is Deaf and the other is hearing. Whereas most interpreting teams take turns interpreting during an event, here, both individuals are always active and always participating. If a hearing person has questions or information for this team, they should approach the Deaf individual directly.

The interpreters at ICS are fully equipped to provide sign language in a variety of languages and styles, including Spanish, Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, British, Irish, and International Sign. When requesting a foreign sign language interpreter, be sure to ask the Deaf individual their preferred language first.

Educational interpreters are most often used in classrooms of all grade levels. The job of this interpreter is to provide access to all communication in the classroom, including discussions amongst students and teachers. The provider will also ensure access to all media information presented in the classroom, such as powerpoints, lectures, presentations, videos, and activities. The instructor should teach the class as they normally would while also making sure they always face the class, do not cross in front of the interpreter, that they speak at a reasonable pace, and have shared all relevant materials, such as IEPs, with the interpreter in advance.

At ICS, our legally-trained interpreters are well-versed in the appropriate vocabulary, as well as how to provide unbiased and confidential services. To get the most out of your legal or court interpreter, ICS asks that you inform us what role the Deaf or hard-of-hearing consumer will be taking in the proceedings and that you provide the interpreter with a copy of all available materials, preferably well in advance. The interpreter will also need to be placed such that they are easily seen by the Deaf consumer at all times.

Possessing the sensitivity, training, and respect required of such a role, the mental health interpreters at ICS know how important it is for everyone, including the Deaf and hard-of-hearing, to have access to therapy sessions, evaluations, and assessments. These interpreters are best placed in close proximity to both the Deaf consumer and the therapist. The therapist should never speak to the interpreter, but to the Deaf consumer. To get the most out of these service providers, consider sharing with them background information such as diagnoses, triggers, phobias, and medication names, which can often be challenging to spell. Confidentiality, of course, is a priority in these spaces.

Religious interpreters have been specifically trained in the appropriate signs, traditions, and customs of different faiths and religious practices so that the process of integrating them into your ceremony, sermon, or group is a smooth one.

Religious interpreters are best utilized when properly placed within the religious space. They will need to have an easy line-of-sight on the speakers, the audience, performers, and of course, with the Deaf individual. Also, be sure to place them where no one will walk in front of them. It is best to provide the interpreter with copies of all scripts, songs, schedules and formal readings before the event.

Many of the best ways to accommodate a Deaf-blind individual actually take place before the event. This includes reserving a space for them, clearing the path of obstacles, and minimizing other sensory distractions, such as overly bright lights, loud music, and air fresheners. Lastly, the Deaf-blind tactile interpreter should communicate with the individual to find out their preferred method of communication, i.e. tactile interpreting, close-vision interpreting, pro-tactile touch signals or signed versus spoken language.

When using performing arts interpreters, it's vital that they be in view of the entire stage and perhaps even the aisles if the performers will be using them. The placement of the interpreter should keep them safe from being blocked by performers, sets or props. To get the most out of your performing arts interpreter, invite them to sit in on rehearsals and script readings. Sharing scripts, song lyrics, cast lists, sheet music, and even tours of the stage can improve the interpreter's work and thus enhance the audience's experience of the arts.

There are many ways to ensure that your performing arts events are accessible, ones that take place both prior to the event and during. This begins with your choice of venue, which includes the parking lot, doors, bathrooms, and whether or not there are stairs. Once your production is underway, accessibility could include hiring a sign language interpreter, captioning your videos, providing braille versions of materials, and briefing your speakers or performers ahead of time on these steps. Another important piece is educating yourself on how to use different kinds of service providers, such as knowing an interpreter's view must not be blocked or that a caption provider requires uninterrupted audio. When in doubt, schedule a free ADA accommodation consultation.

When planning a semester abroad or booking passage on a cruise ship, a travel interpreter might not always be at the top of the packing list. Since this requires a longer commitment on the part of the service provider and a more varied skill-set, it's recommended that you submit your request as early as possible, determine who will be responsible for the costs, and keep ICS apprised of any booking changes.

Conference interpreters wear many hats. They are specially trained to handle conventions, workshops, employee trainings, summits, and retreats. Because these events tend to be very large and include complicated schedules, it is particularly important to provide conference interpreters with copies of all materials well in advance. Tours of the individual event spaces might be valuable as well, since the interpreter will need to know where to stand so they have line-of-sight on the stage, the audience, and any screens or props.

Medical environments can be overwhelming whether you're a hearing person or a Deaf person. To make these situations less intimidating, keep the medical interpreter close so that you don't miss any of their signs and they can easily ask questions. The interpreter, as always, is not present to replace communication between medical personnel and Deaf individuals, but to enhance it. You should never have interpreters sign documents, accept treatments plans, or schedule appointments. Medical professionals should remember to communicate directly with the Deaf consumer at all times except when spelling out unfamiliar words or complex medical jargon.

Not only is it a legal requirement of the ADA for all medical settings to have medical sign language interpreters available, but it also reduces the risks for malpractice. Also, humans tend to speak very quickly. There's no place this happens more often than in medical settings. Add onto this foreign vocabulary that even hearing people would struggle to pronounce and having a medical sign language interpreter becomes vital for all appointments, exams, surgeries, and recoveries.

Absolutely. According to a letter on interpreter safety released during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was agreed that healthcare interpreters should receive the same protections and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as any regular healthcare provider. Masks can be challenging when interacting with the Deaf and hard-of-hearing as they cover up facial expressions, but transparent masks can work as a solution where available, appropriate, and permitted.

Ensuring the presence of accessibility in the workplace should begin with communication between those with disability and those who can instigate change. Often, although not always, the individuals in need of accommodations will be most knowledgeable when it comes to different ways an organization can improve accessibility. You can also invite feedback, suggestions, and frustrations. Still unsure? Watch the ICS videos "How To Work With A Sign Language Interpreter" and "Welcome to the Inclusive Experience! Inclusive sign language and caption accommodations for the Deaf."

When it comes to business and governmental meetings, it can be a whirlwind of powerpoints, graphs, technical vocabulary, video clips, and of course, overlapping voices both in-person and remote. The presence of a sign language interpreter at these functions can greatly lessen the burden on Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals when it comes to keeping up. When placing the sign language interpreter in your event space, be sure they can see all participants, speakers, and screens. Instruct all speakers to speak clearly, but at a normal pace. Also, avoid ever asking the interpreter to deliver messages to the Deaf individual at a later date, as this violates an interpreter's code of ethics.

The first decision you'll need to make is whether you need a CART provider or a TypeWell transcriber. After that, you'll need to decide if you'd prefer your captioner to be on-site or remote, if the captions should be projected (open-caption) or by request (closed-caption), and of course, provide the captioner with copies of any materials as far in advance as possible. If services are being provided on-site, the caption provider will need to be as close to the source of audio as possible and preferably to the action in general.

The biggest and most obvious difference between CART and TypeWell comes down to whether the consumer would prefer verbatim or a summary. CART results in a word-for-word transcript, while TypeWell results in a meaning-for-meaning transcript, removing things such as false starts, repetitions, basic corrections, and stutters.

When it comes to on-site captioning, it is vital that the CART captioner or TypeWell transcriber has the best audio possible. With remote services, an API is required as well as reliable internet. For the captions to be seen by the entire audience, a large projector or screen will need to be utilized. If the captions only need to be seen by a few, individual captioning devices, such as iPads, will need to be distributed.

Accessible media services involve adding ASL interpreting or captions to media selections to make them accessible. By inserting captions or Picture in Picture interpreting into media that will be watched at a later date, the media becomes accessible to those who weren't able to attend the event live or wish to enjoy rewatching it. Some examples include but are not limited to conference panels, commercials, social media posts, company announcements, etc.

This depends almost entirely on whether your media will be experienced live or post-production. If the event is a live one, ASL interpreting, captions, or auditory voiceover services could be utilized. If the event is one that will be recorded for later enjoyment, requesting ICS to insert PIP interpreting, post-production captioning, or an Audio Description track might be more appropriate.

In the same way that an ASL interpreter takes spoken language and turns it into sign, visual description voiceovers take visual details, text, and actions and transliterate them into speech. When done correctly, the blind and low-visioned will have equal-access to a media content's visual components.

Commonly seen in government addresses, corporate announcements, and workplace training videos, picture-in-picture sign language interpreting refers to having a small box in the corner of the media screen where an interpreter is displayed. It's subtle, unobtrusive, and often less distracting for the hearing audience than captioning while still providing equal-access to the media's auditory content for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing.

If this is your first time scheduling accommodation services for the Deaf, Deaf-blind, Blind, low-vision, or hard-of-hearing, you may feel overwhelmed with the variety of accommodation options. Perhaps you're looking for a particular accommodation for yourself, but don't see it. Whatever your situation, ICS offers a free 15-minute consultation to ensure equal-access and inclusion for your needs.

Scheduling a consultation is straightforward. Just pop over to our calendar and choose a date and time that works for you. One of our coordinators will reach out to confirm your free 15-minute consultation. After that, you only need to show up and ICS will do the rest.

The Access New York Calendar is a community tool for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals living in New York City. The calendar brings together a list of local events that provide ASL interpretation, open captioning, or both. This makes it easier to locate these events while also creating more opportunities to connect with others in the community.

If the event is being hosted by you, reach out to us and ICS will help you figure out what kind of services are most appropriate. If the event is being hosted by someone else, we recommend communicating with the coordinators first, as there might be accommodations available that aren't well advertised. If you do that and you still aren't properly accommodated, reach out to ICS via the Request-a-Terp form and we'll do what we can to help.

Established in 1990, the Americans with Disability Act or ADA is a civil rights law that "prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public." At the heart of this act, the ADA ensures that those with disabilities are included and protected, while also providing a critical set of guidelines for those required to accommodate these individuals.

If the audience for your event is going to include at least one Deaf individual, you are legally required to meet their needs, be that through interpreting services or captions. General Access accommodations is a worthy goal for all organizations as well, which refers to having accommodations available even if they don't end up being needed. You can consult the guidelines of the ADA for which requirements apply to you and then have a consultation with ICS to confirm which services you'd be wise to choose.

While it's true that many Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals have preferred agencies to book their accommodations through, it is an ADA violation and even oppressive to ask these people to locate their own service providers. This is both illegal and a huge liability/risk.

ICS strives to offer the most affordable rates to best serve the Deaf and hard-of-hearing, Deaf-blind, late deafened, blind, and those with low vision. If you receive a lesser quote from another accommodations agency, ICS will aim to price-match the quote within 5%. It is important to prioritize "quality" when scheduling accommodation services. As we like to say, "'cheap work' isn't good, and 'good work' isn't always cheap." This is to say, just like going to the barber or dentist, the cheapest option isn't necessarily the best choice.

ICS understands that accessibility accommodations can eat away at an organization's budget, especially for nonprofits and art groups. That's why we launched Village Hands, which focuses on improving inclusion in the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community by removing the financial barrier that burdens many non-profit and arts organizations. Now, there won't be any reason for your organization to not be accessible to the local community.

ICS's efforts to support the Deaf community begins with donating 5% of our annual proceeds to Project: Inclusive Impact, an internal initiative focused on the inclusion of Deaf and hard-of-hearing children in education around the world. Each year, Project: Inclusive Impact partners with an underfunded school dedicated to the Deaf to discover that school's biggest needs and then, through our 5% donation, we do our best to meet some of those needs.

Absolutely. All you really need to know before committing to learning sign language is your intention behind it. Are you just curious about the world of ASL? Do you have a friend or family member that uses sign and you'd like to more easily communicate with them? Are you hoping to become an interpreter yourself? Knowing this will help you understand the commitment necessary to reach your intended fluency. Regardless of the answer, ICS has classes to get you started.

No matter the company or the organization, communication is more important than anything else and this includes the removal of language barriers. The presence of sign language courses would not only assist in fostering increased collaboration and morale among your Deaf and hard-of-hearing employees, but these courses also enable your hearing workforce to better understand the culture that exists around hearing loss.

Hiring Deaf and hard-of-hearing employees should begin with creating a healthy and inclusive work environment. This might include altering the interview process, choosing a clear communicator for orientations, or even having someone on staff knowledgeable in accommodating disabilities. Once the individual is part of your workforce, their inclusion is best accomplished through talking to them, as well as ensuring they have the same level of access in their workplace as their colleagues. When in doubt, reach out to ICS for a free ADA accommodation consultation.

Holiday celebrations can be tricky for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing. Parties can be loud in terms of music, kids, and multiple speakers. The best way to accommodate these guests is to communicate and include them. Perhaps offer to keep the volume low when it comes to music and TV. You could also consider changing the holiday setup to ensure the Deaf or hard-of-hearing participant can see everyone's lips or has the option of sitting next to someone who can accommodate their communication preference and ensure their inclusion.

Yes. Watching a program without captions is an extremely exhausting and frustrating experience for the Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and late Deafened. Even consumers with very little hearing loss may struggle, as loud music and sound effects are distracting or render speech unintelligible. Captions are an efficient and affordable accommodation for any media content and are quickly becoming the new norm. Providing captions is also a vital part of ADA guidelines.

If you want to be sure you've scheduled the appropriate interpreter for your request, you should reach out to an ICS coordinator to discuss your request. An additional step you can take is reaching out to your Deaf or hard-of-hearing consumer to see if they have any accommodation preferences or additional needs. Requesting a specific provider by name is covered under Scheduling Support.

Whether you need an ASL interpreter or a captioner should always begin with your consumer's preference, as not all Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals prefer the same accommodation. When in doubt, schedule a free ADA accommodations consultation with an ICS coordinator.

Automated Captioning is built into many online platforms now, such as Zoom and Youtube. It uses voice recognition software and machine learning algorithms to synthesize captions for video and audio content that otherwise does not have captions. While it is free, these algorithms don't understand accents or foreign words and don't account for grammar or punctuation. This results in an often inaccurate and error ridden transcript.

ICS is happy to help ensure that your websites, social media pages, and marketing materials are all accessible. On the simpler side of things, this involves avoiding overly small print, fancy fonts, or flashing graphics. On the less simple side, the use of alt text on all images, the captioning of all videos, and knowledge of screen readers are vital. Picture in Picture is another valuable option, as is visual description voiceover.

ICS is an agency that makes a priority out of bringing equal-access and inclusion to every classroom, stage, courtroom, and doctor's office and that all begins with educating the public on the importance of accessibility and making accommodation services affordable for the community.

Even the most wonderful things often start out small. ICS was founded in 2016 by two professional sign language interpreters, Shelby Edwards and Tyler Herron, in New York, New York. ICS has since expanded throughout the Northeastern United States, making accessibility and equal access our highest priority each step of the way.

ICS covers a wide range of services, such as professional and affordable interpreting, captioning, media translation and accessibility services for the Deaf, Deaf-blind, blind, low-vision, late-deafened, and hard-of-hearing. ICS offers these across the Northeastern United States, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

Alas, all sales are final and no refunds can be issued after the delivery of services. Refunds for cancellations, on the other hand, are processed during regular business hours [8:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST Monday - Friday] in accordance with the Cancellation Policy listed in your service confirmation. Still have questions? Email Billing@InclusiveASL.com!

ICS guarantees that all services will be rendered with the utmost professionalism and in accordance with industry standards. While best efforts are always made, ICS cannot guarantee the effectiveness or results of these services.

ICS is always on the lookout for qualified and diverse interpreters and captioners to add to our inclusive team. To learn more, you can email us using Careers@InclusiveASL.com, drop us a message through our website, or schedule a friendly meet-and-greet where we'll discuss who we are, who you are, and see if we're a fit.

You can reach ICS by calling (347) 927-5770, submitting a request through our website, or emailing us at Info@InclusiveASL.com. If you'd like to get a little more personal with us, you could also book a free consultation with one of our coordinators.

Yes. ICS is managed by New Majority Talent and is a certified New York City, New York & New Jersey Port Authority, New York State, and United States Economically Disadvantaged Woman-owned Small Business Enterprise (WBE, WOSB, EDWOSB). ICS judiciously partners with New Majority service providers and business owners whose values and mission align with ours.

Once your request is submitted, ICS will evaluate which of its providers would be best suited to your needs. Once providers have been selected, you will receive an official confirmation in your email with the service details, the date and time of your event, as well as the name(s) of your provider(s). How to submit, change, or cancel a request is covered under Scheduling Support.

No. On the date of your event, you should never offer or even discuss payment with the service provider. All payments with ICS should occur online, over the phone, or by email. Invoicing, payment methods, and payment terms are covered under Billing Support.

Unlike other accommodation agencies, ICS assigns an accommodations coordinator to see every service through from its initial request to final delivery. If you have a last minute change to your event, if you're unsure about the proper setup or placement of service providers, or if ICS's service providers are missing on-site, please call us so we can promptly address your concerns. At ICS, we want your event to be as inclusive as possible for both you and your Deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers. This begins and ends with open communication with your friendly and trusted accommodations coordinators.

For our customers' convenience, ICS issues weekly invoices that itemize all services delivered between Sunday-Saturday of any given week. These invoices are issued no later than the Monday following the date(s) of service.

We understand that an organization's cash-flow is critical to its efficiency. That is why we provide our customers with 50% more time to pay their invoices compared to other agencies. Net payment for all ICS invoices is due within 45-days of the invoice date.

ICS currently accepts payment via credit & debit card, check, and direct deposit (ACH). Payment can be made at the time of booking services, after services are rendered in the customer portal, or by mail. All mailed payments should be postmarked prior to the invoice due date to avoid incurring a late fee.

We understand that things do not always go as planned, that's why we offer customers a one-time payment extension when they find themselves in a bind. If you are unable to submit payment on-time, please respond to your emailed invoice or send a separate email to Billing@InclusiveASL.com before the invoice due date to request your one-time extension. Invoices that remain unsettled after the due date will incur a 5% late fee on the outstanding balance. This 5% late fee will compound with each additional 30-days the invoice remains overdue. Invoices that remain outstanding up to 6-months will be submitted for collections.

As a small, locally-based agency, ICS depends on customers' timely payments to operate smoothly and compensate our professionals on time. ICS generously allots our customers 45-days to settle their invoices as well as a one-time payment extension. Customers who do not communicate delays in their payment or who fail to settle their invoices in-full and on-time will be assessed a 5% late fee on their outstanding balance once an invoice becomes overdue and an additional 5% fee for every 30-days the invoice remains overdue.

Just as many of us plan our vacations and appointments a month in advance, interpreters and transcribers likewise schedule their work one- to two-weeks prior to the service delivery date. Service requests that are received within 48-hours of the service date require additional time and resources to staff as fewer providers are available with such minimal notice. For this reason, requests that are scheduled within a 48-hour window are charged an "expedited" surcharge of 10%, while requests that are successfully scheduled within a 24-hour window are charged an "expedited request" surcharge of 20% for the total service quote.

Once you are certain you no longer require services, you should immediately reply to your service confirmation email to request a cancellation. Cancellations are only processed during business hours and are billed according to the date and time the cancellation email was received. Billing for cancelled service requests adheres to the following policy. Cancellations: cancellations are processed during regular business hours and require a minimum of 48-hours' notice from the scheduled start time for in-person services and at least 24-hours' notice from the scheduled start time for virtual services. Cancellations received under this time frame are considered untimely and will be billed in full. Modifications: request modifications are processed during regular business hours and require a minimum of 48-hours' notice from the scheduled start time. Modifications to the service type, date, time, number of interpreters, or nature of the request which are received under this time frame are considered untimely and may result in additional charges. Media accessibility services: cancellations are honored within the first 48-hours of the project timeline. Cancellations received within this window will only be billed per minute of completed work. Cancellations received outside this window will be billed in full.

Just as a surgery may require more than one doctor or a litigation more than one lawyer, some service requests require more than one interpreter. If you failed to secure or request two interpreters for a legal appointment or an appointment lasting longer than 75-minutes, then you were billed twice your original service quote for the interpreters' additional time and energy. Similar to other policies, this is a professional standard within the interpreting field and is unfortunately non-negotiable. If you have any questions about this charge, please email Billing@InclusiveASL.com.