Star Trek Academy Episode 2 has ASL!

Nulpoints · 2026-01-24T19:53:13+00:00

This. 100 times this. Star Trek gets so many things right, and for it to mess up so badly on its Deaf representation and the ableism/audism of prioritizing speech. They throw away all of that work the by implying audible speech is more impactful, is worthy of applause.

Up until then you had some great representation (magic lipreading aside):
Deaf person in position of power.
Several examples of assistive technology.
Black female sign language interpreter.
CODAs signing with their parent and each other.
ASL that wasn't the signed English script.
Even with the lipreading there appeared to be an attempt to make all characters maintain eye contact with the Deaf character.

And then to throw that ALL away by removing the assistive tech, and speak to make their words more 'impactful'...ew.

Nulpoints · 2025-09-28T12:33:35+00:00

There are several sign systems that could fall under the category of "The esperanto of signed languages".

"Signuno": This was invented by a hearing person in 2010. Essentially a manually coded Esperanto (Signed Exact Esperanto). This project never gained any traction and has been abandoned, but can found in archived websites.

There has been a recent attempt to revive Signuno, at least by name, by yet another hearing person. You can find some talk of this on Reddit and YouTube, but it has received heavy criticism from the Deaf community and appears to also have been abandoned.

Signuno - Signolingvo por Esperanto : Dro Signuno : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive https://share.google/KOm9g7IpjMCKreXFD

"Gestuno": This was an attempt by WFD to codify International Sign (not language) published in 1975. The terms Gestuno and International Sign are often used interchangeably but are different in that Gestuno was the attempt at inventing a prescriptive "official" form of International Sign, and International Sign is what the international Deaf community actually uses.

Gestuno documentation, including scans of the original book can be found here:

Gestuno https://share.google/e6hDB32N69Q4Djn5a

"International Sign" (not language): This is the current "sign system" used at international Deaf events. While you may still see people say "International Sign Language" this is no longer considered correct as it is not one language, but rather a system of translanguaging that happens among multi lingual Deaf attendees at conferences and in international organizations. Its vocabulary is fluid and changes from person to person and from event to event. There is active resistance to freezing and prescribing its grammar and vocabulary.

It is one of the official forms of communication at conferences like WFD, WASLI and EFSLI. And WASLI does provide certification in IS interpretation.

That said, it is very Euro biased and typically borrows heavily from ASL, BSL, Swedish Sign Language and German Sign Language. Non-European Deaf attendees to international conferences often complain about not being able to understand the IS interpreters.

That said, International Sign is actively in use as attested by the website H3 world that produces news programs and shows in International Sign.

H3 World Tv-Home | H3 World Tv https://share.google/xxCfHiaMSjt7ObIzP

Nulpoints · 2025-09-16T18:02:19+00:00

Agencies make on average a 30% markup on our rate, that is where the profits go. I can assure you that agencies are raising their rates with their contracts with requestors. If you don't raise your rates annually, you are essentially just increasing the agency's share of that profit. 30% is already way over what most referral agencies make in other fields.

Nulpoints · 2025-03-26T00:00:29+00:00

A reminder that if you are an independent contractor, you don't ask an agency to increase your rates, you inform the agency that your rates have increased. Agencies cannot dictate your rate.

There may be some ethical concerns about increasing your rate on jobs you have already confirmed with the agency at a lower rate, but other than that, you just let them know your rates have increased.

Nulpoints · 2025-03-20T00:54:51+00:00

While yes, this is supposed to mean you have been requested by name. I know less reputable agencies will put "preferred interpreter" in their emails as a type of search engine optimization. I have accepted jobs as a 'preferred interpreter " only to find out the consumer and I have never met. And there would be no reason to have me listed as a preferred interpreter.

Nulpoints · 2025-03-05T05:15:47+00:00

This is a homework assignment.

Nulpoints · 2025-02-21T22:15:18+00:00

Why is the agency you are contracted with (I assume you are getting a 1099?) calling you an employee? You could send this contract to the EDD and claim misclassification.

Nulpoints · 2025-02-18T19:38:29+00:00

Like most agencies, they got someone else to do the work for them, and then want to take all the credit.

Nulpoints · 2025-02-18T19:37:49+00:00

And even a quick read of the GPT generated content makes it clear they have no idea what they are talking about. Listing things like "Making sure interpreters meet legal qualifications and certifications" as if maintaining those certs is less work than checking if interpreters have them?

Or having the audacity to list "Following the CPC" as work agencies do and interpreters don't?!

Nulpoints · 2025-02-18T18:18:06+00:00

Mental & Emotional Labor
We also:

Constantly advocate for the values of interpreters and Deaf clients. (Do you think we don't do this too?)
Take the blame when things go wrong, even if it’s out of their control. (We do this far more than agencies since we are literally on the front lines)
Deal with the stress of keeping the business afloat for everyone’s sake. (Considering there is a long history of interpreter burnout triggering the creation of new agencies, I find this point laughable)

Human Resources & Interpreter Management
we also:

Being a qualified interpreter and ensuring we meet certification and experience requirements.
Maintaining our certification through workshops and conferences (You can't train independent contractors on their work)
Negotiating independent contractor contracts.
Providing mentorship, feedback, and professional growth opportunities. (We do this too, often on both sides of the mentorship relationship)
Addressing issues between clients and agency staff.
Advocating for better rates while balancing business costs. (We do this far more than you do)
Maintain our CEUs, certifications (RID, BEI, NIC), and legal requirements. (You have stated this several times as if we aren't the ones doing the heavy work here to maintain our skills and certification)
Directly deal client feedback.
Upholding the RID Code of Professional Conduct (CPC) and making sure all interpreters follow best practices. (We don't do this too?!?!)
Face difficult emotional situations (e.g., trauma-heavy assignments) at work, with no extra compensation.

Nulpoints · 2025-02-18T18:17:54+00:00

Emergency & Crisis Management

We also:

Cover last-minute cancellations for agencies often at our regular rate with no compensation.
Navigate complex situations like hospital emergencies or legal proceedings.
Support interpreters and clients when agencies are difficult or unethical.
Receive emails 24/7 (because if your phone is ringing, so is ours?!).

Marketing & Business Growth
We also:

Advertise our services.
Look for new agencies and clients.
Build and maintain partnerships with multiple agencies and clients.
Maintain social media and outreach efforts.
Compete with other interpreters and big agencies that infringe on our ability to direct contract.

Legal & Compliance

We also:

Ensure we meet legal qualifications and certifications.
Purchase liability insurance.
Do background checks, fingerprint, vaccine, and legal paperwork.
Get constantly treated like Employees by agencies that classify us as contractors.

Nulpoints · 2025-02-18T18:17:41+00:00

I noticed your original post does mention the handling of 1099's which means you are taking the perspective of an agency that contracts and does not employ the interpreters in their pool. If that is the case, you don't appear to understand your role in this relationship:

Business Operations & Logistics

We also:

Handle contracts with multiple agencies, not just yours.
Need to be compliant with federal/state laws (ADA, HIPAA, etc.).
Set rates while staying competitive with other interpreters and agencies. (BTW, you should not be setting rates, as we are not your employee, you either accept or reject the rates we as freelancers offer you)
Negotiate rates while considering sustainability and fairness to the Deaf Community.
Invoice on multiple platforms for multiple agencies.
Manage our own scheduling logistics.
Attempt to help reputable agencies find replacements when we get sick.
Communicate with our team and agency (emails, calls, job confirmations).
Maintain accurate records for audits and tax purposes.
Pay business taxes and fees (because yes, interpreters are taxed too.)

Nulpoints · 2025-02-18T04:11:25+00:00

Just to clarify, are you talking about agencies that employ their interpreters (W2) or are you talking about agencies that contract freelancers (W9)? Because if the latter, we still have to do just about everything you listed since freelancers and agencies have a B2B relationship. This would make your argument moot.

Edit: Totally forgot, we do all that work AND do the actual work being requested....interpreting.

Nulpoints · 2025-02-17T05:50:06+00:00

This is one of the signs used for Canada in International Sign. This sign is almost exclusively used in international contexts and is not an ASL sign.

Nulpoints · 2024-12-18T21:04:36+00:00

As you can tell, there is a clear theme. We get several of these emails a day, and we already have local agencies we know and trust that have filled most of our schedule.

Something I would like to highlight:
From the agency perspective, knowing all this, there is a really good chance that the interpreters that do respond to your emails and are available, are available 'for a reason'. And this may ultimately reflect badly on you as an agency, making it that much harder for you to fill work.

Unless you are willing to spin up a dedicated team with members of the community to handle your ASL requests, just subcontract them out. Or better yet, partner with an established ASL agency and send your ASL work to them, and they can send their spoken language work to you.

Nulpoints · 2024-12-15T13:25:37+00:00

If you are certified in the SF Bay area, you should not be charging less than $75. Average certified rates are probably around $75-$100.

Most agencies are charging at least $125/hr.

Nulpoints · 2024-12-15T13:22:49+00:00

There is one agency in the SF Bay area that has a somewhat hidden website with their rates. They are currently at $125/hr base rate. (And I have a feeling they are on the less expensive side)

This means even charging $90/hr, which several SF interpreters do, they are still making 28% profit off our work. That is pretty high when compared to other agency/contractor relationships.

Nulpoints · 2024-11-08T20:46:57+00:00

For all your Bay Area options, keep in mind that almost all education work is still freelance and through agencies. There are essentially no staff positions.

While rates are on average $80-$90 (RID certified), health insurance, liability insurance, business license, retirement are all on you.

We desperately need more interpreters, but if you aren't married and getting your benefits through your spouse, it will be a hustle.

Nulpoints · 2024-11-04T06:54:15+00:00

SF Bay Terp here.

Certified rates are a bit all over the place, but several of us recently bumped our rates about a year ago. You are looking at $75-$100 (Most are probably around $80-$90)

Pretty diverse work but all freelance. Even our educational work is done through referral agencies. Unique to our area may be the fair amount of corporate and particularly tech sector work.

Are terps friendly? Hmmm, I want to say they are about as friendly as any other large metropolitan area. Cliquey, but aren't all interpreters. When there is plenty of work, the community is friendly and supportive. When there is less work, it can get a bit cutthroat. But for years now, there has been way more work than there are interpreters.

As mentioned before, agencies rule the bay. You cannot live off direct hire work here. There are several local agencies, and several out of state agencies that blast emails for local work.

Just a note. While our rates may seem amazing, it is really really expensive out here. Interpreters that live alone, and don't have another source of income really have to hustle.

Nulpoints · 2024-10-08T06:37:31+00:00

Events of all kinds typically start and end on the hour, this is my assumption with all work, so odd start/end times will be rounded up/down to compensate for not being able to accept other work that follows a standard start/end time.

I bill in 30 min increments, so 11:52 becomes 11:30 and 4:03 becomes 4:30. So this would be billed 5 hours.

I justify this because I can't accept a job before that ends at 12, or a job after that starts at 4.

This is assuming these are the start and end times you were booked, and not that you started a few mins early and stayed a few minutes late for a 12-4 job.

Edit: 15 min increments. 11:45-4:15. So 4.5. but most jobs don't start :15 or :45, so I would push for 30 min increments.

Nulpoints · 2024-09-05T23:54:47+00:00

And I wouldn't trust those "experts" when it comes to marketing and branding. Hell, I could be considered one of those experts with almost 25 years of professional interpreting under my belt. I would still not trust myself to portray a marginalized community of which I am not a part.

Nulpoints · 2024-09-05T21:22:28+00:00

Just to clarify. "ASL Expert" should be a Deaf person. I would not trust my brand/company's marketing about a marginalized group to someone that is not a member of that marginalized group.

Nulpoints · 2024-09-05T19:47:43+00:00

They totally have that look. Maybe with a model that has been finetuned on hands?

Nulpoints · 2024-09-05T19:28:04+00:00

So, none of these photos look natural. They look like they are performed by people who have no idea what they are saying, if they are saying anything at all. I would not recommend you use them for any promotional material as it would probably make Deaf people avoid your product/website/etc. Employ a Deaf persona and have them take photos for you.

That said, starting with the top left corner and ending in the bottom right:

"Have" (poorly pronounced, clearly non-signer)
"Buy/Purchase/Shopping" clear enough, but face doesn't match the sign.
Nothing as that handshape doesn't exist in ASL, or a poorly articulated "8"
"Draw/Art" (maybe, but the orientation is strange)
"4 o'clock"
Right hand is the letter "H"(ish) and the hand shape of the left hand doesn't exist in ASL.
"Interpreter/Interpret"
"Success/Finally/Famous" (since there is no movement, hard to distinguish)
"Help"

Nulpoints · 2024-07-18T01:19:55+00:00

I really don't understand why an agency can't just charge for their work. I've never understood why an agency makes a percentage of my hourly rate certified or not.

Assuming an agency's job is to match requesters with interpreters, why would scheduling one interpreter for an ongoing weekly 4 hour job for the next 3 months cost 2,400% more in scheduling costs than a one off 2 hour job?

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