PSC awards funding contracts for sign-language education

The Utah Public Service Commission has awarded funding contracts to Salt Lake Community College, the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation and Utah Valley State College to provide American Sign Language continuing education and training.

This funding will help sign language interpreters become certified and provide student scholarships and stipends.

Legislation passed last year expanded the permitted use of the telephone surcharge for services to the deaf, hard of hearing and speech disabled to include contracting with programs that train people to serve as certified sign language interpreters.

The three organizations will institute an ASL training and certification program and establish an interpreter lab to train people to become sign language interpreters. Following their training and certification, they will provide interpreter services between hearing individuals and people who are deaf for educational or vocational purposes, in addition to supporting video relay service. With video relay, an ASL interpreter facilitates a call between a hearing person and a deaf person over the Internet.

Students enrolling in the program will sign a letter of obligation to stay and work in the state of Utah as an interpreter for the length of time equivalent to the length of training received.