Why WITHdirection?
The Reasoning Behind How We Work
Not a sales pitch — an explanation. These are the principles that shape how we staff, prepare, and deliver communication access, and why they lead to better outcomes. Use them to make better access decisions, whoever you hire.
Leadership
Why Deaf leadership matters
WITHdirection is founded and led by a Deaf interpreter who has depended on interpreting himself — in courtrooms, at the United Nations, on stage, and in boardrooms. That changes how decisions get made: the person coordinating your access has firsthand knowledge of what a strong match makes possible.
Deaf leadership also means the Deaf community holds us accountable. We work in the same community we serve.
Coordination
Why interpreter matching matters
The Deaf community is linguistically diverse: monolingual ASL users, multilingual signers, people with language deprivation, DeafBlind people, and Deaf professionals who use designated interpreters. The same event can succeed or fail depending on whether the interpreter matches the person — their language, register, and context.
Much of the industry fills assignments by dispatch: a request goes out to a list, and the first interpreter to click "available" gets the job. Speed of reply says nothing about whether that interpreter fits the Deaf client’s language, the subject matter, or the setting. We select the team first and confirm availability second — matching is the decision, not the tiebreaker.
For the Deaf participant, the interpreter is the channel through which comprehension, participation, and professional presence are mediated. That is why we treat placement as access design, and why we start every request by asking about the Deaf client — their preferences, prior working relationships, and communication style.
Process
Why preparation matters
Interpreting quality is largely determined before the event starts. Agendas, scripts, slides, names, and technical vocabulary let interpreters prepare the way any professional prepares for high-stakes work. When we ask for materials in advance, that is the quote doing its job — building the conditions for accuracy rather than hoping for it.
Practice
Why Deaf interpreters matter
Deaf interpreters are native-level experts in visual language and Deaf communication norms. In linguistically complex settings — legal proceedings, medical contexts, work with people who have experienced language deprivation, International Sign assignments — Deaf-hearing interpreter teams are recognized best practice, not a luxury.
Our founder’s doctoral research examined exactly this: how Deaf interpreters function in courtrooms and what their presence changes. We bring that evidence to team design, and we can help you understand when your setting calls for it.
Global
Why International Sign requires specialized expertise
International Sign is not a universal language — it is a contact form of communication that demands deep multilingual fluency, cultural range, and experience with international Deaf audiences. WFD-WASLI accreditation exists because this work cannot be improvised. Our IS interpreters are accredited and/or AIIC members, and have worked the settings where IS is used: UN agencies, international forums, and global conferences.
Settings
Why conference interpreting differs from community interpreting
Community interpreting — appointments, meetings, day-to-day settings — and conference interpreting are different disciplines. Conferences run at presentation pace with dense prepared content, multiple languages, broadcast feeds, and no room for repair. They require teams, preparation time, booth or platform logistics, and interpreters trained specifically for that pace.
We scope conference and community work differently because they are different disciplines — different team sizes, different preparation timelines, different logistics. Matching the scoping to the setting is what keeps a three-day international event running smoothly.
Standards
Why communication access is more than ADA compliance
The ADA sets a legal floor: provide an interpreter. It does not ask whether the interpreter matched the person, whether they could prepare, or whether the Deaf participant could actually use the access provided. Compliance can be met while communication fails.
We design for the outcome the law intends — full participation. That is what protects your event, your case, and your relationship with Deaf employees, audiences, and clients.
Put This Thinking to Work
Tell us about your event, case, or program. We'll recommend the right team, preparation, and service model — and explain why.