A group of people stand around the water cooler discussing the upcoming election, global warming, or their favorite team’s latest victory.  Its likely that much of what they know about ‘the American Experience’ came to them through their ears.  Those who are deaf must rely on other sources to access the same information.

At times, the spoken word is the only source.

Interpreters strive to bridge that communication gap in our role at meetings between deaf and hearing people.  The exchange of information there is a step toward full inclusion in the communication process.  Still, the amount of information that is not accessible to deaf people is astounding.

The internet provides the technology to bring spoken text to its visual counterpart, sign language video.  Public Access Project will soon launch a web-based forum for texts interpreted into American Sign Language, also known as ASL.  By participating in the Project, interpreters will provide a major contribution toward dismantling the communication barriers that exist today, while paving the way for greater access tomorrow.  A call for interpreters to participate in this project will begin in early 2008.

There will also be benefits to interpreters, who will have opportunity to display their work as a portfolio.  A secondary aim of this project is to offer samples of our work that may be observed for analysis, our own professional growth, and peer review.

Public Access Project will invite interpreters to submit samples of their work that will be available for members to view.  It will simultaneously create an accessible format for deaf people to see information signed in their primary language. 

Please send an email if you would like to be informed of further developments on this site.

Michael Labadie, CI & CT