NOAA Workforce Management Office

Serving NOAA's Most Valuable Asset - People

NOAA Sign Language Interpreting Services
Program Business Rules

The NOAA Sign Language Interpreting Services Program is located within the Workforce Management Office (WFMO) and managed by the Workplace Resources and Enhancement Division. Technology and Communication Solutions (TCS) is the contractor selected to provide interpreting services for NOAA's Deaf and hard of hearing employees.

In addition to providing experienced and qualified interpreters, TCS provides a web-based scheduling system that permits Deaf employees and other authorized users to schedule appointments with sign language interpreters and manage their individual accounts. Sign language interpreting services are provided upon request, including Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) which uses video or web cameras and telephone lines to provide sign language interpreting services for Deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired individuals, through an offsite interpreter in order to communicate with hearing persons; and Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) services also called open captioning, which is a system that converts speech to text.

Services are provided to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area in addition to other NOAA locations throughout the United States. TCS will partner with local interpreting services providers throughout the United States and users shall centrally schedule those services. WFMO will allow each Line or Staff Office to place separate task orders as needed to pay for services provided outside of the DC metropolitan area. To place a task order, contact Adam Santo, the WFMO Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for this contract at Adam.Santo@noaa.gov.

TCS will provide on-site interpreter services during official work hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday excluding Federal Government Holidays. In addition, the following customer service email account is established: scheduler@tcsassociates.com. The TSC scheduling system will be accessible to Deaf and hard of hearing employees and contract and program administrators within WFMO. The scheduling system will provide 24 hour access to authorized requestors, and will provide an email confirmation acknowledging your request.

Supervisors of Deaf and hard of hearing employees new to NOAA should notify the NOAA Sign Language Interpreting Services Program Manager, Ivy.M.Washington@noaa.gov, to have an account established for the employee in the TCS interpreter scheduling system. The Program Manager will then notify TCS to create an account for the employee to become an authorized user.

The scheduling system will provide each authorized user with an individualized account, providing the user with a record of his use of interpreter services. Each authorized user is enabled to view the following information:

1. The name of the requester
2. The date and time of the request
3. The date and time of the event
4. Who was assigned to interpret; and
5. In the event of a cancellation the date and time of the scheduled event, the name of the requester, the name of the requestor who cancelled the request and the date and time of the cancellation.

Authorized requesters should request interpreting services by completing the required information in their provided accounts. Requesters are given the opportunity to request a specific interpreter from the Active List and an opportunity to communicate miscellaneous additional information.

Last minute requests will be handled to the best of availability of the TCS interpreting staff. There is no guarantee of services for request made with less than 5 days advance notice. Cancellations should be given 2 full business days notice. In the event that the authorized requestor is not able to cancel a request, the supervisor of the requestor may cancel the request by sending an email to the customer service email account 2 full business days in advance of the meeting or event.

Meetings lasting longer than two hours will automatically be assigned two interpreters. The Interpreting Service Team will work with the requestor to determine the appropriate number of interpreters. Interpreting requests should allow 15 minutes before and after start and ending time of meeting. This ensures that there is enough time for set up, passage through security as well as additional time that may be needed.

In the event that Interpreting Services are needed for NOAA-wide events, you are requested to go to:
http://www.wfm.noaa.gov/interpreter/interpreterservice.php to complete an on-line Interpreter Request Form. You will receive an email confirmation acknowledging your request.

Please keep in mind that it is very important to schedule and cancel requests within the specific timeframes in order to avoid unnecessary charges. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Be specific with your request. Err on the side of requesting more time. If you think the meeting requires more than one interpreter, let TCS know when making the request.
2. Ad hoc time - If you need to request it, state it in your request. For example state in your request that you have a meeting from 1 to 2pm and ad hoc time from 2 to 3pm.
3. Minimum billing amounts - The Government is billed for a minimum of two hours per ad hoc request even if you use less than two hours of service. If you only have a one hour meeting you can request the second hour as on call time but you have to make the request or the interpreter will only stay for the time requested.
4. Cancellations - If you have to cancel a request, please try to give two full business days notice. If you need to change or cancel a request, notify scheduler@tcsassociates.com as soon as possible.
5. VRI Services - VRI services are available and free. Please email scheduler@tcsassociates.com to request your VRI services. TCS will meet you at your office to set up the service.

It is the requestor's responsibility to communicate directly with the scheduling team in order to provide the best possible customer service. If there are questions in reference to the Interpreting Services Program, please contact Ivy Washington at 301-713-6368, Ivy.M.Washington@noaa.gov.

Helpful Link:

• NOAA Reasonable Accommodtion Program web page

Back to NOAA Sign Language Interpreting Services web page

Page last edited: March 05, 2012

top