About Us
Andrea Reeves
President/Owner
Retired RID Certified CI - 1994 - CT - 1997
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.
Vanessa Emmons
Bookkeeping
Vanessa is a 4th generation born and raised South African. She started working in banking at the age of 18 and worked at the same bank in South Africa until she started to travel at the age of 24. Banking was her background and she help numerous different position within the bank, from teller to Supervisor and Assistant Manager.
She backpacked for over 2 years during which time she met and married her husband. She moved to the United States and lived in Colorado Springs for nearly 18 years. In 2015 she moved to Oregon and has been working remotely for us since then.
Vanessa started working for us in February of 2011 and is responsible accounting, bookkeeping, and answering phones. She is resourceful, and her attention to detail is amazing.
Diana Lynn
Diana is a native of Colorado Springs. She retired from The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind as a teacher of the deaf. Diana has worked part time as the SLN Coordinator since 2005.
Interests include: languages & cultures, her family, travel, community activism, cognition & learning strategies, home remodeling and reading. She has been a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer for many years.
Blue Emmons
Bookkeeping
Blue works part time at Sign Language Network as a billing assistant. She also works part time with her family business Blue Willow Enterprises. She volunteers at the local Human Society which is where she adopted her cat named Markus, who is 2 years old.
Blue is an Honors student at Connection Academy in Oregon. She enjoys the versatility and the ability to get better grades while being home schooled. She enjoys spending time with family and friends. She also enjoys Photography, and plans to continue studying photography beyond high school.
Carrie Myers
Carrie grew up in NE Ohio and has lived in Colorado Springs for eight years. She has worked with the I/DD population for 10 years. Carrie is excited to join the Sign Language Network and help serve a new population. On her time off Carrie enjoys going to the dog park with her dog Penelope.
About Sign Language Network
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 t he 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.