Jewish Deaf Business
by Karen Rothschild
Sloatsburg, N.Y.
David Birnbaum
Birnbaum Interpreting Services 8885 16th Street, Suite 300 Silver Spring, MD 20910
E-MAIL: BIS@clark.net FAX:301/565-0366 TTY/VOICE: 301/587-8885
1) Q: Tell me how you decided to start this business called "Birnbaum Interpreting Service," an interpreter referral agency and why you decided to go for it?
Answer:
Owning a sign language company was not planned and it came as a
surprise. Before "Birnbaum Interpreting Services" (BIS) was established, I,
David Birnbaum, a Deaf business owner, was operating a courier service called "Union
Express" and a flower and balloon decorating company called "Balloons for You
and Flowers, Too!" I had a contract for courier services with National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, a federal government agency. The contract officer was also was
in charge of interpreting services and tried to persuade me for years to respond to the
interpreting proposal. I finally decided to do it after three years and we won. The staff
and I were all stunned! It was the biggest contract we ever had and as soon as we started
to provide interpreting services, we marketed for more proposals and the business boomed.
We are currently providing 6500 hours of interpreting a month and we now have a new
service called Video Remote Interpreting" (VRI) which utilizes interpreters working
as relay operators with the Deaf person who uses a video camera on a computer which are
hooked up to a regular telephone line. VRI allows the Deaf to communicate via ASL instead
of using a TTY. Instead of using a TTY to type with a TTY Relay Service, Deaf people can
use VRI to communicate via ASL. This is useful for many Deaf people who cannot use a TTY,
so that they can do a direct visual chat.
2) Q: How long have you been in this business?
Answer:
We have been in business for three years. Last year and this year we
won in the Maryland's 50 Maryland fastest growing business. This year we are one of the
500 fastest growing businesses in the USA.
3) Q: What is your key accomplishment in this business?
Answer:
Our key accomplishments are networking, exhibiting at conferences,
presentations, appearances, and donations at deaf social events which all the staff enjoys
at BIS. I also want to mention that we have 60 employees of whom ten are Deaf. I think the
hiring of the Deaf employees has helped to increase business volume. I am one of the board
members for the Maryland School for the Deaf in
4) Q: What was your most embarrassing or funniest experience in this business?
Answer:
The funniest experience BIS had was when we made a video call to a friend and
the husband and wife were in their pajamas!
5) Q: What is your present and future goals?
Answer:
Presently, we are working hard to promote VRI and also as direct visual ASL
chat with Deaf people. This technology is new and is growing. We are focusing on seeking
contracts for VRI and the software called "Vision Link" (VL) which enables the
Deaf to see each other over regular telephone lines and have access to VRI. BIS is not
limited to VL and has at our offices various communication technology such as the
"C-Phone, "Picture-Tel", "Vitatel" using regular telephone line,
ISDN or cable lines for VRI and direct visual ASL chat. We hope to change from TTY Relay
to Video Relay Services.
6) Q: Tell me about your being Deaf, schools attended, etc.
Answer:
I was raised in a mainstreaming school and went to Public School
47 for the Deaf, both in New York City for a while. I graduated from Gallaudet University
in 1977 while working full time at the Census Bureau as a computer pro grammar. I pursued
my master's degree at John's Hopkins University and accepted a job at IBM in Maryland. I
have always dreamed of having my own business.
7) Q: Tell me about your Jewish upbringing and your family?
Answer:
I was born in the lower east side in Manhattan. We move to Queens
and I graduated from a public school to Queens. At home, we kept kosher and attended
service at the temple as well as celebrated all Jewish holiday with my family. The high
school I graduated from had 99 percent Jewish students. My wife and I visit my family to
New York to celebrate the holidays.