There are milestone events in the life of every Deaf or hard of hearing person and his or her family members in which communication is very important between ASL users and non-ASL users. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) does not legislate the provision of interpreters for social and family events such as weddings, family reunions, and baby showers. Recognizing a gap in service, DHCC created the Community Interpreting Program or CIP in 1991.

CIP is for individuals who are members of DHCC. Requests for use by businesses and organizations are not accepted. On-going monthly events or business related meetings are not eligible. Funerals are covered under Title III of the ADA, and family members should make every attempt to have the funeral home pay for and request the interpreter directly. DHCC makes exceptions on a case-by-case basis depending on the circumstances of the funeral.

CIP rates are significantly less than DHCC regular interpreter rates because DHCC interpreters have agreed to accept reduced payment for their CIP services. The reduced fees paid by the consumer do not cover the costs to pay the interpreters and coordinate the service. Therefore, CIP relies on the support of many organizations and individuals who donate to DHCC each year.

CIP Policy
To participate in CIP, you must be a member of DHCC. Please click here for more information about how to become a DHCC member.

  • Individual Members: For $15 per year minimum, you are entitled to three CIP requests with a maximum of five hours per request for the calendar year.
  • Family Membership: For $25 per year minimum, your family is entitled to five CIP requests with a maximum of five hours per request for the calendar year.

CIP Fees
All fees are based on one interpreter. If your CIP event requires additional interpreters, you will be charged the same amount for each additional interpreter. There are no further discounts for additional interpreters. All fees must be paid in full by credit card or another pre-payment method in order to book your interpreter(s). Please call 610-604-0452 Voice/TTY or email ird@dhcc.org for rates.

For a CIP event, you must pay for mileage ($0.505 per mile) over the first 50 miles (round trip) and full cost for tolls, cabs, bus, trains or parking for each interpreter in attendance. Please Note: $0.505 per mile is the current IRS allowable rate and is subject to change without notice.