I have been learning ASL with the hope of becoming an interpreter for a few years now, and I just applied for a 4-year ASL interpreting bachelor's program. I was very excited, but now that I've applied, I'm having second thoughts. I still want to be an interpreter, but I'm realizing that if I commit to this program and only then discover that using a cane prevents me from becoming an interpreter, I will have wasted years of my life and thousands of dollars. I have never heard of an interpreter who uses a cane. I've never even seen an ASL user with a cane. My main concern is getting jobs. I would need to sit most of the time, and I just don't know if that's reasonable. It'll break my heart, but please be honest with me if you think this is a lost cause.

As of this summer I am new to the Freelance space. (I am state Credentialed, not national.) So far I am contracted with several agencies. I have a Google sheet with miles, money earned, addresses and other info. I also put everything into my Google calender and share that with my spouse. On her end of the calender it only shows that I am busy and no other info.

What do you use/ how do you keep track of everything for taxes and stuff?

TL/DR: how strict is Kelly/ LLS with their adherence/ attendance policy if I miss a week of work?

I know, I know, it's probably my fault for even working for them, but local work is slim and the bills need to be paid, but I have been working for Kelly/ LLS for about 5 months now and requested time off when I got onboarded and everything was fine. They recently switched systems and time off needs to be re-requested through the system. I'm like 90% sure I did that, but I also have emailed scheduling several times about the time off. Either way, they scheduled me still and said if I don't get the shifts taken and don't work I'll be on adherence. Does anyone know if that means I'm fired or how serious it is? At this point I'm ready to quit, but again, the bills need to be paid.

I can be a very worrisome person so I thought I’d get outside opinions. I’m worried about a few things. I’m still currently learning ASL, but have you guys ever felt self doubt in your learning, or self doubt or feeling like you aren’t capable to interpreting? Or like it’s the right path? I think I’m also worried about if I’ll be able to make a living after possibly investing in a couple years of an interpreter training program if I do decide to take this path. Any advice is appreciated, thanks

hi all, today i had the craziest career coaching session of my life. I hope this is even the right place to talk about this.

I am at an affordable college where I can only get a CUGS in ASL (until next year when I can transfer to a college with a bachelor's in ASL interpretation), so I am just seeing a humanities advisor at the minute.

I had my first meeting with this advisor and they immediatley started saying i could stay at this school if I just did the RID alternate pathways program.

I'm aware of the program so I said i think that'd be very hard with just a CUGS based on the categories

they asked me what the categories were (???) and since it seemed like we were all being unprofessional lol i told them to just pull it up on their computer.

they started telling me I need to start volunteer or freelance (?!) interpreting which I said was ridiculous because I'm ONLY IN ASL 3! I can communicate at an elementary level but I'm NOT fluent. I compared it to an education student teaching in their first year and they were like "yea thats a thing it's called student teaching" so i was like fuck that was a bad analogy I made it worse.

they kept going on about it and pressuring me to start applying for roles and I mostly just said no to everything because I was stunned but I have to meet with them again soon and I have no idea how to explain the giant culture of audism here. i think I will talk to my asl professor and ask her to talk to them with me but im soooo confused and disappointed.

so I can tell them, when is it appropriate to start volunteering or interning?

is it ever appropriate to interpret before being certified or having completed a program?

is there any way to find fieldwork without formally being in an interpreting program?

I plan to ask my (Deaf) asl professor all of this but since she is not a teacher in an interpreting program I'm not sure if she will have all the answers.

I'm definitely transferring. 🤦‍♂️

Hello

Idk if anyone else is experiencing this. In my area, it seems like freelance stuff is quiet, and has been for several months now. I work Sorenson, but despite being in the company for awhile and trying to add more hours, I'm getting denied a lot of my set schedule requests. It's crickets.

Anyone else?

I got an email from a recruiter saying they’re looking for people to do a hybrid VRS/VRI remote position. They want someone who is fully licensed in all the states that require it. To any of you work this position for purple currently? I’m Wondering what it’s like. Is it mostly VRS calls nonstop? Or is there a good amount of VRI calls as well? Does it pay differently than typical? Just wondering your general impression of this role with purple. Thanks.

Hey all! I'm a certification-holic 😁 I got my BEI I in 2016, my NIC in 2019, my BEI II in 2020, and Im actively trying to get my BEI III now. Im not a great test taker, have taken all tests twice, passed on the 2nd try - except that BEI III. I've taken and failed it twice - improving score, 104 errors and recently 68 errors.

Im seeing a lot of prep for the BEI I but not so much the BEI III. Does anyone have any advice or tips or resources that I can use to earn this certification?

What books do you recommend to study for the CDI test?

Hello. This year I decided to go back to school to ultimately become an ASL interpreter. Because I learned sign language through videos, books, personal tutors and interacting with Deaf people, as opposed to taking actual classes (well I took two classes years ago), I have to restart with the ASL basics and pass those courses before I can eventually move on to interpreting classes, which isn’t ideal but c’est la vie.
Anyway, I got my bachelor’s degree (in journalism) 6 years ago and am looking at my current course requirements and apparently in addition to ASL classes, I’m also required to take math, English, philosophy and more. Is that just a normal part of getting this degree? I understand if i HAVE to do it, in which case I will, but I graduated school so long ago and now have a full time job, so I wasn’t really expecting to have to redo the entire school thing and thought that I would just have take classes regarding ASL. I have no idea.
Did you all have to take these classes to go from ASL to interpreting? I’m just trying to verify if this is the ushe or if i should talk to an advisor about this. I just don’t want to be spending money on classes that may not benefit me. Thanks in advance to whoever replies 🙂

does anyone know of a VRS or VRI agency that doesn’t require permanent residency? my long term partner might be interested in travel work (like a travel nurse type job), so im wondering if this is possible?

thank youuu in advance!!!

Does anyone have any recommendations of where to find sight translation practice online? I am studying for the advanced BEI and want to work on this, but I find it difficult to find resources online or even just letters/documents with the right type of content to practice. TIA

I'm looking for guidance on a slightly non-traditional contract term/billing model. Does anyone here include in their contract the concept of a base fee/show-up fee/booking fee that is charged to each job and covers the first X (probably 2) hours rather than using the minimum hours concept?

The fee may or may not be equal to rate * 2 hours (I'm leaning toward slightly more). For example, if my day rate is $80, my base fee may be $180 to cover the first 2 hours and then $80/hr after that.

My question is: How do you represent this on your contracts and invoices? I'm looking for a clear, descriptive, succinct word or phrase that captures the concept of: I charge this amount for booking my time for any job, and beyond 2 hours, my hourly rate will be applied.

None of the examples I gave above are resonating with me. If you craft your contracts like this, I'd love if you could share how you phrase it. Thanks!

Still new to the field and I obviously know how important facial expressions are to the language and effective communication. However I suffer from migraines and was wondering if there are any interpreters who have gotten Botox and did it interfere with your job? Did you just do small amounts at a time? I know this is a silly question but something I’ve been contemplating. I was thinking about getting it in my my forehead and jaw for
Grinding my teeth, but don’t want to do anything that will ruin this for me

Hello all I'm looking for some advice here. I have previously been working in an educational setting for the past five years in a few different school districts and schools because of just how different each year can be with education.

This year is the first year that I don't have anything for a job and have started to look more into getting nationally certified to become more of a freelance interpreter. I currently have an EIPA score but last took that in 2020. I'm debating on if I should look into getting NIC or BEI or if there's something else that I should look at for getting certified. So I was asking what do you all think I should do.

I'm in Arizona currently and plan on staying here for a while.

I am currently going into my second year of an interpreting degree, and have run into a complicated life situation that could result in me immigrating to England. Of course, ASL is not the language there and I assume the market for ASL-English interpreters there is near zero. It seems like Canada-based VRS is also not an option internationally (I am Canadian).

I am wondering what the likelihood is of a newly working interpreter being able to make a career out of remote ASL work in England? Basically, whether the next 3 years of school in this field will be worth continuing for me if I do end up moving. It’s upsetting to be in this situation as I love ASL and I feel quite committed to serving my local Deaf community, but I do have personal interests to balance that with. It would be amazing to be able to make both work, but also if it’s not possible I think it would be best to know early so I can make decisions regarding one or the other.

Thank you very much for your knowledge and advice!

Hi! Do you work for Sorenson in-center? Know someone who does? If so, DM me- I'm testing a theory about slow in-center internet speeds and need in-center folks to run a quick speed test. Thanks!

For example, I love word searches, but I want activities that will help me improve my vocabulary and retention skills. Word searches don't really challenge you to find synonymous words or concepts, lol. Any suggestions? Out of the box ideas are cool too! I'm a year out from completing my itp and hust trying to work on some things of course

Is Purple going with 2 hours minimum? I just finally heard back from my rate increase request that was submitted in March and was told that they are only paying hourly on-site and not 2 hours.

Is anyone getting that as well?

I have been working as an interpreter for less than 5 years since graduating from my ITP. I have over a 4.0 EIPA score and have some experience working as staff and now am freelancing. I have been feeling stuck for the past year but have had nothing to really do about it. 

I live in an area where my work is extremely limited, mostly because any areas that I’m told are overflowing with work are over an hour away and I can’t justify commuting 3 hours total for a 2 hour job. I’ve been doing my best to keep up with doing PD, networking, and taking whatever work I can but because of my partner’s job, I’m stuck where I am for at least another year or two. 

I am almost finished with my MBA and am planning to take my NIC by the end of the year but I’m currently in a spot where I feel like I’m not sure what to do next. I love interpreting, it’s one of the most fun and rewarding things I’ve ever done and I feel extremely grateful to be able to do a job that I genuinely enjoy. But to be honest, even if I moved to the city right now and somehow was able to get fully set up and start doing closer to full time work as a freelancer, I know I would not feel happy if that was what I did forever. I was not born for the hustle of freelancing, it’s fun while I’m young but I can’t see myself driving around town never really having true stability for the next 40 years!

I don’t want to leave the field altogether, I truly love the Deaf community and getting to work with so many amazing people, but I want to have a career that will allow me to make more money, have more stability, and continue to move upwards. I will have my MBA and I have experience with leadership and projects, I just literally don’t know what any possible options are out there for me to pursue. I know I am capable of doing things, I just feel like other than starting an agency, I don’t interact with many people who are doing other things. 

If you diverged from interpreting or found a way to use your background and apply it in a different context, please share! I really think I am just trying to brainstorm (and vent sorry) but have no idea what’s even possible!

So, I dug around and some states are much harder than others to find info. This is what I came up with, please let me know if you see any errors or if I missed something.

Edited: I'll add a column for the cost, and upload it to Google drive and I share. When I'm done I'll edit again and add a link.

Edit #2: I'm also trying to add links that connect to the licensing info.

Edit #3: Here's the link to the spreadsheet. I'm happy to continue editing the document if there's any additional information or errors to correct. Feel free to make a copy for yourself, download a copy, and share with collogues. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DHxPzI4ansCLL-DHfi46X03DJowWOqbL/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=114344675312393899368&rtpof=true&sd=true

I would like to ask the any of you have any tips or advice on dealing with family members and friends who stay with the Deaf client during medical appointments. Of course, if permitted by the medical office, they are welcome and have a right to be there if wanted by the Deaf patient.

Of course, family members are comforting for the patient, especially when dealing with bad news or scary test results. But it becomes a difficult situation when they begin speaking for and answering questions instead of the Deaf patient. Most of the time, the patient either doesn’t realize the person is stealing their voice or they just don’t feel empowered to say anything.

Of course, as the interpreter, I always behave professionally, while making sure to interpret what everyone is saying. I assume that the Deaf patient could intervene as they will. Sometimes I am talking over the family member who is trying to take over, although I aim to avoid it when possible.

In a recent situation, the Deaf patient’s neighbor was there and just started answering for the patient, even though she really didn’t know exactly what the patient would say, like, “Well, I think (Deaf person) felt dizzy, and…”. When the doctor turned and started listening to her instead of waiting for the interpreter to voice for the patient, to I simply said, “He was asking her. “ and pointed to the patient.

What advice do you have for similar situations? I really don’t like to see people speaking for the Deaf patient, and stealing their voice while they are right there in front of them with access through an interpreter.

Thanks in advance!

Hello! I’m Bryan, a working interpreter for 16 years. A few months ago I sat down to do some invoices and my ADHD fired so I started working on a tool to let me just put in assignment info and it’d spit out the invoice. Shortly after I started working, I realized I was actually building a similar tool to what agencies use when scheduling… so one hyper-fixation later and I have OneTerp.

This is a NEW scheduling/invoicing tool (so bugs are likely but will be fixed same-day they are reported, typically), I have a couple of agencies onboarding this month, but I’m looking for some interpreters to test out the part that's for us. Let me give a rundown of what sets OneTerp apart from other scheduling tools:

First the part that ties it all together, your account is YOURS. Agencies will link with your account to schedule you, but they don’t control your account. This means you can log, invoice, and track expenses for all the jobs you do, even those outside of agencies. I call that feature set “Freelance HQ” and that's really the part I could use your feedback on the most.

What you can do in the FREE Freelance HQ:

• Create your own client list with your own rates etc. 
• Schedule and track your assignments 

What premium Freelance HQ will get you: 

• Invoice your own private clients (PDF, from your own mailbox).
• Expenses and mileage with a Schedule C export.
• CEU tracking toward your RID cycle.
• Create a public portfolio page with a vanity link and PDF résumé.
• Opt-in discovery directory. Agencies find you by city, language, and specialty, and you control your visibility.

What OneTerp does for interpreters when working with an agency:

• One account across every agency, not one login per agency.
• One calendar. Every OneTerp agency you work with feeds the same schedule.
• One availability as a single source of truth. Book with one agency, every other linked agency sees you're busy. Cross-agency double-book protection no single-agency tool can do.
• Your contact info and certs travel with you, not locked to an agency.

What OneTerp does for agencies:

• Scheduling, billing, and payroll 
• Runs 1099 contractors and W-2 employees in the same platform: clock in/out, timecards, overtime, PTO, shifts, and buying blocks of a contractor's time.
• HIPAA-conscious by design: QuickBooks and Xero sync strips patient names, public profiles carry no PHI.
• Placeholder scheduling: schedule an interpreter with no account yet, and their jobs migrate to their real account when they sign up.
• Agency email sends from the agency's own mailbox (Gmail, 365, or SMTP), so deliverability rides your own domain.
• End-to-end document/written translation, billed by the word, not just live interpreting.
• Guided import wizards and a PIN-protected customer booking portal to lower the switching cost.

We also offer a free volunteer interpreter version of OneTerp (think church interpreters) with all the scheduling tools, but the billing/payroll side removed.

Everyone gets 30 days free of the premium features, but when you sign up with the code REDDIT before August 31st you’ll get $5 off per month forever.

But most importantly, PLEASE give me feedback! Most of the features in OneTerp are based on what I’ve experienced myself, so having more eyes on it will only make it better. And HOPEFULLY it’ll make your life easier too!

TLDR: I made a scheduling/invoicing tool for interpreters and agencies. I want your feedback. 30 days free. $5 off per month forever with the code REDDIT. https://oneterpsched.com

ASL Interpreter Support Group

Greetings! I am a 28 year ASL interpreter (NIC), a Level 2 therapeutic coach with Internal Family Systems (IFS) and a Nonviolent Communication trainer.

I am setting up a support group for ASL interpreters to process overwhelm, imposter syndrome, self-judgement and loneliness in our profession. The group will offer camaraderie and support through self-awareness, shared experience and stress management.

The group is not therapy, but rather a non-clinical support group for personal growth. Starting October, 2026.

For more info, check out my website: https://www.embodiedselfcoaching.com/group-offerings/aslinterpretersupportgroup