For Deaf Consumers

Announcement

Pro bono Interpreting

Partners Interpreting is excited to announce the opportunity for providing eligible pro bono interpreting for the community.   

With our new internship and apprenticeship program initiative, we have the opportunity to give back to the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf/Blind community.  Our interns and apprentices are available to cover eligible pro bono hours in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island area on a first come first serve basis.   

Our pool of interns and apprentices have completed or are currently in their senior year of an Interpreter Training Program.  Although they are novice interpreters who will be working independently, they are under the supervision of highly qualified mentors and the Director of Training and Development.   

Eligibility requirements:  

  • You must be 18 years or older or you must be the legal guardian of the person for whom you are requesting services
  • You may not request pro bono services if there is a legal requirement that someone must provide interpreting services (e.g., a college, university, hospital, business, etc.).  

 

  • Examples of potentially eligible request: 
  • Family Functions (ex. weddings, memorial service, baby shower, reunions, holiday celebrations) 
  • Community Events/Gatherings (ex. informal neighborhood meetings, community service projects) 
  • Community Education (girl/boy scouts, self-interest classes, etc.)  

 

To see if your request is eligible for pro bono services, please email Partners Interpreting: probono@partnersinterpreting.com   

Partners Interpreting (PI) is a full-service sign language interpreting and captioning company that provides a suite of communication access solutions, including sign language interpreters and captioning services, nationwide. Both on-site and remote options are available. A local Massachusetts company, PI is owned and operated by two nationally certified interpreters with a combined experience of over 50+ years in the industry (Meet our Staff). Our services support people to achieve clear communication. We also support the right of Deaf people to choose which service is best and which interpreters they prefer to work with. It’s your conversation, your choice.

Mission Statement

We are a professional language company with expert knowledge and respect for the Deaf community. Our services are designed to ensure each client’s personal needs are met with respect and dignity and empower people with equal communication access. We pride ourselves on efficient and innovative practices to meet the needs of our constituents.

Our team of dedicated and experienced interpreters and communication coordinators offer simple scheduling and expert placement, so our clients get communication access when and where they need it. Our responsiveness, consistency, and high ethical standards give access solutions to our clients in classrooms, medical settings, businesses or conference settings or in everyday life.

FAQ

  • Consumers: Deaf, Deaf-Blind. Hard of Hearing, Late-Deafened or general audience access
  • Interpreters: We have over 230+ qualified interpreters (hearing and Deaf); we have both staff (meet our staff) and employ freelance interpreters. All our interpreters have been screened and approved by PI. Learn about the screening process. Our interpreters are nationally certified by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (83%), or screened by the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (15%), or are in the process of obtaining national certification or state screening and approved by PI (2%).
  • Settings: Healthcare, education, government, corporate, community, human services, entertainment, family events, theater, conferences, funerals, and more.
Locations for onsite interpreters available across ALL of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and eastern Tennessee (Knoxville). ALL remote and translation services are available nationwide and abroad.
  1. Determine who pays for the interpreter according to federal laws. The Deaf person is not required to pay for interpreters if the business or service is required to provide accommodations.
  2. We check if the organization, school, or hospital already has a contract with PI.
  3. If they want to work with us, we send the party responsible for payment paperwork about our rates and policies.
  4. An account with PI is set up.
  5. We discuss with the requestor what service they need (ASL interpreter, VIS, captioning, etc.).
  6. A request is placed, and our coordinators begin working on it.
  7. We confirm the interpreter.
  8. Once the interpreter is done, we send the invoice for services to the client, and pay the interpreters.
Sometimes we can share this information with you depending on the type of assignment and who requested the services. In other cases, you will need to contact the person who requested services from us and ask who is interpreting. This protects your privacy and confidentiality.
Our services
Types of requests
  • Personal life (counseling, weddings, realtor, lawyer, family meetings, etc.)
  • Professional (at work or school)
  • Meetings, classes, training sessions, job interviews, appointments, special events, and more.
Office:
  • Our normal business hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • We have an answering service 24/7.
  • We have schedule coordinators on call during non-business hours, and work on requests including rush/short notice on evenings or weekends.
Interpreters:
  • Interpreters are available 24/7/365
  • We have interpreters on-call for specific hospitals and for labor and delivery programs.
Requests:
  • 24/7/365; pre-scheduled, rush/emergency and on-demand requests
  1. We identify and confirm the service needed (ASL interpreter, VIS, etc.).
  2. Check the Deaf consumer profile (identity, language preferences, interpreter preferences).
  3. Check availability of interpreters
    • Check with the requested/preferred interpreter(s).
    • Check the most qualified/best fit by skill and experience in the local area.
    • Check with the most qualified/best fit who can travel to the location.
  4. If no interpreter is available, the options are:
    • Check for schedule flexibility on the same day.
    • Reschedule to another date.
    • Try an alternative service such as VIS, VRI or CART captioning.

Request Services:

  1. If YOU are the paying party (such as for a wedding or other personal activity) and want to hire PI, please contact us:
    1. By videophone at 508-809-4894
    2. By email at hello@partnersinterpreting.com
  1. If the business or organization providing services is required by law to provide accommodations, they must call 508-699-1477 or email (hello@partnersinterpreting.com) to request services. Let them know you need an American Sign Language interpreter and that they should call Partners Interpreting to set it up.

Did you know?

PI is a member of the national and local state chapters of NAD and RID. PI supports Deaf-owned businesses. Whenever possible we hire and contract with Deaf community members. We rely on their talents and expertise for:
  • Consultants
  • Advisory Roles
  • Office Staff
  • Graphic Design
  • Web development & Design
  • Photography
  • Videography
  • Translation Teams
  • Editing & Proofreading
  • Professional Insurance
  • Marketing Materials

Request a Consultation

Email:

Phone:

  • 508-699-1477 (voice); answering service supports non-business hours sending messages to on call staff
  • 508-809-4894 (videophone) for ASL users