Medley Interpreters, LLC

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I prepare to work with sign language interpreters?

When placing a request for services, your event will be assessed based on several factors including but not limited to the subject matter, environment, parties involved, and the history or background information. Please be prepared to provide this information when placing a request. Depending on the type of event, you may also be asked to provide preparation materials such as an agenda, presentation materials, scripts/set lists, and more. Once your event has been assessed, a representative will assist you with further guidance.

Someone on our staff knows sign language. Can that person interpret for us?

Allowing someone who is not current in the studies and practice of professional interpreting to work in the role of interpreter is risky for all parties involved. Interpreting requires specialized expertise; language skills alone are not sufficient for an individual to do the work of a professional interpreter. Interpreting is a complex process that requires a high degree of linguistic, cognitive and technical skill; it requires physical stamina, endurance, the ability to emotionally handle the situation, portray the feeling and emotion of the people speaking, and adhere to confidentiality.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires the provision of qualified interpreters in a variety of settings. It states that "To satisfy this requirement, the interpreter must have the proven ability to effectively communicate...". One important measure of an interpreter’s proven ability is professional credentials. The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID) provides testing for national certification.

Isn’t my patient’s insurance responsible for covering the expense of interpreters?

You can find the answer to this question, along with other common questions regarding health care providers and the ADA at www.nad.org/adaq&a

How does the privacy rule of HIPAA apply when I need to hire interpreters?

Interpreters are bound by the same regulations. When hiring an interpreter to provide services as a means for you and your staff to provide medical care, the interpreter becomes a part of the covered entity. The privacy rule of HIPAA (PL 104-191) permits the disclosure of protected health information to interpreters/interpreting service providers. Depending on the business relationship with the interpreter/interpreting service provider, you may need to execute a business associate contract. (see more information)

Is sign language really a language?

Yes, American Sign Language (ASL) is a distinct visual-gestural-kinesthetic language. While it borrows elements from spoken English and old French sign language, it has unique grammatical, lexical and linguistic features of its own.
Other common forms of signed communication used in the United States, some of which are referred to as signed codes and signing systems, are Signed Exact English (SEE), Manually Coded English (MCE), Conceptually Accurate Signed English (CASE), and Pidgin Signed English (PSE), also referred to as Contact Sign.

Is sign language universal?

No, sign language is no more universal than any spoken language. American Sign Language (ASL) is the language used by a majority of people in the Deaf communities of the United States, most of Canada, certain Caribbean countries, and areas of Mexico. Other areas of the world use various sign languages.

A common misconception is that sign languages are somehow dependent on oral languages, that is, that they are oral language spelled out in gesture, or that they were invented by hearing people. On the whole, deaf sign languages are independent of oral languages and follow their own paths of development. For example, British Sign Language and American Sign Language (ASL) are quite different even though people of Britain and the United States share the same oral language. Similarly, countries which use a single oral language throughout may have two or more sign languages; whereas an area that contains more than one oral language might use only one sign language.