Working with Interpreters

What is ASL-English interpreting services?

Will you be communicating in person with someone who uses American Sign Language (ASL) as their primary language? Don’t know ASL? No problem, that’s where a professional ASL-English interpreter can facilitate the communication between those who do not share the same language. Simply put, interpreters take the meaning from one language and render it into the appropriate grammatical structure and cultural framework of another language, and vice versa. This is typically done simultaneously with a few seconds of processing time.

All interpreters working with the Faculty of Science are members of the only national association for ASL-English interpreters, the Canadian Association of Sign Language Interpreters (CASLI), which offers the only national certification of ASL-English interpreters and a Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Professional Conduct that all members must adhere to. Interpreting Services also requires interpreters to follow the SMU Faculty of Science Terms of Services.

A quick guide to the interpreting team can be found here: The Interpreting Team .

An overview of Deaf Space can be found here.

How to work with interpreting services

Working with ASL-English interpreting services may be a new experience for you. Here are an array of information sheets to guide you through some commonly encountered situations. While not an exhaustive list and some situations will require specific service needs, the aim of the documents is to start the conversation on how to incorporate interpreting services effectively.

Academic Settings

Media

(television & radio)

Spoken Language Dominated Spaces, Working with Interpreters - Information Sheet

Media_Recorded - Working with Interpreters

Signed Language Led Spaces, Working with Interpreters - Information Sheet

Media_Live - Working with Interpreters

Event Planning	General Information
Conference and Event Planning, Working with Interpreters - Information Sheet	Virtual Space, Working with Interpreters - Information Sheet
	Providing Interpreting Services - Information Sheet

For Students	Observing
Working with Interpreters: For Defense Students	Classroom Observations - Observers
Working with Interpreters: For Defense Supervisors	Classroom Obervations: SMU Students & Staff
Working with Interpreters: For Defense Chairs	Observers in Virtual Environment - Observers
Booking Interpreting Services - DEEHR Team	Observers in Virtual Environment - Participants