Alabama Sign Language interpreting services celebrates 25 years of business

Founded in 1995 by Frances Smallwood, Deaf Access, Inc. has been serving the North Alabama community for 25 years. The company provides quality Sign Language interpreting services for a variety of settings to include technical, employment, legal, healthcare, education, business and government, to name a few. As a woman-owned small business, Smallwood prides herself on sourcing knowledgeable and experienced interpreters for their clients. 

“Both of my parents were deaf and I saw firsthand the struggles and discrimination we had to face as a family,” says Smallwood, “I grew up surrounded by the deaf community and that influenced my career decision to be an interpreter.” 

After receiving her degree in deaf education, Smallwood moved to Huntsville and started interpreting for the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind and then the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. She then saw firsthand a need for community-based interpretation services. “I had no intention of starting my own business. However, there was a definitive gap in services when it came to the performing arts, employment and other areas; I saw an opportunity to assist companies that needed to provide that service.” says Smallwood.

Deaf Access, Inc. has seen immense growth over the last several years and is the only interpreting services firm in North Alabama qualified to interpret sensitive information, which greatly supports Huntsville’s DoD centric community. For more information, visit www.deafaccessinc.org or contact (256) 489-9606.