Wednesday, January 16, 2008

What About Getting Health Insurance For Freelance ASL Interpreters?

Too many freelance ASL interpreters lack the health insurance coverage!

Why not the American deaf community get together to create the national affordable health insurance coverage program for freelance ASL interpreters?

So more and more freelance ASL interpreters could be available for the community-based tasks than running out to the Video Relay Service (VRS) companies.

Freelance ASL and other sign language interpreters are human beings, too. Freelance ASL interpreters often sacrifice themselves at their own expenses like driving pretty far for any freelance assignments.

Surprisingly, many sign language interpreters with the sign language agency or government or corporation, still pay hefty monthly premium fee for limited health insurance coverage like $500 per month.

We also need special tax breaks for our freelance sign language interpreters and other interpreters of the deaf. The translators for government business often get special tax breaks, not any sign language interpreters.

See that we really have the shortage of component sign language interpreters in increasingly corporatized American society.

Sign language interpreters especially ASL interpreters often are our allies in the first line of defense in many deaf events like the Gallaudet protests. One freelance interpreter volunteered to sign interpret contintually without any break or pay more than 17 hours on very same day during the Gallaudet protest.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)

7 comments:

  1. I don't think so. You'll be surprised how much they make? In Georgia one interpreter bought a big house on a lake. She can survive without our help!

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  2. Anon at January 16, 2008 2:55 PM, WOW!!! Could you take a picture of that one interpreter's big house on a lake from a rental boat or an helicopter?

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  3. FYI, I am working on a Health insurance program for Free Lance Interpreter. Check on www.Deafquote.com under interpreter program. Hopefully it will be ready within a month or so

    Gary

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  4. Anonymous,

    I am talking about freelance interpreters doing less than 10 hours per week.

    Let's not make any assumption that the Georgia interpreter making $$ off our food chain for interpreting services.

    Maybe the interpreter got the inheritance money from hir family or savvy investment portifolos. Who knows?

    Yes, I knew some interpreters pocketed $500.00 for just 40 minutes of interpreting. I was there to witness the ongoing transaction as one of the museum asked the interpreter how much he wanted to be paid, etc.

    RLM

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  5. Oh well, I do still want to see a photo of that one Georgia interpreter's a big lake house for more juicy! To see the difference between "freelance" and "food chain" interpreter's home stylish!

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  6. Great! This topic also become hot topic on active deaf community site deafromance.com . It has blog and forum feature...

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