For Employers

Interpreters help people who speak different languages to communicate. American Sign Language (ASL) does not translate "word for word" to English, so these interpreters are highly skilled.

People who are deaf often need an interpreter for important work meetings such as performance reviews or training.

Interpreters usually work with 2-hour minimums. They will arrive at least 15 minutes early to learn about the purpose of the meeting and any special needs of the employer and/or the employee.

Interpreters are bound by a very strict code of ethics and confidentiality. 
 

Relay Services

Relay services allow deaf and hard of hearing people to communicate on the telephone, using either a TTY or the internet. 

Maryland Relay is a service that connects deaf and hard-of-hearing TTY users with users of standard telephones.  One party calls or connects to Maryland Relay and speaks (if they're hearing) or types on the TTY (if they're deaf or hard of hearing) to an operator, who then types or speaks, as appropriate, to the other party in the conversation.

 
Video Relay Service allows people to communicate by signing into a camera, which is in turn transmitted to a remote interpreter, who then relays the message via telephone.

CapTel Telephone Captioning Service

The Captioned Telephone (CapTel) uses captioning services to provide near-instant captions of what the caller is saying, giving the CapTel user the ability to listen and read the words at the same time. These captions are displayed on a screen that is part of the captioned telephone. Deaf and hard of hearing people who can talk clearly can use a captioned telephone.

Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)

VRI uses videoconferencing equipment to connect a sign language interpreter to an individual on a job site. This saves the cost of mileage, travel and time and required onsite minimums. Many businesses can use the teleconferencing equipment that they already have on site.

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