In the breakneck speed of today’s business environment, efficiency is no longer so much buzzword jargon — it’s a survival strategy.
For Illinois businesses looking to cater to a diverse clientele and remain ahead of the curve, investing in American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services is no longer so much a box to check to remain compliant with the law or to be accommodating, but it is a time- and cost-saving measure.
But the best-kept secret is, hiring a national ASL interpreting company makes this investment even more valuable to you.
When you sign up with a national provider, you are not contracting interpreters individually. Instead, you are accessing an optimized platform that can deliver consistency, volume, and versatility all at once.
From client retention and reputation to compliance and communication, the proper interpreting services can deliver tangible returns on investment.
Accessibility is no longer an option for Illinois companies
Illinois has an open, welcoming population that cares deeply about diversity issues and civil rights. With almost 1 in 20 Americans being deaf or hard of hearing, access is not something that can be done as an act of courtesy — it’s the law.
Businesses that fail to address communication access are not only missing out on business but also opening themselves to crazy legal liability.
The Americans with Disabilities Act mandates access to accessible communication with individuals who have disabilities. Regardless of whether you operate a hospital in Chicago, an educational institution in Champaign, a retail establishment in Peoria, or a tech firm in Evanston, failing to provide the services of an interpreter can mean legal action, penalties, or worse, damage to your reputation.
And whenever you use good ASL interpretation from a credible source, you’re doing more than avoiding the law. You’re creating an inclusive atmosphere that results in loyal customers, efficient employees, and issue-free interactions. You’re enabling your company to realize the actual potential of communication.
Nationwide services mean consistency — even while you grow
The majority of Illinois companies start off local but eventually expand to customers and clients outside the state boundaries. If you are expanding with a new facility or going online, you need services that expand alongside your company. That is where ASL services around the country fit into the equation.
If you partner with an integrated vendor that has a huge base, you eliminate the inconvenience of having to work with several vendors at several sites. You get one contact, one billing, and one set of quality assurance processes to manage. Thus, you eliminate miscommunication, enjoy rapid response times, and less administrative inconvenience. That time you free up to manage accessibility, you can use to focus on more critical aspects — growing your business.
Also, national providers offer both remote and on-site services. This allows you not to be rushed at the time of unexpected needs or in the event that the on-site services are not quickly accessible. It is a certain level of operating efficiency that local-only providers may not be able to deliver at all times.
Remote Interpretation Reduces Overhead Costs Without Sacrificing Quality
Perhaps the best part of hiring a national interpreting service is the potential to utilize remote interpreting platforms. This presents Illinois companies with access to a universe of savings potential.
VRI eliminates the cost of travel, waiting, and scheduling issues. You can sit anywhere, downtown Springfield or the middle of Mississippi, and be linked to an interpreter in mere minutes whenever you need one. That makes a huge impact, of course, to time-sensitive communication applications like healthcare, law, and customer service.
In addition, you can be certain you are getting highly skilled, certified interpreters with experience in dozens of sectors. Nationwide coverage also means top talent, who are kept engaged through ongoing training, along with strict performance monitoring. That means the interpreter who speaks for your company is not only skilled at ASL — he or she is knowledgeable about your field, your clients, and your cause.
Saving time through efficient onboarding and training
If you’ve tried to manage interpreting services internally beforehand, you know that it’s a logistical nightmare. From credential vetting to scheduling to coverage of absences, it can be one person’s full-time job! Nationwide interpreting services take that off your plate.
They take care of the recruiting, vetting, onboarding, and scheduling, so you don’t waste time finding last-minute substitutes or training workers to work alongside interpreters. Reliable, experienced professionals who know your company means your operation is smoother and more predictable.
These gains may be modest, but they compound over time. Meetings start on time. Appointments run smoothly. Customers are heard. And your employees can concentrate on doing what you hired them to do, not to manage access to communication.
An Improved Experience for Employees & Customers
Let’s talk experience. Not just your customers, but that of your employees too. When communication works, everyone is more satisfied. Your deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers will return, and refer others to you, when you make them feel fully engaged and heard. That sort of loyalty is hard to buy — but easy to earn through the right interpreting support.
Employees benefit too with the provision of interpreting services. Deaf employees are able to fully engage with meetings, training, and day-to-day teamwork. Getting that sense of feeling included creates enhanced workplace culture, and thus can lead to improved retention too.
National providers can customize services to your company’s rhythm. You do not need to lock into set contracts if you require someone on a daily, weekly, or as-needed basis. This allows you to manage how much you wish to pay and not lose availability.
Exploring Beyond Compliance to the World of Inclusivity
When reputation is everything to an organization, investing in ASL interpretation is a strong message to send. It signals that you are committed to inclusive, equal, authentic communication. It proclaims that your organization is forward-thinking, willing to take that additional step to communicate with each client, each time.
And let’s face it — that kind of reputation pays off. Consumers nowadays are increasingly drawn to socially conscious businesses. By leading the charge on accessibility, you are at the forefront, not lagging behind the curve. It is part of your message, marketing, and value proposition.
When you welcome an ASL customer into your company or onto your webinar with access to interpreting readily at hand, you’ve just bridged perhaps what could be an obstacle into one of the strongest connection points. That is what our nation-wide services deliver – consistency, professionalism, and inclusion at scale.
Making the Right Choice to Attain Long-Term Gains
Illinois businesses operate in a dynamic, competitive fast-paced economy. To be able to communicate to all of your stakeholders, regardless of hearing acuity, is no longer an option — it is a game changer. But how you facilitate that access is equally relevant to making that access possible. With a national ASL interpretation company, you’ve got the coverage, the tools, and the confidence to put access at the forefront of your operation.
It’s simply part of your process, part of your brand, part of your customer experience. The ROI is not only measured in dollars and cents, but time saved, lawsuits avoided, customers maintained, reputations gained. It is creating a company poised for the future with communications no longer an obstacle to success.
For those who are looking for additional support, Unspoken Language Services offers interpreting services to help bridge the communication gap between the deaf and hearing communities.
Thumbnail Photo by Burak The Weekender
