American Sign Language Consulting
by Janna Sweenie and David Boles
ASL Fluency Evaluation
Whether you need to verify interpreter credentials, assess student proficiency for academic placement, or document language competency for employment purposes, we provide rigorous ASL fluency evaluations recognized by institutions nationwide. We conduct evaluations in person throughout the New York metropolitan area or via video conference anywhere in the world using FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom. Institutional rates are available for universities, hospitals, courts, and corporations requiring ongoing evaluation services. Individual rates apply for personal certification needs.
Program Design and Curriculum Development
We build ASL programs from the ground up. Our curriculum development work spans K-12 schools seeking to add ASL as a world language option, colleges and universities establishing new degree tracks, corporate training departments implementing accessibility initiatives, and healthcare systems preparing staff for Deaf patient communication. We have designed courses adopted by institutions across the country, including the ASL Level 5 curriculum currently taught at New York University. Our methodology, refined across seven decades of combined teaching experience, emphasizes facial expression and visual grammar as the foundation of true ASL fluency rather than the word-for-word transliteration that plagues so many programs.
Consulting Services
Beyond evaluation and curriculum, we consult on interpreter ethics and mediation, accessibility compliance for live events and media productions, Deaf Culture sensitivity training for organizations, and the integration of ASL into theatrical and musical performances through our work with the ASL Opera project. We have advised opera companies, theater productions, and broadcast media on effective visual language interpretation that honors both the source material and the Deaf audience.
Who We Are
Janna Sweenie has taught American Sign Language for over fifty years. For more than four decades, she has served on the faculty at New York University, where she created the ASL Level 5 course. Her teaching credits include The Juilliard School, The College of New Rochelle, LaGuardia Community College, Montclair State University, Catholic Charities, and the New York Society for the Deaf. She is the author of seven books on American Sign Language and serves as lead interpreter for the international ASL Opera project, bringing signed performance to opera houses worldwide.
David Boles holds an MFA from Columbia University and has taught American Sign Language for over thirty years. He founded the ASL program of study at the CUNY Graduate Center and created SOSasl.com, the first online emergency communication portal designed for first responders working with Deaf individuals. He has written more than fifty books, including ten volumes on ASL and Deaf Culture social dynamics. David founded the ASL Opera interpreting project and hosts the Human Meme podcast, which has explored topics including Martha's Vineyard Sign Language history and the question of ASL as a linguistic system.
Get in Touch
We welcome inquiries from institutions and individuals seeking to deepen their engagement with American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. Whether you need a single evaluation, a complete curriculum overhaul, or ongoing consulting support, we are prepared to help.
Email: David@HardcoreASL.com
Phone: (212) 982-7700