Description of Services

SIN 382-2 Interpretation Services Services offered:

• American Sign Language (ASL)
• Pidgin Signed English (PSE)
• Signed English
• Manually Coded English (MCE)
• Sign Language Transliteration
• Sign Language Interpretation
• Tactile or Deaf-Blind Interpretation/Transliteration
• Cued Speech Transliteration
• Oral Interpretation

Birnbaum Interpreting Services (BIS) is able to provide support services to agencies by providing simultaneous or consecutive interpretation services for meetings, conferences, seminars, litigation proceedings, briefings, training, escort and other forms of visual and voice communication required from a source language into the target language of one of the services listed above. Currently, BIS employs approximately fifty full-time employees to provide these services nationally, with a concentration in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. Most of our employees, approximately 80%, hold a nationally recognized certification from either the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID) or the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). In addition, some of our interpreters hold state level screening from other states. BIS also conducts in-depth screening interviews to evaluate our employee¹s abilities to provide any one of the services listed above for the purpose of quality control. Based on this evaluation, BIS can best match the needs of the deaf or hard-of-hearing consumers with the skills and abilities of the interpreter. The in-house assessment also includes an evaluation of professionalism and experience to show that the applicant possesses demonstrated proficiency levels that range from the ability to use the source and target language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in the most formal and informal conversation on practical, social, and professional topics at a minimum. BIS'motto is³ Best In Service² as we focus on satisfying the needs of our clients. BIS¹ mission statement reads, ³BIS is dedicated to equal communication access by providing the highest quality interpreting and related services, while maintaining a strong rapport with organizations serving the Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing communities.² To that end, BIS provides regular meetings with clients, requestors, and deaf consumers to solicit feedback on ways to improve individualized service.

BIS accepts requests via email, fax, and written format to obtain Task Orders with the language requirement, location, dates, times, and any required certifications or accreditations. BIS maintains a full office staff, which includes five coordinators, who are also fully-certified interpreters, two coordinating assistants, an office manager, and a full accounting/billing staff of three. With this strong infrastructure, BIS coordinates the best-matched interpreter to the assignment. BIS is fully automated with a state-of-the-art database that allows coordinators to quickly and easily see assignment details and preferences of all parties involved, including the deaf consumer, interpreter, requestor, and client. In addition, BIS uses the latest technologies to keep in close contact with our staff via cell phone, pagers, and the Internet for quick response to last-minute needs of our clients. In addition, BIS uses email and fax to confirm all assignments, availability, and acceptance of specified tasks.

BIS understands that the requesting agency may be required to determine proficiency levels for some tasks. BIS will provide consultation and planning assistance to the requesting agencies for conference interpretation services to determine interpretation team requirements and equipment requirements when necessary. As is industry standard for sign language interpreters, any normal-paced non-technical request lasting less than two hours, will require only one interpreter (two interpreters for more than two hours). For fast-paced, technical, or large group/platform assignments where there is non-stop interpreting, it is strongly recommended to have two interpreters for any length longer than one hour to maintain accuracy of the message. As well, a two-business day, or 48 hour, cancellation policy will apply. Once the assignment is complete, BIS will follow the normal procedures for billing.