Sign language interpreting
On-site and video interpreting for appointments, meetings and events.
Sign languages · sign language
American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting and translation
American Sign Language is the language of Deaf communities across the United States and much of Canada, and one of the most widely studied sign languages in the world.
American Sign Language (ASL)
- Script
- None (signed language); fingerspelling and written texts use the local alphabet
- Direction
- Signed (visual-spatial)
- ISO 639-3
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ASL is a full language with its own grammar, which uses handshape, movement, facial expression and the space around the signer. It is not a signed form of English. Historically it grew from the meeting of French Sign Language (LSF), brought by the Deaf teacher Laurent Clerc in the early nineteenth century, with local signing in America, which is why ASL is placed in the French Sign Language family. ASL and British Sign Language are unrelated and not mutually intelligible, despite both countries using English.
ASL has regional and generational variation, and Black ASL is a recognised variety with its own history shaped by segregated Deaf schools. In Canada, ASL is used in English-speaking communities and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) in Quebec; the Accessible Canada Act recognises ASL, LSQ and Indigenous sign languages as the primary languages of communication for Deaf people in Canada. In the United States, recognition is mainly at state level, and the Americans with Disabilities Act sets requirements for effective communication rather than naming ASL as an official language.
Varieties derived from ASL are used in some West African countries and elsewhere, often through missionary and educational links, but each Deaf community should be asked which language it actually uses.
- Main areas: United States
- Also used: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan)
Communities abroad are not shown. Point to an area to see its name.
How we help
American Sign Language services
Video interpreting
Remote interpreting by secure video, where visual contact is essential.
Video translation and captions
Captions, subtitles and sign language video for your content.
SILA Linguists®
American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and ASL video translation from SILA Linguists®
American Sign Language is a full language with its own grammar, using handshape, movement, facial expression and the space around the signer. It is not signed English, and it is unrelated to British Sign Language despite both countries sharing English. ASL grew from French Sign Language brought by Laurent Clerc, meeting local American signing, and it is used in the United States and English-speaking Canada and, through Deaf education, in parts of West Africa. SILA Linguists® provides ASL interpreters, ASL video translation and captioning for hospitals, courts, employers, universities and event organisers across North America, Britain, Australia and beyond.
ASL interpreting in person, by video and at events
We provide ASL interpreting face to face at hospital and clinic appointments, police interviews, court hearings, legal consultations, training courses, HR and employment meetings and public events, and by video remote interpreting (VRI) for shorter appointments. For conferences and online events, interpreters can appear on stage or in a dedicated video window.
For assignments longer than about an hour, or with dense content such as court proceedings or technical training, two interpreters work as a team and alternate. A Deaf interpreter, often called a Certified Deaf Interpreter in the United States, can join a hearing interpreter where the Deaf person uses regional or idiosyncratic signing, has had limited language access, or where the setting is legal or mental health. ASL has regional and generational variation, and Black ASL is a recognised variety with its own history, so tell us about the Deaf person's background. An ASL user visiting Britain will need ASL, not BSL.
Translating written English into ASL video
Written English is a second language for many Deaf ASL users, so we translate key texts into recorded ASL: public information, health guidance, consent forms, policies, training modules and website content. Deaf translators work from an approved script, and the finished video can be captioned. We also translate signed video, such as a recorded statement or testimony, into written English.
Captions and transcripts
Our team provides captions and written transcripts for videos, webinars and recorded meetings that include signing or speech, helping organisations meet accessibility expectations for both Deaf and hearing audiences. Captions are timed and checked by a person rather than left to automatic speech recognition, and speaker names and sound cues are included where they help understanding.
Sectors we support in ASL
Our vetted, trained and qualified ASL interpreters can support hospitals and clinics, courts, police and legal practices, schools, colleges and training providers, employers and HR teams, and conference and event organisers. With SILA Linguists® one project manager arranges interpreters, teams and Deaf interpreters, every professional is vetted, and confidentiality agreements and UK GDPR protect each assignment. ASL interpreters can also support American and Canadian courts, hospitals, universities and conferences, on site or by video relay.
Good to know
Working with American Sign Language
Interpreting
- SILA provides ASL interpreting face to face, by video remote interpreting (VRI) and for conferences and online events. For assignments longer than about an hour, or with dense content such as court proceedings or training, two interpreters usually work as a team and alternate.
- A Deaf interpreter (often called a Certified Deaf Interpreter in the United States) working alongside a hearing ASL interpreter is good practice in legal, police, mental health and child protection settings, and for Deaf people who use non-standard signing, have additional needs, or are newly arrived and still acquiring ASL.
- VRI suits short medical and business appointments when the camera, lighting and bandwidth are good. Deafblind people may need tactile or close-vision ASL, which should be requested at booking. At international meetings with Deaf participants from several countries, International Sign may be used in addition to ASL.
Translation
- Translating into ASL means producing filmed ASL content, ideally by Deaf translators working from an agreed script, with checks for accuracy and naturalness. This is common for public information, healthcare instructions, consent materials and websites. English captions and subtitles for the Deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) are a separate service that we can provide alongside ASL video.
- Translation from ASL into written English, for example of recorded statements or interviews, needs a translator who can review the video carefully, including facial grammar and use of space, and annotate any unclear passages.
Related languages
American Sign Language and its neighbours
Choose a language to see its page. Getting the right variety matters: tell us the region or dialect if you know it.
Where American Sign Language is often needed
- Hospitals and clinics
- Courts, police and legal advice
- Education and training
- Employment and HR meetings
- Conferences and public events
- Public information videos
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Get in touch
Need a American Sign Language interpreter?
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.