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.

Trusted CART & ASL Services Sacramento, CA

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 Sacramento

• Sacramento is actually two cities in one. There’s a large, abandoned network of tunnels underneath the foundation of the city. That network was once the actual city of Sacramento, until the new city was raised up to avoid flood damage.
• Sacramento was the birthplace of the Pony Express, the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. The 1,980-mile mail delivery service began in 1860, and traveled from Sacramento to St. Joseph, Missouri, officially establishing it as the terminus of the first railroad to run coast to coast.
• Sacramento is second only to Paris, France, in number of trees per capita in the world.
• Since 1900, there’s only been three recorded events of significant snowfall.
• The platform on the roof of the Booth Building in Old Sacramento allowed a man to signal ships – and purchase all of their cargo! – before they even reached the dock.
• During WWII, the Delta King – and its sister ship, the Delta Queen – were used for troop transport.
• The Delta King sank in San Francisco Bay in 1983 and spent 18 months at the bottom of the bay before it was rescued and returned to Sacramento.
• The Lady Adams Building in Old Sacramento is the oldest building in the historic district. It managed to survive the Great Fire of 1852, the Great Flood of 1861-62, and countless other disasters that befell the city.
• Before the Sacramento Kings were “kings,” they were actually the Royals from Rochester, NY. They became Kings when the basketball team moved to Kansas City, MO. But Kansas City didn’t seem right either, so they packed up and moved again, to Sacramento in 1985.
• Amusingly enough, the “Screamer,” a death-defying Ferris-wheel-type ride in the Scandia Family Fun Center actually bans real screams for the sake of respecting the neighbors.
• The Crocker Art Museum is the longest running establishment for artwork in the entire western United States.
• Cheese lovers take a very big note: There is a climbable hunk of Swiss Cheese in Sacramento’s Fairytale Town.
• Sacramento has seven orchestras: The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sacramento Baroque Soloists, the Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra, the Sacramento Youth Symphony, the Sacramento Master Singers, the Sacramento Children’s Chorus, and the Camellia Symphony.
• Sacramento is only 17 feet above sea level.
• The Sacramento River is the longest in the entire state of California.
• The California State Library in Sacramento has an infamous history of hauntings. Watch out for those flying books.
• In 1976 the city took on a huge renovation project on the Capitol building, that was said to be the largest restoration project of its time in the United States, with a reported budget of $68 million. 
• Sacramento is home to the world’s largest almond processing plant, Blue Diamond. On a busy day during harvest season, more than 12 million pounds of almonds are delivered for processing.
• Sacramento is full of different entertainment avenues including musical arts, night clubs, ballet, opera, music, and much more. Tourists and locals will find something to do any night of the week, especially on the weekends.
• Sacramento is home to the original house of the famous Mr. Leland Stanford. His original home has a whopping 44 rooms in it, and, three different governors lived in the home up until the 1860 era.
• Sacramento is California’s sixth capital since 1854. In fact, Sacramento was the state capital twice in history—it was dropped and then picked up again later.

Sacramento 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 Sacramento today a language interpreter can be a very underestimated professional in the world today. There are over 100 languages spoken in the Sacramento Metro area alone. Many of us know one language, and we specialize in one field of study. Our Sacramento 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 Sacramento

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 Sacramento

When it comes to communicating with hard-of-hearing or deaf audiences, there are a few reasons you might want to opt for a Sacramento 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 Sacramento 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.