Bridges For The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing

BRIDGES FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING STRIVES TO BE THE HUB OF THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING COMMUNITIES, SERVING THEM THROUGH A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS FROM BIRTH THROUGH ELDER YEARS. OUR MISSION IS TO BUILD ACCESS, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE D/DEAF, DEAF-BLIND, AND HARD OF HEARING COMMUNITIES THROUGH ADVOCACY, EDUCATION, EMPOWERMENT, AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION.

INTERPRETING SERVICES -FROM BRIDGESTN, 27,594 HOURS OF INTERPRETING SERVICES WERE PROVIDED BY A TEAM OF STAFF AND FREELANCE INTERPRETERS, INCLUDING 895 HOURS BY DEAF INTERPRETERS, 736 PRO BONO HOURS, AND 95 HOURS OF CART. FROM BRIDGESWEST, WE PROVIDED OVER 5,495 HOURS OF INTERPRETING SERVICES, INCLUDING 460 PRO BONO HOURS. THAT'S A TOTAL OF OVER 33,000 HOURS OF INTERPRETING SERVICES WE PROVIDED IN TENNESSEE! INTERPRETING SERVICES WITH BRIDGESTN ALSO PROVIDED 2,330 VIDEO REMOTE INTERPRETING (VRI) MINUTES. VRI ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE SERVICES QUICKLY AND COST-EFFECTIVELY TO REMOTE AREAS BUT NEVER REPLACES THE VALUE AND QUALITY OF HAVING AN INTERPRETER IN PERSON. ACCESS ON DEMAND PROVIDED 208 HOURS OF ON-DEMAND SERVICE. BRIDGESDHH WAS AWARDED A FIVE-YEAR GRANT TO TRAIN 240 EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS IN TENNESSEE! INTERPRETING SERVICES PROVIDED A ROBUST PROGRAM OF VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, USING QUALIFIED INTERPRETERS WITH SPECIFIC AREAS OF EXPERTISE TO OFFER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON TOPICS SUCH AS LEGAL, MEDICAL, PERFORMANCE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND MORE. INTERPRETING SERVICES CONTINUES TO LEAD THE PUSH FOR IMPROVED ACCESS TO AND QUALITY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE D/DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING,LEADING A STATEWIDE MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE. INTERPRETING SERVICES SIGNED OUR FIRST ACCESS ON DEMAND CONTRACT WITH A MIDDLE TENNESSEE UNIVERSITY. AOD IS A NEW ON-DEMAND, VIDEO REMOTEINTERPRETING SERVICE. ACCESS ON DEMAND CREATES ACCESS WHERE IT DID NOT PREVIOUSLY EXIST-IN THOSE IMPROMPTU, WALK INTO THE STORE/PHARMACY/PROFESSOR'S OFFICE/TRAFFIC STOP INTERACTIONS THAT SEEM SMALL BUT THAT HAVE A HUGE IMPACT. CUSTOMERS OF THIS SERVICE SIMPLY CLICK ON A LINK OR APP ON ANY SMARTPHONE, TABLET, OR COMPUTER, AND A QUALIFIED INTERPRETER APPEARS IN LESS THAN ONE MINUTE, NO SCHEDULING REQUIRED. ACCESS ON DEMAND ALSO OFFERS OVER 200 SPOKEN LANGUAGES, MEANING OUR SERVICE HAS BROAD APPEAL, ALLOWING US TO WORK WITH A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT CUSTOMERS AND TO MAKE QUALITY ASL, EQUAL ACCESS, AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION A PRIORITY.

BRIDGESWEST - THE STORY OF BRIDGESWEST IS GROWTH, GROWTH, GROWTH! BRIDGESWEST SERVED 449 CLIENTS AND HOSTED 7 WORKSHOPS AND 5 COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS 57 COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING TAX DAYS, TRUNK OR TREAT, DEAF DAYS OUT IN THE PARK, POLICE TRAININGS, AND MORE. BRIDGESWEST ALSO PROVIDED 117 REFERRALS AND 121 HOURS OF EDUCATION, INCLUDING ASL CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS.THE SIGNING ACES, OUR YOUTH PROGRAM IN MEMPHIS CONTINUED OUR SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF YOUTH SERVICES. WE WERE PROUD TO WORK WITH SHELBY COUNTY AND THE CITY OF MEMPHIS TO MAKE NEWS BRIEFINGS,

ADULT EDUCATION & OUTREACH -AEO SERVED 1,802 UNDUPLICATED CLIENTS. THERE WERE 216 STUDENTS IN ASL I, II, AND III CLASSES THAT WERE ONSITE, ONLINE, OR COMMUNITY BASED. AEO PRESENTED 71 VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS ON DEAF CULTURE AND ASL IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE BUSINESSES, UNIVERSITIES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRST RESPONDERS, CONGREGATIONS, AND AGENCIES AND PRESENTED/HOSTED 14 WORKSHOPS FOR THE D/DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING COMMUNITIES. THE STATEWIDE DRIVER'S EDUCATION CLASS HAD 18 STUDENTS, AND THERE WERE 7 GED STUDENTS WITH TWO ATTAINING THEIR GEDS THIS YEAR. NINE DEAF COMMUNITY MEMBERS MET MONTHLY WITH THE SLOVAK ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF IN OUR CULTURAL EXCHANGE PARTNERSHIP.AEO HOSTED OUR 4TH ANNUAL TRUNK OR TREAT, TAX DAYS, COMMUNITY HEALTH & VACCINE CLINICS, THANKSGIVING, GAME DAYS, AND SIGNING SANTA. WE HELD BOWLING EVENTS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES--PUTNAM AND WARREN COUNTIES.