American Language Services has been helping businesses and other entities reach the deaf and hard of hearing community for almost 4 decades. While American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting, at one time, was the only option, recent technological advances opened the door to other options through virtual interpreting (VRI). Since we offer both, this article will be comparing In-Person (ASL) interpreting with Communication Access Real-Time Translation (real-time subtitling) known as CART.
Please note that according to the American Disability Act (ADA) that deaf and hard of hearing community have the legal right to receive full access using ASL and or CART services. The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and providing ASL interpreters for deaf individuals complies with federal law and promotes equal accessibility.
The Basics of ASL Interpreting
Most people know that ASL stands for American Sign Language. But not everyone knows that it is a distinct language not simply an off shoot of American English. Though its beginnings are murky, many believe that ASL originated from a merger of French Sign Language (SLF) and local U.S. sign languages. While ASL and SLF are distinct languages, there are still some similarities between their signs.
What is ASL? ASL a complete, natural language that has the same linguistic properties as spoken languages with grammar however that differs from English. ASL is expressed by movements of the hands and face. ASL is a language separate and distinct from English. It contains all the fundamental features of language, with its own rules for pronunciation, word formation, and word order. Because of the physical nature of ASL, a two-person team of ASL interpreters is required for assignments longer than 1 hour in duration.
The National Center for Health Statistics claims that 28 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss, though only between two and eight percent of them are ASL speakers. Helping these select individuals translate the audible into the understandable is the job of an ASL interpreter. If you have ever been to a play, a concert or watched a government briefing, you have probably seen an ASL interpreter signing just out of view. An interesting side note is that Statista estimates that there are currently around 60,000 active ASL interpreters in the USA.
The Benefits of ASL Interpreting
When it comes to communicating with hard-of-hearing or deaf audiences, there are a few reasons you might want to opt for an ASL interpreter over CART services. These include:
- Pêwendiyek Zêdetir Kesane: Mirovek rastîn li hember ekrana komputerê xwedî çend avantajan e. Ya yekem, wergêrên mirov dema veguheztina hestê hêsantir dibin. Ya duyemîn, ew çêtir in ku ji bo axaftvan diyar bikin û bi pirsgirêkên bilêvkirinê re bibin alîkar. Di dawiyê de, wergêr derfetek dide kesek kerr an sehker ku bi kesek din re têkiliyê deyne.
- Leza Pêşkeftî: Skilled interpreters can hold pace with even the fastest speakers as this article about Amber Galloway and the world’s fastest rapper shows. The lack of delay makes it easier for deaf and hard of hearing individuals to keep up with the conversation.
- Bihayê Biha: Gava ku lêçûn ji hêla ASL-ê ku hûn hewce ne (Yasayî, bijîşkî, karsazî, û hwd.) Diguherin û dema ku wezîfe tê plankirin, lêçûna ji ASL-ê re, li seranserê darayî, ji CART-ê drav kêmtir e.
The Drawbacks of ASL Interpreting
As technology continues to evolve, the weak points of ASL interpreting become more apparent. Below are three reasons you might want to forego the traditional in favor of CART:
- Less Privacy: Observant people can quickly spot the hard of hearing when an interpreter is in the room. This can make some members of the Deaf community uncomfortable.
- Lack of Transcripts: While CART often comes with a physical copy of what was said, the same thing does not hold for ASL interpreting. This can limit recall and make long-term communication more difficult. This is one reason to consider combining the two. Alternatively, you can film your event and add captions at a later date.
- Overall Reach: Though CART is less known then ASL, in reality, it benefits more people in the deaf and hard of hearing community than ASL. So, unless you know your audience is full of fluent signers, CART is often the way to go. Sometimes, for maximum coverage, both ASL & CART are utilized for assignments.
QARTIYA ÇI YE?
Dema ku pirraniya mirovan dizanin Zimanê Îşaretê ya Amerîkî çi ye, heman tişt ji bo Wergera Rast-Time Gihîştina Ragihandinê nayê gotin. Bi gelemperî wekî CART tê binav kirin, ev rêbaza ragihandinê ya ji bo kerr û guhêran herî baş wekî binavkirina ji bo nîqaşên zindî tê binav kirin. Berevajî ASL, ku xwe dispêre wergêrek pispor, karûbarên CART ji hêla stênografek an transkrîpsiyonê ya baş-perwerdekirî ve têne peyda kirin. Ew her tiştê ku hatî gotin dinivîsin û dûv re jî metna encam li ser têlefon, komputer an ekranek TV-yê diweşînin.
CART timûtim wekî awayek lêçûn-bi bandor û bibandor tête dîtin ku bicîh bike ku her kes dikare bişopîne. Gava ku pir caran ji bo alîkariya xwendekarên ker di polê de tê bikar anîn, sernavê CART kesê ku dikare bixwîne sûd werdigire. Pir mîna şîrovekirina ASL-ê, ew hem li ser malperê bi transkripsiyonîstek fîzîkî re û hem jî ji dûr ve bi yeka derveyî malperê re dikare were kirin.
Why You Should Consider CART
Ragihandina Ragihandinê ya Ragihandina Ragihandinê ji ber taybetmendiyên jêrîn navdar dibe:
- Ew Ji Rêzeyek Berfirehtir ya Mirovên Ker Re xizmetê dike: Heke hûn hîç hejmarek bikin, hûn ê têbigihîjin ku ji sedî 90-ê mirovên bihîstyar li USA bi ASL xweş napeyivin. CART wê dike da ku ev kes jî beşdarî axaftinê bibin.
- QERTE Wê Gûzanbar Dike: Gava ku mirovên di rêzên pêşîn de dikarin bi hêsanî tiştê ku wergêr îmze dike fêr bibin, her ku dûr zêde dibe ew dijwartir dibe. Ji ber ku sernûçe dikarin bi hev re li gelek dîmenderan werin tîrêj kirin, ne hewce ye ku ew dûrahiya berdevkê di hevkêşeyê de faktor bikin.
- It’s Subtle: Some deaf or hard of hearing people would prefer to keep their condition to themselves. Having an interpreter front and center, one that they’re constantly referring to, makes that difficult. Because it looks a lot like normal note taking, remote CART allows them to maintain their privacy while allowing them to participate.
- Nivîsar Tomarek Nivîsandî Pêşkêş Dike: Hebûna deftera her tiştê ku profesorê we got dê bibe xwedê ji fînalê re were. Xwedî tomarbûna civînek di heman demê de dikare zelaliyê ji bo hemî kesên têkildar re jî peyda bike. Xwezaya fîzîkî ya tomarkirina CART vê yekê gengaz dike. Ev jêhatîbûn sedemek e ku ji ber vê yekê gelek xwendekarên zanîngehê CART li ser şîrovekirina ASL ya kevneşopî hildibijêrin.
A Few Reasons CART Might Not Be for You
Sometimes, the old ways are the best. When opting for CART services, understand that:
- CART Is Slower Than Your Average Interpreter: Even the fastest transcriptionist will type slower than the person speaking. CART users report about a 10-second delay from spoken word to transcript. Like old Japanese dubs, this can lead to cognitive dissonance.
- Reading the Screen Divides Your Attention: Hopefully, your professor doesn’t do too much that needs your eyes. Because you’re constantly moving between your screen and the speaker, a deaf person can miss out on physical cues and demonstrations.
- Technical Difficulties Can Be Disastrous: One bad connection and your CART session come tumbling down like a house of cards. Because most ASL interpreting is done in person, this is rarely a factor. To lower the chances of technology issues, check all your equipment beforehand. We suggest testing out any meeting 15 or so minutes before showtime.
- CART Can Be Taxing: Staring at a screen for hours on end can strain your eyes. While wearing certain glasses can mitigate this, it’s not a long-term solution. Furthermore, because you must remain in sight of the screen, CART can make it harder to treat your periodic bursts of restless leg syndromes.
Derheqê Xizmetên Zimanê Amerîkî
Di sala 1985-an de hate damezrandin, Karûbarên Zimanê Amerîkî li wir bû ku ji bo pêşengiya bilindbûna vebijarkên wergerkirina ASL-ya dûr a ji dûr ve bibe alîkar. Di tercumaniyê de dilsoziya me ya ji kalîte û razîbûna xerîdar re hişt ku em ji ajansek yek jin veguherînin yek ji ajansên ziman ên herî serfiraz li cîhanê. Pisporên zimanê me karûbarên wergêra CART û ASL pêşkêşî mirovên li çaraliyê cîhanê dikin. Ji ber hebûna meya 24/7, hûn ê çu carî xem nekin ku em têlefonê hilnedin.
AML-Global di cîhanê de xwedan çend behreyên zimanî yên herî bibandor e. Van pisporên zimanên pir jêhatî têne xebitandin, nişandan û ceribandin da ku xebata kalîte ya bilind misoger bikin.
Bi e-nameyê bi me re têkilî daynin interpreting@alsglobal.net or via phone at 1-800-951-5020 for a free estimate on our CART and ASL services.
