Contact us by email at interpreting@alsglobal.net or via phone at 1-800-951-5020 for a free estimate on our ASL and CART services.
American Language Services has been helping businesses and other entities reach the deaf and hard of hearing community for more than 35 years. While in-person interpreting, at one time, was the only option, recent technological advances opened the door to other options. Since we offer full-service Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), this article will be comparing Virtual American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting with Communication Access Real-Time Translation (AKA- Closed Captioning & Real Time Subtitling) known as CART.
Please note that according to the American Disability Act (ADA) that deaf and hard of hearing community have the legal right to receive full access through the use of ASL and or CART services. The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and providing ASL interpreters for deaf individuals complies with federal law and promotes equal accessibility.
Some interesting Facts About the City of Palm Springs
- 1. Old Hollywood’s love affair with Greater Palm Springs began when movie studios implemented a two-hour rule, which stated that actors must remain within two hours of the studio. The oasis was just within the two-hour rule and became a favorite destination for Hollywood celebrities.
- The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway operates the world’s largest rotating tramcars, and the eight-minute ride up from the desert floor to the mountain station is one of the steepest ascents in the world.
- The date gardens in Greater Palm Springs produce more than 80 percent of this Middle Eastern delicacy in the United States, making our region the nation’s Date Capital.
- In 1980, The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians opened the first commercial card casino in the United States established on an Indian reservation. It is now called Fantasy Springs Casino Resort & Spa.
- The Spa City of Desert Hot Springs is home to one of the greatest mineral water aquifers in the world. The water is naturally heated to temperatures as high as 180 degrees.
- Greater Palm Springs hosts the nation’s only citywide Golf Cart Parade, held each fall. About 25,000 spectators turn out to watch more than100 golf cart-powered floats parade up and down El Paseo Drive in Palm Desert, the “Rodeo Drive” of the desert.
- Frank Sinatra’s former Twin Palms Estate in Palm Springs boasts a famous piano-shaped swimming pool. The luxury home is now available for vacation rentals, weddings and corporate events.
- Palm Springs has the largest concentration of midcentury modern residential architecture in the world, showcased every February during the Modernism Week celebration.
- With more than 50,000 pools, Greater Palm Springs can boast that it has more pools per capita than anywhere else in the country.
- The locals call them windmills, those metal ambassadors that greet visitors traveling eastbound into the desert Oasis. Actually, the thousands of wind turbines that sprout from the desert floor are more than a green industry. You can take a windmill tour, traveling deep within the energy grid on the oldest wind farm tour in the country.
- Greater Palm Springs is the home of more than 120 golf courses, which is why many refer to us as the Golf Capital of the World. Many of them were designed by world-class designers. Since there are so many links, competition is steep between the clubs as they compete to lure customers in. This means some courses go as far as to offer luxury buffets and complimentary valet parking
- Speaking of golf, if you’re looking for a unique, family-friendly experience, consider attending the Palm Desert Golf Cart Parade. It has occurred sporadically since as far back as the 1960s, but it didn’t become an annual event until 1983. These days, it takes place every October and draws anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 spectators clamoring to see all the wild golf carts that roll by. There’s a lot going on at the parade to keep you entertained; it features clowns, face painting, crafts, a rock climbing wall, and even a pancake breakfast.
- Unwinding in a desert can be a different kind of relaxing experience – and the luxury villas in Palm Springs along with some world-class spas offer just that kind of treatment to every traveler from near or far. From luxury spas to natural mineral water spas located north of the city in Desert Hot Springs – you can plan a wellness getaway as per your choice in any boutique hotel nearby. Treatment menus range from massages, body wraps, facials to simply some rejuvenating time. The swimming pools inside a number of resorts in Desert Hot Springs have natural mineral water and allow a whole day use for a fee.
- Some of Greater Palm Springs’ most famous names are also some of its eternal residents. Area cemeteries are the final resting place of famous personalities like Frank Sinatra, Sonny Bono, William Powell and Frank Capra.
- Boasting of some rare to spot mid-modern century architecture – Palm Springs is often quoted as a modernist residential mecca, housing one of the best collections of modernist architecture in the world. According to research, “wealthy clients and celebrities from nearby Los Angeles and across the country commissioned villas in this resort city, as part of the modernist movement’s boom during the mid-20th century.”
- Palm Springs has been a tourist destination since the 19th century, but centuries before that, the area was populated by Indians. Most of the complex and sophisticated Cahuilla communities settled in the Murray, Palm, Andreas, Chino, and Tahquitz Canyons.
- Looking at the geography of Palm springs and around – you can instantly imagine that you will be putting miles and miles on your car to drive in and outside the city. Being a desert, the city on some days becomes a complete ghost town and you will end up coming home much earlier in the night. Once you are on the highway you will be driving with extreme caution yourself – as you can easily expect the slowest moving cars on freeways, casually mixed with golf carts on the roads, with speeding traffic NOT stopping on the intersections to unimaginably loaded pickup trucks midway. In all reality you will not blink for a second while driving around Palm springs.
- It’s not uncommon for someone in Greater Palm Springs to give you the following directions: “Keep going on Gene Autry, turn left on Dinah Shore and take a right on Bob Hope.” That’s because the desert has a preponderance of street names honoring various celebrities who have made the desert home.
Palm Springs ASL & CART Language Interpreters
American Language Services is known for our high-quality, In-person and Virtual interpreters, as well as the outstanding client services we provide. We work in 200+ languages including Legal and Medical Certified and Qualified. ASL and CART are the fastest growing languages in Palm Springs today a language interpreter can be a very underestimated professional in the world today. There are over 100 languages spoken in the Palm Springs Metro area alone. Many of us know one language, and we specialize in one field of study. Our Palm Springs Interpreters are fluent in English and at least one other language, and they are knowledgeable in a wide range of specialized fields including legal, medical, technical, manufacturing, and engineering.
A brief history of ASL Interpreting in Palm Springs
Most people know that ASL stands for American Sign Language. But not everyone knows that it is a distinct language—not simply an offshoot of American English. Though its beginnings are murky, many believe that ASL originated from a merger of French Sign Language (SLF) and local U.S. sign languages. While ASL and SLF are distinct languages, there are still some similarities between their signs.
What actually is ASL? ASL a complete, natural language that has the same linguistic properties as spoken languages with grammar however that differs from English. ASL is expressed by movements of the hands and face. ASL is a language completely separate and distinct from English. It contains all the fundamental features of language, with its own rules for pronunciation, word formation, and word order. Because of the physical nature of ASL, a two-person team of ASL interpreters is required for assignments longer than 1 hour in duration.
The National Center for Health Statistics claims that 28 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss, though only between two and eight percent of them are natural ASL speakers. Helping these select individuals translate the audible into the understandable is the job of an ASL interpreter. If you have ever been to a play, a concert or watched a government briefing, you have probably seen an ASL interpreter signing just out of view. An interesting side note is that Statista estimates that there are currently around 60,000 active ASL interpreters in the USA.
The Benefits of ASL Interpreting in Palm Springs
When it comes to communicating with hard-of-hearing or deaf audiences, there are a few reasons you might want to opt for a Palm Springs ASL interpreter over CART services. These include:
- A More Personal Connection: A real person has several advantages over a computer screen. First, human interpreters have an easier time conveying emotion. Second, they are better equipped to point out speakers and assist with pronunciation issues. Finally, an interpreter gives a deaf or hard of hearing person a chance to bond with another person.
- Enhanced Speed: Skilled interpreters can hold pace with even the fastest speakers. Lack of delay makes it easier for deaf and hard of hearing individuals to keep up with the conversation.
- Cost Effective: While costs range by the type of ASL you need (Legal, medical, business, etc.) and when the assignment is scheduled, the cost off ASL, across the board, is less money than CART.
What Is CART?
While the majority of people know what American Sign Language is, the same cannot be said for Communication Access Real-Time Translation. Often referred to as CART, this communication method for the deaf and hard of hearing is best described as subtitling for live discussions. Unlike ASL, which relies on a professional interpreter, CART services are provided by a well-trained stenographer or transcriptionist. They transcribe anything said and then broadcast the resulting text to a phone, computer, or TV screen.
CART is often seen as a cost-effective and efficient way to ensure everybody can follow along. While often used to help deaf students in the classroom, CART captioning benefits anyone that can read. Much like ASL interpreting, it can be done both onsite with a physical transcriptionist or remotely with an offsite one.
Why You Should Consider CART for the Palm Springs Market
Communication Access Real-Time Translation is growing in popularity due to the following characteristics:
- It Serves a Wider Array of Deaf People: If you do a little math, you will realize that 65 percent of hard-of-hearing people in the USA do not speak ASL fluently. CART makes it so these people can join in on the conversation as well.
- CART Makes It Scalable: While people in the front rows can easily make out what an interpreter is signing, it gets harder as the distance increases. Since captions can be beamed to multiple screens simultaneously, they do not have to factor speaker distance into the equation.
- The Text Provides a Written Record: Having a transcript of everything your professor said would be a godsend come finals. Having a record of a meeting can also provide clarity to all those involved as well. The physical nature of CART recording makes that possible. This ability is one reason so many college students opt for CART over traditional ASL interpreting.
About American Language Services
Founded in 1985, American Language Services was there to help pioneer the rise in remote ASL interpreting options. Our dedication to quality and client satisfaction in interpreting allowed us to shift from a one-woman agency into one of the most successful language agencies in the world. Our language experts provide ASL & CART interpreting services to people all around the world. Because of our 24/7 availability, you’ll never have to worry about us not being available, on off times, for an assignment.
AML-Global has some of the most impressive linguistic talents in the world. These highly skilled language professionals are recruited, screened, and tested to ensure high-quality work.
Contact us by email at interpreting@alsglobal.net or via phone at 1-800-951-5020 for a free estimate on our ASL and CART services.