Some helpful resources for consumers of interpreting services:

For a quick guide of dos and don’ts, check out this article: 10 Tips on Using a Sign Language Interpreter, published by the National Institutes of Health.

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)

This is the certifying body for sign language interpreters in the United States.  Their website has helpful information for consumers and interpreters.  Here are a couple of the site’s most helpful pages:

Find An Interpreter (Want to know if an interpreter is certified? Look here)

Standard Practice Papers (Concisely written documents explaining the standards and nuances of the field.  There’s a document for each type of interpreting we do.)

National Association of the Deaf

NAD is a non-profit civil rights organization run by and for Deaf people in the United States.  The section on American Sign Language is a good place to start for folks who are new to ASL and the Deaf community.

DeafFriendly

DeafFriendly is a Seattle-based small business that offers a review site, much like Yelp, for the Deaf community.  It is a place for deaf consumers to share their experiences at local businesses.  They also do some pretty great outreach into the community on how to be more Deaf friendly.  For some tips and best practices, check out their page on resources for businesses.