• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Holiday Cards
  • Donate
  • (207) 443-3341
  • Impact Stories

Pine Tree Society

  • Home
  • Pine Tree Camp
    • Overnight Camp
    • Camp Pine Cone Day Camp
    • Family Camp
    • Adventure Day Pass
    • Pine Tree Camp to You
    • Camp On The Road: Piscataquis County
    • Camp On The Road: York County
    • Retreats
    • Special Programs
  • Children & Families
    • Audiology
    • Children’s Case Management
    • Early Learning Center
    • Occupational Therapy
    • Sign Language Interpreting
    • Speech Language and Assistive Technology Services
  • Adults & Families
    • Audiology
    • Case Management
    • Community Support
    • Sign Language Interpreting
    • Speech/Language and Assistive Technology Services
  • About Us
    • Our Roots
    • Our Leadership
    • Board of Directors
    • Annual Report
    • Join Our Team
    • Connect With Us
    • Pine Tree Society Blog
    • News
  • Events
    • Dysart’s Snowmobile Ride-in
    • Bath Savings Paddle for Pine Tree Camp!
    • 2023 Children’s Conference
    • Flutie 5K at Pine Tree Camp
    • See All Events
Home  ›  Uncategorized  ›  Pine Tree partners with the CDC to ensure access for Deaf community

Pine Tree partners with the CDC to ensure access for Deaf community

by gareth on March 3, 2021

We’re really providing something special to the Deaf community.”

That’s how American Sign Language interpreter Joshua Seal describes Pine Tree Society’s interpretating services for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Covid-19 briefings.

It’s easy to understand how Joshua’s role as an interpreter fills a critical need by allowing people who cannot hear the opportunity to access the information being communicated during the briefings. What’s not so easy to see — and what makes his ASL interpretating different — is that Joshua is Deaf and ASL is his native language.

“I’m a heritage user of ASL,” he said. “It’s something that’s intrinsic to me.”

To interpret the Maine CDC briefings, Joshua relies on his hearing teammate to listen to what Dr. Nirav Shah says, and then relay that, in sign language, to him. Joshua then signs the information for the viewers, providing critical information so they can make informed decisions in their lives.

“As a Deaf individual, I have a polished and natural way of sharing the briefings,” he said. “Simply put, I take the ASL that the

hearing interpreter provides me and make it easier for the Deaf community to understand.”

ASL is not just finger spelling. New signs are frequently created as needs arise; quickly allowing Deaf people access to information they need in an emergency like the pandemic.

“I first learned of the sign for Covid-19 on February 10, 2020,” said Maura Nolin, Director of Interpreting Services at Pine Tree Society. “A Deaf gentleman travelling back from a conference in Japan did a vlog while he was at the airport sharing that there was a new virus. He showed how it was signed and explained why. The sign he shared quickly went worldwide.”

Pine Tree Society is Maine’s only not-for-profit sign language interpreting agency and is committed to meeting the needs of Deaf people statewide.

“We have always seen technology as playing an important role in meeting the needs of people in rural parts of our state,” said Noel Sullivan, President and CEO of Pine Tree Society. “When Covid-19 hit, we were quickly able to apply our knowledge and capacity to provide the highest quality interpreting services available.”

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

The 50th annual Snowmobile Ride-in blew us away

February 6, 2023

Eggs-citing News: Egg Ride to feature Jell-o instead of eggs

January 19, 2023

Share your voice through Pine Tree Society’s statewide community survey

January 17, 2023

Latest Blog Posts

Stay overnight this winter at Pine Tree Camp

February 2, 2023

Dirigo Experience February program info session recording

January 19, 2023

Share your voice: Please take our community survey

January 13, 2023

Footer

social

  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Pine Tree Camp Facebook
  • Autism Connection Facebook

connect

  • (207) 443-3341
  • Connect With Us

about us

  • Annual Report
  • Our Roots
  • Our Leadership

support

  • Donate
  • Pine Tree Camp 100

get involved

  • Support Pine Tree Society’s Impact
  • Bath Savings Paddle for Pine Tree Camp!

Auburn

589 Minot Avenue
Auburn, ME 04210

(207) 443-3341 voice
(207) 777-1205 fax

Bath

149 Front Street
Bath, Maine 04530

(207) 443-3341 voice
(207) 443-1070 fax

Scarborough

Elevation Center
71 U.S. Route 1, Suite B
Scarborough, Maine 04074

(207) 443-3341 voice
(207) 510-4647 VP
(207) 885-0157 fax

Pine Tree Camp

114 Pine Tree Camp Road
Rome, Maine 04963

(207) 386-5990 voice
(207) 397-5324 fax

  • © 2023 Pine Tree Society
  • •
  • Privacy Policy
  • •
  • Donor Privacy Policy
  • •
  • Refund Policy
  • •
  • Staff Login
  • •
  • Non-Discrimination Disclosure
  • •
  • Website by RainStorm