When to Use Video Remote (Virtual) Interpreting
Here at Birnbaum Interpreting Services, we are deliberate in the types of accessibility services we offer and how we consult our clients to serve Deaf consumers. Unlike many other agencies, BIS puts service quality above all. We ensure that our Sign Language Interpreting, CART Captioning, and other service offerings are appropriate for the circumstances.
One of the biggest questions our clients face is whether to provide Onsite or Remote Sign Language Interpreting or CART Captioning. Many variables play a role in determining the correct service type. Today, Birnbaum Interpreting Services will focus specifically on the question of whether to provide Onsite or Remote Interpreting, known in the industry and among Deaf consumers are Video Remote Interpreting, Virtual Interpreting, or VRI.
The History of Video Remote Interpreting Services
The question of whether to provide or consumer Onsite vs. Remote Sign Language Interpreting services has existed since the dawn of Video Remote Interpreting (VRI). Since then many changes have taken place as pertains to culture, technology, and industry, all of which have influenced the Deaf community’s perspective and the ability of agencies and service providers to leverage Remote Interpreting services.
Birnbaum Interpreting Services was one of the very first Deaf access agencies to offer VRI. We began offering VRI circa 1997, and three years later we even got into the Video Relay Service industry, which is essentially like VRI for the telephone.
VRI was eschewed by the Deaf community at its nascence. It would be reductive to describe the reaction of Deaf service consumers as merely being fearful of a new technology. There was a visceral aversion to the limitations—both real and perceived—of a sign language interpreter who was stuck within a two-dimensional frame. Consider a scenario in which you’re trying to watch your child’s lecture during bring-your-parent-to-work-day. Or if you’re visiting a doctor, who’s about to give you incredibly important and personal news. In both scenarios—and for both similar and very different reasons—the last thing you want to be doing is staring at a screen while your child is in front of the class or your family is by your side.
These sentiments were shared by many sign language interpreters as well. Interpreters resented the idea or experience of sitting in an office all day, interactions limited to only the consumers who appeared on their screens. Interpreters also tend to support the Deaf community. If Deaf consumers preferred Onsite Sign Language Interpreting, so did the interpreters. It was only natural given that a large proportion of interpreters were either CODA (children of Deaf adults) or had gotten into the industry because of a passion for serving Deaf people.
But this isn’t to say that a fear of this new technology didn’t exist. We know it did, mostly because of what happened later. The pandemic forced people out of workplaces, doctor’s offices, banks, and social events and into their homes. With platforms such as Zoom and Teams offering the only portal to the outside world, VRI became the Deaf population’s only method of attaining accessibility.
As the pandemic abated, Onsite Interpreting started to come back—but not nearly to prior levels. The effect on sign language interpreters was perhaps even more dramatic. A serious shortage of Onsite interpreters developed, exacerbating an already chronic problem. While the Deaf community has come to embrace VRI, it’s perhaps not to the degree that has been imposed upon our consumers by the industry.
Onsite Sign Language Interpreting vs. VRI: How to Decide
Birnbaum Interpreting Services is Deaf-founded, CODA-operated, and staffed by an administration of native signers. Nearly every member of our team has confronted, themselves or via family and friends, an attempt on behalf of a hospital or school to foist upon them a virtual interpreter.
It’s impossible to create hard and fast rules for every type of request. There are simply too many potential scenarios. But it’s equally important that the organization responsible for providing access to hew to ADA, which demands reasonable accommodation. As a Deaf access agency with skin in the game, we consult with our clients on this decision on nearly a daily basis.
The most effective way to determine whether a Deaf consumer requires Onsite or Remote Sign Language Interpreting is to follow a set of guidelines:
- If it’s personal, it’s in person: The scenario at the doctor’s office is just one example. People don’t want to stare at a screen during their most momentous experiences. When buying a new home, at graduation, or at a funeral, the interpreter should be present.
- When VRI is impractical or unacceptable: In many situations VRI is either unfeasible or outright egregious. A mother giving birth should not be forced to somehow communicate with a screen—and yet this happens on a daily basis. Theatrical performances, manual labor in mills, mines, warehouses, and factories, and walking tours. If it’s inappropriate or downright impossible to focus on a screen and engage in the activity, VRI doesn’t work.
- Abiding preference: Sign Language Interpreting shouldn’t be different than any other business in that the customer is always right. This goes well beyond Onsite vs. Remote Sign Language Interpreting. Some reasons are absolute, such as a Deaf-Blind consumer who requires Tactile or Protactile interpreting services. (Pro/Tactile interpreting involved signing into the consumer’s hand, which cannot be performed remotely.) As with many service industries, the success of interpreting service rests largely on consumer preference, whether related to style, dialect, or inexplicable factors that have little to do with skill and everything to do with personal preferences. The same goes for Onsite vs. VRI. If a Deaf consumer prefers Onsite, reasonable effort should be made to acquiesce.
- Doing what’s right vs. what’s easy: It can be difficult you as a client to discern whether it’s practical or feasible to get an interpreter Onsite. You’re relying on agencies like us to figure that out for you—yet too many agencies try to push VRI on clients or consumers, even when it’s not appropriate and/or an Onsite interpreter can be made available. It’s important to work with an agency with skin in the game—i.e. a provider run by Deaf, CODA, or at least culturally engaged individuals who truly care about outcomes for the Deaf population. As a Deaf-founded and CODA-operated agency run by and for the Deaf community, BIS is always looking out for our clients’ and consumers’ best interests.
It’s impossible to provide hard and fast rules that determine when to use Onsite vs. Remote Sign Language Interpreting services. But following the above set of guidelines will go a long way.
The Importance of VRI: When Preference Can’t Be Met
The third guideline noted above states that we should provide Onsite interpreters to meet consumer preference. The reality of the Deaf access industry is that we can’t always provide exactly what the consumer wants. There simply aren’t enough interpreters.
Lead time and location are the most frequently limiting factors. VRI offers an incredibly resource that has revolutionized accessibility. Even as few as 15-20 years ago, it was impossible to provide interpreting services in a wide range of situations. With VRI, we can now access an interpreter anywhere in the world. Birnbaum Interpreting Services offers On-Demand VRI for consumers any place, any time.
We should always try to meet preferences. But when we can’t, accessibility comes first. Whether it be a last-minute request for a Zoom meeting or a request for service in a very rural area with few or no qualified interpreters, VRI can be a miraculous resource.
Birnbaum Interpreting Services Works with Clients & Consumers
Deciding whether to provide Onsite Sign Language Interpreting or Video Remote Interpreting is more complicated than it may appear. Circumstances and consumer need should dictate whether an interpreter provides Onsite or Remote service. But sometimes it can be tricky.
Here at Birnbaum Interpreting Services, we ensure that you have the tools you need to provide the most appropriate service. Most importantly, we work with our clients and consumers to find the right solution. If there isn’t enough time or resources to locate an Onsite Sign Language Interpreter, BIS can provide On-Demand VRI, which we staff with some of the best and most experienced interpreters in the industry. However, we offer VRI only when it’s preferred or absolutely necessary.
