American Sign Language Support in Michigan

SAN DIEGO, February 3, 2023 — According to Nimdzi Market Research, when it comes to language services, American Sign Language (ASL) is the second most demanded language in the United States. As the US sees the demand for ASL grow year after year, some parts of the country have also experienced a shortage of ASL interpreters to meet that need. Based on findings by the Gallaudet Research Institute, there are an estimated 1,000,000 people in the US who are functionally Deaf, so there is no room for any shortage in support. With all problems come solutions, and one Sign Language Professor in Michigan is doing her part to help.

Justine Bryant, a Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) Affiliate Assistant Professor of Sign Language, is working to encourage students to pursue careers as ASL interpreters by making classes and programs more accessible to them. Her strategy includes establishing an educational pathway that begins right at GRCC. This pathway allows students to complete their initial year of education and first level sign language classes at GRCC, and then transfer to Lansing Community College (LCC) to finish their final years of schooling with their full interpreter training program. LCC has a robust interpreter training program which leaves students extremely prepared to pass any certification tests. Not only is there a partnership with LCC, but also with Siena Heights University where students can earn their bachelor’s degree, which is also required for certain levels of certification.

Bryant has seen a serious need for state-certified ASL interpreters in Western Michigan, among many other areas. A contributing factor to this need includes labor shortages, but it is also due to stringent criteria that the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) has created for interpreters to become licensed to work in the state. In many cases, to achieve interpreter status in Michigan, individuals are required to have a bachelor’s degree and pass certification tests. Mixing these requirements with the high demand for ASL interpreters has helped fuel a shortage of qualified interpreters in the state.

The proactive efforts of Bryant to create a more accessible path to certification, encouraging students to pursue a career in ASL interpretation, is a significant step to address the need for qualified interpreters in West Michigan and beyond. She has made great progress in establishing a streamlined way for students to get certified as interpreters, finishing their education, getting their bachelor’s, and becoming much more prepared to pass the required certification tests. Bryant’s work has already proved successful and is expected to continue to help meet the increasing demand for qualified interpreters in the community each year to come.

If you have a need for American Sign Language services anywhere in the United Stated contact us today for a free quote, email us below or call 800-726-9891.

Read more detail in the original article referenced for this blog: https://grbj.com/news/education/grcc-professor-addresses-regions-dire-need-for-asl-interpreters/

Written in collaboration with ChatGPT

About Interpreters Unlimited, Inc.

The IU Group of companies include: Interpreters Unlimited, Accessible Communication for the Deaf, Albors & Alnet, Arkansas Spanish Interpreters and Translators, and IU GlobeLink, LLC, and are headquartered in San Diego, California as a minority-owned company. IU Group is committed to providing equal opportunity in the work environment with its diverse team to aid in supplying linguistic and cultural interpretation services to clients. A combined 70 years in the industry has demonstrated a surplus of leadership and best practices, which has helped establish its respected role in the language services community. Its services include spoken translation, document translation and non-emergency medical transportation.