Statement of Purpose:
• Providing Qualified Professional Sign Language Interpreters
• Assisting Businesses with ADA (Americans with disabilities Act) compliance
• Resource Referral
Celebrating 14 Years of Excellence!
Lisa Swarmer, Andrea Reeves, and Andrea McFadden
Andrea Reeves Andrea M. Reeves is one of the original business owners who started Sign Language Network Inc. in 1995. Andrea was introduced to sign language as a child due to growing up with two deaf siblings. She interpreted for her brothers in church, cub scouts, boy scouts, and school programs. After moving to Colorado Springs with her family in 1979, she accepted a job at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind where she was a dorm supervisor for eleven years. Her responsibilities involved taking care of up to 17 deaf children at a time within her dorm, planning activities, helping with homework, helping the children get ready for bedtime, and reading books to the children using sign language. During free time from her dorm work, Andrea would often interpret out in the community. She was an interpreter out in the community for 10 years before starting her business with three fellow interpreting professionals. She became nationally certified in 1994 to ensure professionalism and skill level to meet her deaf consumers needs.
Lisa Swarmer Scheduling / Coordinator Lisa comes to sign Language Network with a Para Professional
background, serving children with special needs in public education for over 5
years. She also has scheduling background where she worked for a local Lisa worked with one particular child for several years,
becoming much like an older sister and spending time with her outside of the
school-work day. This child happened to be the daughter of Andrea Reeves owner
of Sign Language Network Inc. Lisa has been taking requests for our agency for several years, and has a great appreciation of effective communication for our community members. Andrea McFadden Accountant Andrea McFadden joined Sign Language Network in the fall of 2007. Prior to working for SLN; she had worked in financial services for both Agilent Technologies and Hewlett Packard, for a combined total of 13 years. When Andrea resigned from Agilent Technologies in 2005, she was a Global Financial Operations Manager, which provided her the opportunity to manage global teams of twenty or more employees and travel abroad.
 Sign Language Network Inc. (SLN) is an RID certified interpreter owned interpreting referral company. Located in beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado, we service large portions of the State. SLN was established in November 1995, when four of us interpreters gathered around a kitchen table to discuss the possibilities. Because the Colorado State School for the Deaf and Blind has been located here since 1874, a large portion of the state’s deaf/hearing impaired population has settled along the Front Range in the Colorado Springs/Denver areas. It was evident to us that there was a growing need for qualified, professional sign language interpreting services. We organized our company to provide those services. We provide interpreting, transliterating, oral, and deaf/blind interpreting in the areas of social services, computer & technical, medical, mental health, theatrical & performing arts, educational (all levels K-12 and post-secondary), judicial, government agencies, religious, private business, conventions, job interviews, training and more. The four original owners were responsible for all aspects of the business. We established a deaf news and ads newsletter full of local events related to the deaf community. We became local affiliates with the Rocky Mountain Disability & Business Technical Assistance Center, assisting businesses with ADA compliance, became members of the Better Business Bureau, and provided sign language classes on a customized basis, taught by deaf instructors. We have expanded our services to Denver, Pueblo, Widefield, Security, Fountain, Alamosa, Woodland Park, Vail, Aspen, Keystone, Peyton, Calhan, Sterling, Bennett, Strausburg, and other Colorado communities.
SLN is well known for it’s involvement with community events, such as local cowboy poetry programs, storytelling festivals, the annual Generation Journey shows in the Pikes Peak Center (proceeds go to charity), the annual Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration shows, and other nationally known performances.
SLN is
proud to provide professional sign language interpreting services to such
a wonderful community of deaf and hearing consumers. I often look back
and remember what it was like growing up in a family of seven children,
two of which were born deaf. I remember as a teenager watching a shadow
interpreted play at Gallaudet University. My father reached over and whispered,
“ You could do that some day”. Growing up with two deaf brothers,
my initial job at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, and my parents'
encouragement have made me the interpreter and business owner that I am
today. Special thanks to Mary Love CI & CT, Joann Huss CI & CT,
and Debra Fenlason IC/TC/ & CI, for their efforts in the establishment
of Sign Language Network Inc.
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