Frequently Asked Questions

All HANDS IN MOTION is a boutique company: small, intimate where the owner knows every interpreter hired; never sending out a set of hands to cover an assignment, always making the right fit to the occasion. That is the expectation of anyone who co-coordinates with Janice Rimler. Integrity, commitment , and personal and professional responsibility are the heart of this company.

With all of the out-of-state interpreting and spoken language agencies bidding and winning New York State and City contracts, the idea of being another agency in the mix was not acceptable. Because the owner is known as a long -time member of the vibrant Deaf and interpreting communities of NYC, standing out as a home cultivated entity and active participant connects with the concept of a thoughtful, community based organization or company.

Part of our training as interpreters is to provide pro-bono services to the Community on a yearly basis. To only lift hands for interpreting was not enough of a return to a Community that welcomed Janice back in the 1980's. This is personal, this is who her mentors and mentees are as people, reflected in the office staff and all of the people who contract with All HANDS IN MOTION.

In the United States, there are three (3) Federal laws that relate to transcription services: the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The venue in which we provide communication access determines which laws apply and who is responsible for paying for the services. Contact us today to learn more about our services!

American Sign Language (ASL) is a complex visual-spatial language used by people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Hearing within the Deaf community. It is the preferred language of the Deaf Community in the United States and English-speaking parts of Canada. ASL is a natural language, linguistically complete, and is used to discuss, comment or create the most intricate of conversational demands, whether it be of historical merit, legal argument, poetry, or philosophy. In short, anything that can be spoken can be visually imparted.

No. ASL does not contain grammatical similarities to English and is not broken English, mime, or a gestural form of English. While ASL and other sign languages contain gestural components, there are also facial signals on the forehead, cheek and mouth areas that complete the grammatical syntax of the language. Further, ASL is a three-dimensional (3-D) language as the space surrounding the signer is incorporated to describe places and persons not present. It is a subtle language. It is a vibrant language.

ASL is not universal. Each country has its own language: French Sign Language, British Sign Language, Russian Sign Language, etc. each embracing cultural norms and behaviors. However, as the world becomes more interrelated, ASL is becoming more prevalent in other countries.

The interpreter is a facilitator of communication between people who are Deaf and people who are hearing and do not sign. Interpreters are not participants in the event, class, or assignment.

The interpreters' job entails working between languages: From Spoken English to American Sign Language (ASL) or another country's sign language and ASL or another country's sign language back to Spoken English. Interpreters are also working between cultures: Deaf culture and Hearing culture, American culture and country of origin culture. We work simultaneously in most interpreting venues and team with another interpreter in most situations. This is the best practice for accuracy, taking into account the fatigue factor (mental and physical). While one interpreter has her hands up working, her/his team is listening and watching carefully to assure all parties that the information is heard/seen correctly.

All HANDS IN MOTION strives for accuracy in all interpreting situations. By working together as a team, two interpreters can catch possible misunderstandings, such as:

SPEAKER: There were 50 people involved.

The above sentence could easily be misconstrued as:

SPEAKER: There were 15 people involved.

The team interpreter will feed the correction to the working interpreter.

Everything that is spoken or signed is interpreted. What is accessible to the audience/participants who are hearing is interpreted. What is signed by the participants who are deaf is voiced. The goal is equal access to communication. Interpreters are the common conduit for achieving that goal.

Not all Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals use sign language or prefer a visual/gestural language to enhance their communication. Therefore, All HANDS IN MOTION provides speech-to-text services using laptops and trained professionals in several transcription modes: verbatim/CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) services or meaning for meaning/TypeWell™.

The trained professional TypeWell™ transcriptionist (TypeWell™ian) sits in the environment or a remote location, typing on a laptop computer installed with the TypeWell™ abbreviation software. What appears on the laptop, tablet or smart phone of the person(s) using the service is a real-time transcript in complete words and sentences. While not verbatim, the TypeWell™ian is transcribing "meaning-for-meaning" which is the methodology used by sign language interpreters in rendering the visual message.

A transcript is produced by the TypeWell™ian on one laptop and read in real time by the person(s) using the service on a second laptop, tablet or smart phone which enables the him or her to type questions and comments which are then read aloud (voiced) by the TypeWell™ian. Further, he or she can type notes in the TypeWell™ program on the second computer, tablet or smart phone.

TypeWell™ is an ideal tool for not only someone who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing but, in situations where English is a second or third language. This can be in the corporate setting with divergent cultural and language groups. Because it is easier to read a foreign language than listen to that language (in this case English), TypeWell™ proves to be effective in business situations, providing correction to aural miscues.

The TypeWell™ system also provides communication access during a class, session, meeting, event as well as a transcript for study, review, or documentation.

We provide verbatim whenever required for the transcription of DVDs, movies, Podcasts and similar vehicles. Further, we contract with several professionals who provide communication access via Dragon, CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) and C-Print. However, TypeWell™ remains our most frequently used speech-to-text program.

The idea of community happy hours evolved after Studio 504 was established. Currently, there is a lack of Deaf Clubs in the NYC Metro area. Back in the day, there were places for the Community to gather, chat, play cards, relax, but over time, many of these places have disappeared. This is the new generation of providing a space/place to congregate on a monthly basis, meet new people, see old friends, and bring business to a local restaurant/bar. People who are Deaf, Hard -of Hearing, Deaf/Blind, interpreters and students of ASL mingle, eat, drink and have a great time. There is always a raffle for the Studio 504 classes that are running and a surprise raffle. The surprise raffle can be anything from a plant, candle set, holiday basket- even theater tickets for an interpreted show.

The goal is to showcase the talent of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing artists who will instruct in their first language- American Sign Language (ASL). Whenever we have a request for a class topic, if we cannot secure someone who is Deaf or Hard-or-Hearing to teach (we have not had anyone who is Deaf/low vision or Deaf/Blind instruct) we place interpreters in the class to facilitate communication. All instructors are passionate about their craft. Have a teachable hobby? Let us know!

You can find a list of all our current Studio 504 events on our home page. Sign up for a class and join our Studio 504 community today!

Click on Sign Me Up below any class on our home page and you will be on the class page. Register for your Studio 504 class by clicking on the Regular Rate button or the Deaf Community Rate buttons, and use your PayPal account to pay for your class!