FAQ

  • An ASL/English interpreter is a hearing individual who has been trained by an accredited post secondary program in North America. This training includes how to work in 2 languages (ASL/English) at the same time, features of Deaf culture, working in teams of interpreters, and impartiality in settings where conflicting feelings, opinions may occur.

  • Interpreting simultaneously in 2 languages is very demanding on the human brain. Add the physical action of producing American Sign Language and an interpreter can become fatigued while working without a break. A team interpreter has a supporting role while the active interpreter is interpreting. Traditionally, we alternate interpreters to provide each other cognitive breaks.

  • In your introductory email, we need to know:

    • Date, time and duration of the event

    • Online platform with link or if in person, the exact address and room number booking.

    • Nature of the event (i.e., Accessibility seminar with the accessibility Directorate of Ontario and the Premier, LGBTQ+ wedding, lawn mower operator training, prison visit, puppy training, café school training, health and wellness conference, etc.)

    • Audience (What does everybody in the room have in common?) We ask this to make sure we have a suitable interpreter (Religious, LGBTQ, Black/Indigenous etc)

    • Preparation materials such as slide decks, job posting/resume, speaker’s notes.

  • Scheduling interpreters is difficult because there are several factors to consider for us when we accept an assignment.

    • We need to make sure an assignment is suitable for us to represent all parties accurately, which is determined by a number of factors such as skill level, knowledge of certain subjects, experience (personal and professional), ethnicity if possible, etc. For example, if an interpreter is needed for a hockey practice, we will try to find an interpreter who is knowledgeable on the sport and also knows how to skate.

    • Travelling from one assignment to the next in Toronto could come with delays, traffic, etc. We are committed to providing a professional service at all times and arriving on time and ready is critical to us.

    • There is a very low supply of interpreters and the demand could out-weigh the supply based on the above factors.

    • Most interpreters aim for consistent and reliable work. Therefore booking during regular business hours could conflict with ongoing work at school which operates during most business hours.

  • Under the Canadian Human Rights Act, it is illegal to discriminate against somebody because of their disability. Discrimination could include denying the right to communication.

    • In Section 1 Part 2 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) it reads in this Act, “accessibility standard” means an accessibility standard made by regulation under the section 6; “barrier” means anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of his or her disability, including a physical barrier, an architectural barrier, an information or communications barrier, an attitudinal barrier, a technological barrier, a policy or a practice.

  • Sending us materials that will help us understand all information to be shared during your event.

    Keep in mind there is a good chance our interpreter has not met any of the individuals invited and does not know very much about the topic.

    Slide decks, FAQ, a list of popular acronyms of language unique to your field is very helpful when provided well in advance of your event.

    Furthermore, any event invite that has been sent to parties you wish to include will also help us understand the setting you have requested us for.

  • The more advanced notice we have the better. 2-3 weeks is the preferred minimum as last minute requests can rarely be accommodated.

    We can sometimes accommodate requests that are less than 2-3 weeks in advance, but is less likely to be successfully booked and interpreted.

  • Yes. If the Deaf individual has any language diversities such as being a newcomer to Canada, has mobility differences, or mental health assessments, or multiple disabilities, we may be required to book a Deaf Interpreter.

  • A Deaf Interpreter (D.I.) is a trained expert on communicating with Deaf individuals who may not communicate in clear American Sign Language.

  • https://www.tslis.ca/terms-of-service-1

  • In order to provide the best interpretations possible, we try to match interpreters to certain assignments the best we can. This requires us to consider a few things, like the skill level of the interpreter, their experiences (both professionally and in their personal lives), their knowledge on certain settings, etc.

    We also take the setting into consideration. For example, if the interpreting setting is dance class, we will try to find an interpreter with dance experience, or if the setting is a workshop on astrology, we will try to find an interpreter who is knowledgeable on astrology.

  • To answer this question with another question, does everybody you know sing? Probably not, so in order to hire an interpreter for a concert or another setting with music, we would need time to book an interpreter who specializes in music interpreting.

  • Since American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual language, it is important for interpreters to wear plain clothing that contrasts with their skin tone. This helps our ASL-using consumers by reducing visual distractions that may accompany clothing with bright colours or patterns. (i.e. how long can you stare at stripes or polka dots?)

  • There are many reasons why an interpreter may not want their work to be recorded, some of those reasons may be that a live interpretation is unrehearsed and could have mistakes, if you want a recorded interpretation to post to social media or for other work-related reasons, consider giving an interpreter the source text/video you want interpreted so they can provide you with a rehearsed interpretation for you to post.

    Another reason interpreters may not want to be recorded is the audience on the internet is unknown, anyone could see the interpretation or post the interpretation to other social media platforms without proper context and without permission.

  • A qualified interpreter is someone who has graduated from an accredited American Sign Language/English Interpreting program and who has contextual knowledge of the setting they will be interpreting in.

  • If you have a complaint about an interpreter, you can submit it to christopher@tslis.ca.

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    • TSLIS requires 48 hours (2 business days) notice if an assignment of three hours or less is cancelled. Failing to do so will result in billing for the full amount of service booked.

    • TSLIS requires five business days' notice for assignments that are 4 hours or greater in length.

    • You can cancel a booking by contacting torontosignlanguage@gmail.com

  • Interpreters can work in any setting where there is a Deaf user of Sign Language who is communicating with a hearing individual who does not know Sign Language.

  • https://www.tslis.ca/hire-us

  • There are a few things you can do/have in place when working with an interpreter.

    • Being able to connect with the Deaf consumer during the event is very helpful for us because we can ensure we are matching their language needs.

    • Asking an interpreter’s opinion during an assignment is inappropriate as we remain neutral in all interpreting settings.

    • Please end your assignment at the given time as you may realize booking interpreters is challenging because our schedules are busy. We do not want to compromise another booking because yours goes over time.

    • We will do our best to interpret everything that is said but people talking over each other makes that very difficult, please be mindful of how fast you are talking.

  • Toronto Sign Language Interpreting Services (TSLIS) follows the Canadian Association of Sign Language Interpreters (CASLI) Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Professional Conduct. However, we do not require our interpreters to become CASLI members.

  • What may be obvious to everyone in the room (due to the setting, relationships with one another, etc.) is not always obvious to interpreters. We want to ensure that we are in the loop with the environments we are working in.

    This also helps us book the interpreter who is the best match for your event and will help us avoid putting interpreters in setting that will make it more difficult for them to stay neutral (i.e., not sending a male interpreter to an all female event or not sending a vegan interpreter to a butchery course).

    The more we know about what you’re going to say before you say it the more accurately we can interpret your event. This is why we may request more information about your event before accepting your request.