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Certify Bilingual Sign Language Skills
CDSS Bilingual Assessment
The American Sign Language (ASL) Bilingual Assessment for all employees of the State of California is now being offered by the Department of Rehabilitation, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services section.
The ASL Bilingual Evaluation is an assessment by three panel members (one chair and two panel members which may consist of one or more deaf persons). The assessment is given every six months. Announcements are sent out to various state agencies two months prior to each evaluation.
What the assessment DOES evaluate:
This assessment is used to determine an individual's ability to communicate one-on-one with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing that uses ASL as their primary mode of communication.
What the assessment DOES NOT evaluate:
The assessment does not have the mechanisms to assess one's ability to interpret for a deaf or hearing person to a deaf person. It is merely to assess the ability to communicate one-on-one utilizing ASL.
Candidates that successfully pass the assessment are given "Bilingual Pay" provided they use the language 10% or more of their scheduled work hours. Bilingual pay ranges from $60 - $100 (depending on the bargaining unit).
This assessment is available to all employees of the State of California that profess fluency in American Sign Language.
If you are interested in being assessed for your ASL bilingual skills, please have your Personnel office contact Cindy Woodrum, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services for the ASL Bilingual assessments at (619) 263-7363 or e-mail cwoodrum@dor.ca.gov