Sorenson Communications Offers First-Ever, Live Video-Based ASL Language Mentor Program

Sorenson Communications®, the leading provider of Video Relay Services (VRS) for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate, today announced it will provide a new Language Mentor Program. The program will pair leading deaf ASL experts with Sorenson Communications ASL interpreters who aspire to improve their skills and increase their breadth of experience.

The 16-week Language Mentor Program will offer Sorenson Video Relay Service® (SVRS) interpreters in most areas of the United States intensive one-on-one mentoring. The weekly mentoring sessions will enhance interpreters ability to provide effective and high-quality VRS experiences.

The highly-skilled deaf mentors in our program are the recognized experts in the interpreting world, said Dawn Smith Raymond, National Video Interpreter-Provisional (VI-P) Manager for Sorenson Communications. This new 16-week program will build upon what SVRS interpreters have learned in their schooling and community work. Mentoring opportunities and national certification preparation, included in the program, are designed to broaden SVRS interpreters training and strengthen their existing skills. As a result, those who complete the Language Mentor Program will be better prepared for both VRS and community interpreting work.

To accommodate varying work schedules, the Language Mentor Program, provided at no cost to SVRS interpreters, is designed in modules that can be completed from the interpreters home. The mentoring sessions are conducted via Sorenson Communications videophones.

Matt Gwynn, Language Mentor Program Coordinator for Sorenson Communications, says, Sorenson Communications is committed to the professional advancement of its interpreters. This new training provides exposure to regional differences in ASL styleaccents and dialects that may be encountered in a professional VRS setting.

Amy Kalmus, Director of Professional Development for Sorenson Communications, notes, Sorenson Communications recognized the need for extended interpreter training and so is now pioneering this one-of-a-kind mentoring program. Ultimately, SVRS interpreters will be better prepared for their work. And the deaf community will enjoy enhanced quality in their calls as a result of training by some of the best deaf or native users of ASL mentors in the industry.

Currently, the new Language Mentor Program is only open to SVRS interpreters. Language mentors must meet specific eligibility criteria to participate. These include being a native ASL user, experience with formal training in ASL, experience as a deaf interpreter, and American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA) certification. For more information on becoming a Language Mentor, contact Matt Gwynn at LMP@sorenson.com.

About Sorenson Communications

Sorenson Communications® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications services and products. The companys offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service (Sorenson VRS®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the Sorenson (VP-100® and VP-200®) videophones; Sorenson IP Relay (SIPRelay), enabling text-to-speech relay communication; and Sorenson Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), a fee-based remote interpreting service.

Contacts:

Sorenson Communications, Salt Lake City
Diana Lewis, 801-287-9400
diana@sorenson.com
Ann Bardsley, 801-287-9400
abardsley@sorenson.com

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