ATU799 – TCS Interpreting with Jessica Aiello

Hi, this is Jessica Aiello, and I’m the founder and CEO of TCS Interpreting and Captions. And this is Your Assistive Technology Update.

Hello and welcome to your Assistive Technology Update, a weekly dose of information that keeps you up to date on the latest developments in the field of technology designed to assist individuals with disabilities and special needs. I’m your host, Josh Anderson with the INDATA Project at Easterseals Crossroads in beautiful Indianapolis, Indiana. Welcome to episode 799 of Assistive Technology Update. It is scheduled to be released on September 18th, 2026.

On today’s show, we are super excited to welcome Jessica Aiello, founder and CEO of TCS Interpreting this show. We’re going to talk about accessibility as innovation, ASL interpreting, and many other great things. We’re also joined by our friends from BridgingApps with An App Worth Mentioning. Folks, whether this is your first time or your 799th time, we thank you so much for listening today and let’s go ahead and get on with the show.

Listeners, as you may know, one of our jobs as the INDATA Project or the AT Act provider for the State of Indiana is to get the word out about assistive technology. Now, one way we do that of course is, well, through this podcast. If you’re listening to this, then woo, we’re doing our job. We’re getting that word out about assistive technology. But another way we do it is through our full day trainings. Now, you may have heard me talk about our full day trainings here on the show before. And if you’re interested in seeing some of our full day trainings, you can go to eastersealstech.com and access our full day archives with recordings of most of our full day trainings. You can go back and check those out, as well as see the presentations and other information related to those. In the past, we have had these trainings both in person and online with some of them just being online, but this year we are going to go all online.

With that being said, one big challenge is always trying to figure out what do people really want to learn about? What would actually bring people to the presentations, to the trainings in order to learn things that they really care about and want to learn more? So that’s where you come in, listeners, whether you’ve attended every single full day training and actively look at the recordings of them, or if you’ve never been to one of our full day trainings before, I’d love for you to reach out and let me know, what kind of information might interest you? You can send us an email at tech@eastersealscrossroads.org or call our listener line at 317-721-7124.

Our trainings usually run the gambit. So this last time we had wearable assistive technology that covered pretty much all disabilities from vision to hearing to mobility to cognition, print disabilities, everything in there. Sometimes a little bit more specific, maybe it’s just assistive technology for deaf and hard of hearing or assistive technology for autism. Sometimes it’s more specific to a need, so it could be assistive technology for note-taking or assistive technology for transition, all kinds of stuff. So every year around this time, we sit down and try to figure out what our training schedule will look like for the following year. But I figure if you’re listening to this show, you must be interested in assistive technology. So why not go to the experts and see what they want to hear? So if you’ve got an idea for a full day training for this next year, again, shoot us an email at tech@eastersealscrossroads.org or call our listener line at 317-721-7124 and let us know what you would like to learn more about.

Listeners, next up on the show, we’re very excited to welcome back Ale Gonzalez from BridgingApps with An App Worth Mentioning.

This is Ale Gonzalez with BridgingApps, and this is An App Worth Mentioning. This week’s featured app is called We Meditate. We Meditate is a mindfulness app designed to help children and families build healthy habits through guided meditations, breathing exercises, bedtime stories, and calming activities. The app offers age-appropriate content that supports emotional regulation, relaxation, focus, and better sleep in a fun and engaging way. Our favorite features were the guided breathing exercises and kid-friendly bedtime meditations. The app is easy to navigate and provides simple tools that can help children learn to manage stress, improve focus, and establish calming daily routines. It can be especially helpful for families, educators, and therapists looking to introduce mindfulness in an accessible way. We Meditate is available for both Android and iOS devices, and offers free content with optional premium features available. For more information on this app and others like it, visit www.bridgingapps.org.

Listeners, as we mentioned a few weeks ago, September is Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness Month, and it is my pleasure to welcome Jessica Aiello to the show. Jessica is the founder and CEO of TCS Interpreting and Captions and is here to talk about ASL interpreting, captioning and building real communication access for all and how accessibility can lead to innovation. And I am looking very forward to the conversation. Jessica, welcome to the show.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you for coming on. Before we get into talking about everything today, could you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself?

Yes, absolutely. So I am a CODA, and that stands for child of deaf adults. And that means that sign language was my first language, English is my second. Both of my parents are deaf and I am the founder and CEO of TCS Interpreting. We are a nationwide language access provider that removes communication barriers so everyone has the opportunity to fully participate in every room that they walk into.

Nice, nice. Well, I guess we’ll start off by talking about TCS Interpreting. When did you found it? And I guess the why already came out, but I guess when did you find it? And maybe what need did you see not being met that led you to start it?

Sure. So the why, yes, the why is because what I saw growing up as a child was a large gap in language access, the quality of services, the style of services being provided, and the lack of understanding and awareness that businesses had around the service to begin with. It started about 18 years ago.

Oh, wow.

And really our goal is to create an ecosystem where language access is more than simply an accommodation. It’s more than checking a box to be compliant. It truly is about allowing full participation by providing access. And when we see that access is provided, communication is available, it allows people to fully participate. And when people can fully participate, they really do feel a sense of belonging in whatever room, in whatever event, in whatever conversation they are in. And we believe that that is fundamental to the human experience.

Oh, most certainly. Jessica, what kind of accommodations and services are available through TCS?

So we provide sign language interpreting services both in person and virtual on video. We also have a call center available for people to call into 24/7, that is called VRI, which is virtual remote interpreting. We also provide captioning services in person and virtual as well. We do a lot of translation work, which means that we take written English and/or English videos and translate them into American Sign Language. So we are recording deaf interpreters that will translate from written or spoken English into a video of American Sign Language. We also do sign language in multiple other languages as well. And really any type of accessibility needed in terms of providing support between hearing and deaf individuals, we provide.

Nice. Very, very great. I love that there’s so many different options. It’s not a one size fits all, which I know just from working in all kinds of different disability services, there’s no such thing. Jessica, you brought up a point in there, and I want to pick your brain a little bit.

Sure.

So here I’m working with some different folks on our team, different services for a workshop for employers, just about hiring individuals who are deaf. We realize there’s a lot of misconceptions out there, a lot of fear is the wrong word, but maybe just folks don’t really understand things. So what’s one thing that you think employers should know about working with the deaf community, hiring deaf employees, or maybe just a misconception that you see out there or even both?

Absolutely. So the first thing that I usually tell employers is that a very, very common misconception is that sign language is English in hand shapes. Most people think that as long as they can write back and forth with a deaf person, if there’s no interpreter there, that communication will flow seamlessly. And that’s a big misconception, because American Sign Language is a bonafide language. It is not the same as English. It is not just a form of English gestures on your hand. The grammar, the syntax is very different than English, which is why a lot of times most deaf and hard of hearing individuals don’t understand English. They don’t use it on a regular basis. That’s a big misconception that we get, which is why it is so important to understand how communication and accessibility needs to and can be provided within the workplace.

The other thing to really understand, is that when accessibility solutions are provided for one group of individuals, let’s say, the deaf and hard of hearing community, it really does enhance the experience for everybody else. When we see that happen, what we also notice statistically is that organizations are more collaborative, they have increased performance and results, they are more creative together, and all of that leads to innovation for an organization.

Almost certainly. I could not agree more. And yeah, accessibility as innovation was something I really wanted to get into, so that was a great segue way in there. You’ve worked with a lot of folks, I’m sure, over your time in your leadership role there and probably it’d be personally. Could you share a story or two that really sticks with you about just how access to accessible communication has really opened the door maybe for an individual or even for a business or someone else?

Sure. So one of the examples that comes to mind, again, really goes back to this cycle that is the foundation for the business that we have. It starts with language access. It starts with providing access to information that someone otherwise would not have. When they have that access, they’re able to fully participate, their voice is able to be heard, their thoughts are able to be expressed. Everybody else gets to experience that. That participation leads to belonging. And again, that belonging leads to this idea that, “I’m supposed to be here. I’m meant to be here and what I think and say really matters.” And that has an impact within an organization.

And so examples around that, are when organizations employ deaf and hard of hearing people and they provide opportunities to them that allow them to grow, expand, challenge themselves, and they get to move up within an organization all the way through to leadership. And what happens, is when people that are hearing get to experience working with individuals that are deaf and hard of hearing, they learn to understand and see things in a very different way. And providing that deaf lens, having that experience within a workplace has been transformative both to the deaf person, but also within that organization.

Most definitely, most definitely. And Jessica, there’s some etiquette things that… I mean I’ve worked in different services for quite a while, so I know, but let’s say, I’m just an individual, a business owner, an interviewer of a coworker or something, I’m working with an individual who’s using an ASL interpreter, what are some different things for me to keep in mind as I communicate?

Sure. So the interpreter is there to facilitate communication. The interpreter is not there to be part of the conversation, to answer questions during the interpreting process. And so tips and tricks are looking and talking to the deaf person as if there was no interpreter there, not engaging with the actual interpreter while interpreting is happening. The interpreter’s role is, again, to facilitate conversation and communication. So if a hearing person happens to ask the interpreter a question, the interpreter’s role is to interpret that question to the deaf person. And so we want to make sure that communication flows seamlessly between the two people that need to have the conversation, not by including the interpreter in that conversation. So that’s always a very important tip that I like to share with people, is their role is to facilitate and culturally mediate between English and ASL and vice versa.

Jessica, you mentioned all kinds of different things there to assist with communication from captions, ASL interpreters, virtual interpreters. I guess, are there certain situations where some of those are maybe better or is it all just on personal choice and depends on the individual?

Yes, it’s a great question. I’m so glad that you asked. Most companies, most procurers of accommodation services assume, again, that they are providing an accommodation and just checking the box from a compliance perspective. However, there are many situations that warrant a very specific type of service. So one of the ways that we educate the community on this, is anytime there is a child involved, anytime there is mental health, anytime there is physical health or emotional health situations involved, we always require in-person and we always utilize a certified deaf interpreter. That is, again, behavioral health, mental health, physical health. That includes domestic violence, that includes fire and police and any of those type of medical or rescue services that will always require a certified deaf interpreter. Being on stage, being recorded, any community forward-facing situations will always require an in-person certified deaf interpreter.

Quick, short, 30-minute business conversations, interactions, 30 minutes or less, virtual interpreting is totally acceptable in most cases. Captioning services are available for long extended lectures where somebody needs notes. It’s very important, and/or somebody is not as skilled with American Sign Language, captioning is a great opportunity and a great experience for them. And so the important thing to know about the difference between doing things on site and doing things virtually or remote is that virtual and remote is convenient. It is also not intended to replace the onsite experience. It’s when there’s no one available, if you need it for a very quick, short, fast type of interaction, video is there for that purpose, but convenience does not replace the overall experience or the overall need.

Yep, yep, yep. And I’ve always heard that before. The video and remote is the, “Oh, we need to have a conversation. Let’s get that going.” But if you can plan it, always try to get the person in person if at all possible. And you mentioned certified deaf interpreters, can you explain what that is?

Yes. So the difference between a certified deaf interpreter and a certified hearing interpreter, is that the certified deaf interpreter is a trained deaf individual trained in interpreting, has the experience and expertise to go between every day American Sign Language and English, and their native first language, language as sign language. So when we think about interpreters and translators, a lot of times in the spoken language world, we’re talking about native users. That is a certified deaf interpreter. They’re a native user of the language. A lot of times, certified hearing interpreters are trained interpreters. They are not native to American Sign Language, and they don’t have the ability to take the language and distill it in a way that makes sense for another native deaf user.

In sign language, there’s a range of language experience and access, and a lot of that is based on the fact that the majority of deaf individuals have language deprivation. And when they experience language deprivation, their level of language and competency and comprehension is very different. And so we use certified deaf interpreters to help distill the language from every day American Sign Language into a version of American Sign Language that is easier for a native deaf person to understand.

Nice, okay.

So it’s the ability to culturally mediate that in ways that are not native to a hearing trained interpreter. And even so, somebody like myself as a CODA, whose native language is sign language, I still and most CODAs still do not have the ability to distill the information, because while it’s my first language and while it is considered a native language for me, I am still hearing and I still default a lot of times to the English narratives, which are very different than the cultural use of American Sign Language.

Nice, nice. You brought up something else there. I know this isn’t quite the subject of today, but if individuals would want to learn more about the deaf community, the culture and things like that, are there different resources, places to look, or maybe best practices that they can look into? Do you have anything that might be able to assist them?

Certainly. So the best place I always would start is local community colleges, local schools and organizations oftentimes will offer sign language classes. There are local… Every state has associations for the deaf, they are nonprofit, always looking for collaboration with people that want to learn more about it. Obviously, there’s a lot of information that people can find out online. There are apps and other resources that provide education and support, ASL Bloom, as an example, is an app. It’s a very fun app that you can learn American Sign Language through various lessons and games online. So it’s very attractive to users that want to experience that. There’s also a new app that’s coming out there called Sign Hello, and that app is teaching people the cultural nuances around the deaf community.

There’s lots of information on Facebook and Instagram that allow people to understand not just the language, but the culture. There are so many cultural nuances about the deaf community that people either misunderstand, people just don’t know, and these experiences really allow for people to feel like they’re on an even playing field.

Nice.

I think a lot of times it’s related to people’s fear that creates an inability for them to understand, because they don’t know how to ask, they don’t want to ask. They’re fearful that if they ask, it’s going to hurt somebody’s feelings or it’s the wrong way to ask. And while all of that is understandable, we’re seeing more and more that there’s a lot of opportunities to engage with the community through these types of apps.

Nice. No, I love that. And I’ve always told folks, even if you ask in the wrong way, it’s probably better than assuming in the right one.

Definitely.

It usually turns out a whole lot better. And most people are willing to help. They understand that you just don’t know. You’re not trying to be mean, you’re not trying to be rude. You’re trying to understand, and that’s the first step in really getting any further. Jessica, if our listeners want to find out more about TCS Interpreting and Captioning, the services and everything, a little bit more about you and all that, what’s a good way for them to do that?

Absolutely. So we are online. We have a website, tcsinterpretingandcaptions. We are on Instagram and Facebook and LinkedIn. Similarly, I have a website, which is jessicaiello.com, and I am also on socials. You will find us at various events, speaking, engaging in the community, and we would love to support any opportunities and situations that are available.

Awesome. We got just a little bit of time left. What’s the one thing that you want to leave our listeners with from our conversation today?

I would love to drive home, again, this idea that if organizations and employers take the leap and onboard and hire deaf and hard of hearing individuals, which I am a very large proponent of and strongly encourage, that they will provide your organization and your employees with insights, wisdom, experience that is not found anywhere else. And when organizations and employees lean into that, it really makes a positive impact throughout the organization and has the opportunity and ability to set those organizations and employers in front of others.

Awesome, awesome. Well, Jessica, thank you so much for coming on today for telling us about TCS Interpreting and Captions, but then also just for the conversation on communication, on just opening up accessibility, innovation and communication for folks. So thank you again for all your time.

Thank you.

Do you have a question about assistive technology? Do you have a suggestion for someone we should interview on assistive technology update? If so, call our listener line at 317-721-7124. Send us an email at tech@eastersealscrossroads.org or shoot us a note on Twitter @INDATAproject. Our captions and transcripts for the show are sponsored by the Indiana Telephone Relay Access Corporation or inTRAC. You can find out more about inTRAC at relayindiana.com.

A special thanks to Nicole Prieto for scheduling our amazing guests and making a mess of my schedule. Today’s show was produced, edited, hosted, and fraught over by yours truly. The opinions expressed by our guests are their own and may or may not reflect those of the INDATA Project, Easterseals Crossroads, our supporting partners or this host. This was your Assistive Technology Update, and I’m Josh Anderson with the INDATA Project at Easterseals Crossroads in beautiful Indianapolis, Indiana. We look forward to seeing you next time. Bye-bye.