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FAQ

Q. Why use an interpreter?                                                                                                    A. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, people who are deaf and hard of hearing that are involved in employment issues or seeking public accommodations are entitled communicative access and may not be discriminated against on the basis of their disability. SLP can provide the service you need to comply with the law. 

Q. Do I need an interpreter?                                                                                                                A. If you're an employer, medical or legal professional, county, state or federal agency, or have public events, you're required by law to provide an interpreter for deaf and hard of hearing people who are currently employed or who respond to your public advertisement. 

Q. How do I find an interpreter?                                                                                                        A. That's where we come in. SLP has been providing qualified interpreters for deaf and hard of hearing persons for over 20 years. We have the experience it takes to meet your needs!

Q. What kind of organizations does SLP Serve?
A. We have met the needs of county, state and federal agencies, hospitals, doctor's offices, legal settings, industrial locations, colleges and universities, public schools, banks, theaters, churches, rehabilitation facilities, military installations, computer training centers, engineering firms, mental health centers, retirement communities, museums, TV studios, police departments, and we would love to meet your's.

Q. How do I know the interpreter is qualified?
A. SLP employs only highly qualified interpreters, who hold credentials with the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) or the Virginia Quality Assurance Screening program (VQAS). To maintain certification, interpreters are required to complete continuing education requirements to keep their certification current. 

Q. How can we be guaranteed confidentiality?
A. All of our interpreters are required to adhere to the RID's Code of Ethics, which, among other things, requires total confidentiality. Some interpreters also hold active security security clearances.

Q. Why can't we just use an employee who signs pretty well?
A. Signing and interpreting are two different concepts. A person who is able to "sign" is not necessarily able to accurately and impartially convey both the spoken word of the hearing person and the signed communication of the deaf person. 

Q. We have a student that is deaf but does not use Sign Language, what do we do?                        A. We use real-time captioning. These services are an alternative to traditional Sign Language and offer a reliable and complete way to communicate in business settings, classrooms, public events, conventions and even medical appointments. With over 48 million deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States alone, as well as many new immigrants just learning English, this is a critically needed service.

Q. Do you have foreign language interpreters?                                                                                  A. Yes! We can send on-site interpreters or real-time captioning in foreign languages. We also provide document translation.

Q. What about Braille?                                                                                                                       A. Yes, we provide Braille document services.

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