About Us

A2SL was founded in January of 2004 by Stephanie Johnson, Lori Dowds, and Terri Rose, with a passion and desire to serve our community.  Native to Colorado Springs, Stephanie Johnson has seen firsthand the many changes that have occurred as our city has grown and developed.  In much the same way have we all seen the numerous changes to the field of sign language interpreting.  Decades ago, interpreters were helpers for Deaf people, assisting them in many ways out of a feeling of benevolence.  Today we’ve come a long way in understanding that often “helping” means disempowering the very people we serve.  By continual training, direct experience in the field, and constant vigilance, A2SL maintains a professional body of interpreters ready to assist the communication process between both our Deaf and hearing consumers.   It is easy in our field to become complacent, allowing professional standards to slip.  A2SL was born out of a deep need to raise those standards back to a level where we can best serve the community. 

To this end, we adhere to the Code of Professional Conduct, as provided for sign language interpreters jointly by the National Associate of the Deaf, and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.  The tenets of the Code are as follows:

1.Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication.

2.Interpreters possess the professional skills and knowledge required for the specific interpreting situation.

3.Interpreters conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the specific interpreting situation.

4.Interpreters demonstrate respect for consumers.

5.Interpreters demonstrate respect for colleagues, interns, and students of the profession.

6.Interpreters maintain ethical business practices.

7.Interpreters engage in professional development.

For more detailed information, please see http://rid.org/ and click on Ethics to download the full PDF version. 

While one of our founders is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of A2SL, we wish Terri Rose all the best in her plans for the future.  Stephanie Johnson and Lori Dowds, both professional interpreters with degrees and credentials in educational, community, and legal interpreting, still work daily to ensure each person we encounter experience both their professionalism and happiness in the service provided.