r/ASLinterpreters

I just got accepted from my TCC to enroll in second year of Interpreting Program. I just curious if I can work for any of places relate to my current level.

Hi everyone!

I’m preparing a presentation on the limitations of AI-generated captions versus live human captioners for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing accessibility. I’m especially interested in real-world examples where auto captions were confusing, inaccurate, inappropriate, or even created dangerous situations.

I’ve seen examples ranging from harmless/funny misunderstandings to serious issues in education, healthcare, workplace training, meetings, public events, and emergency communication.

If you’ve personally experienced or witnessed:

• Zoom/Teams caption fails
• YouTube auto-caption disasters
• Workplace or classroom misunderstandings
• Accessibility barriers caused by bad captions
• AI captions missing tone, sarcasm, or context
• Situations where inaccurate captions caused confusion, embarrassment, exclusion, or safety concerns

I’d love to hear about them. Screenshots/examples are welcome if you’re comfortable sharing.

I’m hoping to highlight why accessibility requires more than just “turning captions on” and why human oversight still matters.

Thank you for helping educate others on this issue.

Interpreting a concert soon, it will be outdoors with a venue capacity of 15,000.

Highs in the mid 80’s, lows are high 70’s.

What is / isnt allowed for concert interpreting? The genre of music is rap/emo/pop punk.

I'm looking for a female pro bono interpreter for a virtual AA meeting. It is tonight, Wednesday May 20th at 7pm EDT.

If you're interested, but not available tonight, you could interpret another Wednesday.

Hi guys I just got hired as a VRS apprentice for company that has a color as the name (lol idk if I’m allowed to share). They told me they do 10 call quality checks later on. Some people say in 3 months, some say 6months it will happen. But I haven’t gotten any real confirmation on when.

1. Does anyone know what the process is like/when it would happen?

2. How do they do the call quality checks?

3. Are they auditing every call I make from now till the quality checks 3-6months later?

4.Are the mentors that I team with grading me on every call I make when I call a team?

5.Or do they pick a random day and sit in with me to watch my calls from that day?

I’m nervous because I do well on some calls, and then when I need extra support or need to switch, that’s when I’m obviously calling a team. So if they are only grading on when I call a team that is usually when my call isn’t doing well. I just don’t want a bad reflection on me if that is what they are looking at.

I appreciate any insight on this as I want to make sure I do well and keep this job

Educational interpreting has not been what I expected coming out of college and training …. and after a lot of reflection, I think it’s time for a change.

I’ve ruled out freelance. My personality needs structure: a consistent schedule, knowing what my day looks like, and not walking into a new environment every morning mentally bracing for the quiet unknown.

Here’s the thing…. know I have real, transferable skills. I’m highly organized, I read people well, and I genuinely love finding creative, out-of-the-box solutions to problems that don’t have an obvious answer. Interpreting was the challenge that drew me in, but it’s no longer the thing that keeps me going. I grew up wanting to become a doctor, then a PA, then an interpreter. I always felt a magnetizing pull towards a career…. Now, I’m stuck.

I’m looking for a career that gives me:
• A consistent, predictable schedule
• Room to problem-solve and think critically
• A real challenge that doesn’t leave me depleted.
For those who’ve made this transition: inside or outside of Deaf/ADA-related work, I’d love to know:
1. What did you move into, and how did you land there?
2. What interpreter skills surprised you by being valuable in a totally different field?
3. Anything you wish you’d done differently or known sooner?

Open to hearing everything — career pivots, adjacent roles, even industries I’d never think to consider.

SMMRIZE: Educational interpreter with strong organizational, challenge-driven, and creative problem-solving skills looking to pivot into a stable, structured career — what did you transition into and what transferred?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

ASL interpreters, I'd like to hear your origin story -

Terps have become that way when they have a personal experience with the language. Some are CODAs, some have a Deaf best friend, as well as some who start learning the language and fall in love with it.

Feel free to share with us here your story of why you became an ASL interpreter.

ETA: also crossposted to r/aslinterpreters for relevance.

Wondering what the interpreting landscape in San Diego is like. I’m in the Denver area working a few days a week at a school and doing other community work through several agencies the rest of the time. My goal is to work as much in the community as possible and get my advanced or NIC, but education has been steady and weirdly enough some of the best pay in Denver. Wondering if a setup like this is possible in San Diego and what the pay is like?

BEI Basic
EIPA 3.9

I need a wired headset with noise canceling and an external mic. Suggestions appreciated, thank you!

I would say I’m a strong voicer and get good feedback on my voicing. But if I don’t have a team, I more often than not miss fingerspelling. I have dyslexia, so spelling in any language is difficult for me. I even took a fingerspelling class in college, but it’s barely improved. Any recommendations? Youtube videos? Unconventional approaches? I’m willing to try anything, especially something I can do every day.

I’m an interpreter working in education currently (teamed with a more experienced terp). I’m working towards licensure to team and learn in community settings in the near future. I feel like I’m working day and night to improve my ASL conversational skills and my interpreting skills. I’m out in my local Deaf community. HOWEVER!! I still feel like an idiot and like I don’t know anything. I feel like I make stupid mistakes and people look at me like “THIS girl is interpreting??” I know ASL is not my native language, but I genuinely feel so hopeless and DUMB when I’m hanging out with my Deaf friends and they’re signing amongst themselves. I have a Deaf mentor and interpreting mentor.

I feel like I’m doing everything I’m supposed to, and I still just feel so dumb and like I will NEVER be qualified to interpret for anything. I’m so terrified that I’m not doing right by the Deaf community by even having a job in this field at this point. Does it ever get easier??😭 How did everyone here get past these feelings early in their career?

Im going make this easy to explain and be completely transparent, i have a love for sign language, my parents and step parents are deaf it also runs in my family.
I’ve always wanted to be a sign language interpreter when I was a little boy, I’m 19 now, just graduated high school, but when I was 17 I had got in trouble with the law.
1st degree felony- (Manufacturing and delivering)——- I got put on DEFERRED probation for 8 years, but I wanted to know anyone’s experiences with people who have a background being interpreters or anyone who is an interpreter with a background.
I live in Texas so laws apply different here, but I’m thinking about going to college for this career, I guess I’m just worried about my background but I know I can do it if I fly straight.
Questions:
And who do you work for and how was the hiring process?
Can you still work for the government?
How did you prove that you have changed to your employer?

I feel like this is a long shot but worth a shot?

I’ve had this happen a few times and I’m curious as a newer interpreter how other interpreters handle these situations.

It’s when the medical office (or at other assignments, I just do more medical) accidentally schedules two interpreters from different agencies for the same appointment. They are both getting paid regardless of if they are the one to stay or leave.

When this has happened to me, the other interpreter didn’t chat with me before they told the Deaf client that since I was there first, I will stay. I asked the Deaf client if that was okay or if they’d be more comfortable with the other interpreter since they knew them (I hadn’t met them before). The other interpreter told me it didn’t matter.

Is whoever gets there first the one who stays a common way of deciding? How have ya’ll handled this kind of situation when it comes up?

Edit: Thank you for all the comments and additions to this discussion! I read all the comments, even if I’m not replying to everything and there’s a lot of good points being made.

Hello! Ive been reflecting on a setting that I found myself struggling in. I’ve working for near 5 years now, and have been booked for several holiday parties, work dinners ect. I’ve noticed that often in these settings while there is of course interpreting to do, the Deaf individual ends up socializing with me instead of the other attendees. Why that is? I think there are several factors depending on the booking itself. But I have noticed often hearing crowds stick together, don’t socialize much with the Deaf person, or there’s so many people at the table that it’s impossible to interpret for everyone, so I interpret the people in our vicinity or whomever they prefer to listen to (given I’m able to hear them from my location). However is these scenarios, I’ve noticed often the Deaf attendee will make conversations with me instead of their colleagues etc. Minimal conversations and chatting I don’t mind at all, given we’re building that work relationship. However I do feel uncomfortable when it feels prolonged or near the entire booking this is taking place. I am there to provide a service and at times I feel like I’m taking advantage of that time by socializing instead of interpreting. (keep in mind, I much rather be interpreting). I can’t help but feel like I’m crossing a boundary in a sense, it’s hard for me to put into words the feeling. But long story short it leaves me feeling a little off. I can’t help but also think of what all the hearing attendees perspective of this as well. I wasn’t hired to be the Deaf persons plus one. I could go on and on but I’ll keep this short as I can. Please any feedback or perspectives you may have, I’m all ears. Curious to see if anyone else feels this way or can shed light on maybe what I’m not seeing. Thanks so much. Appreciate it!

RID Interpreters: The CPC is a shield for bullies. The ultimate irony of a specialized profession is when the Code of Professional Conduct—a document designed to uphold integrity—is weaponized to protect the people destroying it.

When the rules dictate that calling out lateral violence, sabotage, and gatekeeping is a "violation of professional respect," the code effectively becomes a shield for bullies. It forces ethical professionals into silence while allowing toxic behavior to thrive under the guise of compliance.

Nothing changes because the system is rigged to keep the victims quiet under the threat of a penalty. Walking away isn't quitting; it's refusing to play a rigged game.

This question is probably better in a Deaf subreddit, but I’m not sure which is appropriate so I’ll ask here first.

I don’t have any experience with performance interpreting. However, I have seen some interpreted musicals and some movies with PIP interpreters. My question is why is there so much interpretation of action? Not spoken words or sounds, but use of classifiers to show exactly what is already happening on screen/stage? For example, a car crash/race or two people walking towards each other. I feel like this is double the information and probably a distraction?

The only context I can think of that this would be helpful is maybe low vision or someone learning ASL, especially deaf children.

If someone could please enlighten me, I’d be so grateful! Also, if you know of a subreddit where I would get more answers from deaf people please let me know.

Edit: I want to post this in Deaf subs to get opinions on if this is something they actually enjoy or if it’s a distraction.

I’m hearing, started learning ASL in 2015, graduated with my BA in Deaf Studies in 2023. I was then struggling with my health and took a step back to focus on myself & getting used to a life altering diagnosis. I’ve only recently felt like I can take on the responsibility & work that comes with being hearing entering the conversation/community/industry.
Honestly because of the break I’ve kinda gotten lost on what’s been going on, but I can definitely FEEL something hasn’t been right..
Can someone explain to me like I’m 5 years old what’s been going on (catch me up) and how I should go forward with reemergence and becoming an ASL Interpreter. Cause I don’t know what the path is anymore.
For now I’m just volunteering at the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Service Center. I’m slowly using their resources and practice. I just wanted to get a better idea of what’s happening in the eyes of interpreters. I’m not sure how to go about to get certified? With who? Idk. Hope you all can give me guidance. Thanks in advance.

I have been assigned to a school job next week. One of the teachers told me that kids won't be going to school on Thursday and Friday. She said that I could help them clean up the classroom.

I don't think I should do that - I'm there as an interpreter not a cleaner. I haven't asked my agency manager yet, because in the past, she said that I should go wherever the school needs me (my student was absent and they wanted to send me with other kids).

What do you think? Would you do classroom cleaning? Do you think I should ask my manager?