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Sorenson Communications Awards Thousands of Continuing Education Credit Hours to ASL Interpreters Annually
Over the course of 2008, Sorenson Communications™, the leading provider of Video Relay Services (VRS) for the deaf and hard-of-hearing who use sign language to communicate, sponsored more than 90 workshops and awarded more than 10,000 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters nationwide. The workshops featured nationally- and internationally-known presenters and were attended by more than 2,400 participants.
To maintain state and national certification, ASL interpreters must complete a requisite number of CEUs within a prescribed timeframe. For a nominal fee, community interpreters and students of interpreting educational programs (IEPs) across the United States may enroll in community CEU workshops. (Sorenson Communications interpreters attend at no cost.)
“Sorenson Communications supports the interpreter certification process by providing a variety of CEU workshops for all skill levels. These include language-based skill building, conflict resolution, ethical decision making, and preparing for the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) National Interpreter Certification (NIC) exam,” notes Amy Kalmus, Director of Professional Development for Sorenson Communications.
“Our external training provides a myriad of topics, really something for everyone at every stage of their professional development,” notes Sandra Rouse, Sorenson Communications National Workshop Facilitator/Trainer, who provides many of these training opportunities.
Funds raised from the 2008 CEU workshops totaled $20,682 and were donated directly back to local deaf and interpreter organizations, including deaf schools, interpreter education programs, camps for deaf children, and deaf cultural senior centers. Vanghi Hardin, Sorenson Communications Manager-Trainer of the Columbia, South Carolina VRS Interpreting Center, reports that funds collected from local 2008 CEU workshops were contributed to the South Carolina Department of Mental Health Deaf Services Program. “The donation is meaningful as it will directly benefit deaf clients in our community who use those services.”
In 2008, in addition to providing workshops for the greater interpreting community, Sorenson Communications also offered more than 500 “internal” professional development training opportunities and workshops for Sorenson VRS interpreters. Sorenson interpreters received specialized training in a variety of areas, including mentor specialty training, stress management, skill set development, and customer service. This training was created to meet the interpreting needs of VRS users.
“At Sorenson Communications we are committed to offering the highest-quality interpreting VRS services possible,” says Sorenson Communications Vice President of Interpreting Chris Wakeland. “We strengthen this goal by providing ongoing training and education for community and Sorenson Communications VRS interpreters. In this way we enhance the overall quality of the interpreting community and the services we provide.”
Over the course of 2008, Sorenson Communications™, the leading provider of Video Relay Services (VRS) for the deaf and hard-of-hearing who use sign language to communicate, sponsored more than 90 workshops and awarded more than 10,000 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters nationwide. The workshops featured nationally- and internationally-known presenters and were attended by more than 2,400 participants.
To maintain state and national certification, ASL interpreters must complete a requisite number of CEUs within a prescribed timeframe. For a nominal fee, community interpreters and students of interpreting educational programs (IEPs) across the United States may enroll in community CEU workshops. (Sorenson Communications interpreters attend at no cost.)
“Sorenson Communications supports the interpreter certification process by providing a variety of CEU workshops for all skill levels. These include language-based skill building, conflict resolution, ethical decision making, and preparing for the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) National Interpreter Certification (NIC) exam,” notes Amy Kalmus, Director of Professional Development for Sorenson Communications.
“Our external training provides a myriad of topics, really something for everyone at every stage of their professional development,” notes Sandra Rouse, Sorenson Communications National Workshop Facilitator/Trainer, who provides many of these training opportunities.
Funds raised from the 2008 CEU workshops totaled $20,682 and were donated directly back to local deaf and interpreter organizations, including deaf schools, interpreter education programs, camps for deaf children, and deaf cultural senior centers. Vanghi Hardin, Sorenson Communications Manager-Trainer of the Columbia, South Carolina VRS Interpreting Center, reports that funds collected from local 2008 CEU workshops were contributed to the South Carolina Department of Mental Health Deaf Services Program. “The donation is meaningful as it will directly benefit deaf clients in our community who use those services.”
In 2008, in addition to providing workshops for the greater interpreting community, Sorenson Communications also offered more than 500 “internal” professional development training opportunities and workshops for Sorenson VRS interpreters. Sorenson interpreters received specialized training in a variety of areas, including mentor specialty training, stress management, skill set development, and customer service. This training was created to meet the interpreting needs of VRS users.
“At Sorenson Communications we are committed to offering the highest-quality interpreting VRS services possible,” says Sorenson Communications Vice President of Interpreting Chris Wakeland. “We strengthen this goal by providing ongoing training and education for community and Sorenson Communications VRS interpreters. In this way we enhance the overall quality of the interpreting community and the services we provide.”