SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sorenson Communications, LLC is committed to providing education and improving the quality of access to interpreting services in communities and through video relay. In 2019, Sorenson’s Interpreter Education and Professional Development (IEPD) Department provided more than 25,000 hours of instruction to more than 6,000 American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters. Of this total, 14,490 hours were eligible for continuing education units (CEUs), which are required to maintain professional credentialing.
Programming was sponsored by IEPD instructors who provided educational programming on over 85 topics – more than double what was offered in 2018. Sorenson interpreters were able to participate in training topics related to call navigation and handling, interpreting skills, self-care, impacts of power and privilege in their work, linguistics and ASL, as well as specialized workshops for trilingual interpreters. Interpreters could choose from nearly 800 educational webinars, small group language or interpreting mentoring, and eLearning opportunities. Educational offerings met a variety of skill needs and learning styles while also responding to the training needs requested by interpreters and consumers.
Sorenson’s education focus is both internal and community-based. Sorenson partners with more than 80 Interpreter Education Programs that introduce interpreting students to a professional work environment and the opportunity to discuss the work of interpreting with professionals prior to graduation.
Sorenson supported local communities by providing five community workshops held in the United States and donated more than $1,700 in CEU workshop registration fees to local Deaf and interpreting community organizations.
More than 100 heritage language users – bilingual participants raised with one or more signing Deaf parents, also known as Codas – participated in programs that prepared them to become community or Video Relay interpreters.
Sorenson continues its commitment to Deaf interpreters and, in 2019, sponsored a Deaf Interpreter Academy, which raises awareness of best practices in Deaf interpreter teaming and created opportunities to foster Deaf interpreter development throughout North America. In 2019, 32 Deaf interpreters successfully graduated from the program.
Stephanie Criner, executive director of Sorenson’s IEPD team, says, “Sorenson’s commitment to connecting lives through training and educating interpreters is our passion for the new decade.”
Sorenson Communications CEO Scott Wood adds, “We continue to be the leader in providing our interpreters educational opportunities so they can provide top-quality services to our relay and community consumers.”
About Sorenson Communications, LLC
Connecting Life. Sorenson Communications (www.sorenson.com) was founded on the principle that communication and being understood is fundamental to the human experience. Inspired by this belief and the core values of our communities, we develop the most trusted communication offerings, including Sorenson Relay, the highest-quality video interpreting service, and Sorenson Interpreting, which matches qualified sign language interpreters to specific assignment needs. As the largest private employer of Deaf people and sign language interpreters, Sorenson endeavors to provide each customer with an exceptional communication experience.
Sorenson offers innovative, Deaf-specific communication products, such as ntouch® videophones and ntouch software applications that connect PC, Mac®, and mobile device users to Sorenson Relay. For more information, visit www.sorenson.com.
Disclaimer
If you choose Sorenson as your default provider, you can port your existing 10-digit number to Sorenson from another provider or Sorenson can provide you with one for the geographic area where you live or work. If you later change your default provider, you can port your number to that provider. When selecting Sorenson, you must provide to Sorenson the physical address (i.e., the Registered Location) from which you are placing the call, so that Sorenson can properly route any 911 calls you may make. If you move or change your location, you must notify Sorenson immediately. You can update your Registered Location from your Sorenson videophone by calling 800-659-4810 or by visiting www.svrs.com/moving. Sorenson will confirm receipt of your Registered Location information. Emergency calls made via internet-based TRS may not function the same as traditional E911 service. For example, you may not be able to dial 911 if there is an internet-service failure or if you lose electrical power, and your 911 call may not be routed correctly if you have not updated your Registered Location. For more information on the process of obtaining 10-digit numbers and the limitations and risks associated with using Sorenson’s VRS to place a 911 call, please visit Sorenson’s website: www.sorenson.com/disclaimer. For information on toll-free numbering, please visit www.svrs.com/tollfree.