As used in this subchapter:
-
(1) “Cued speech” means the system of handshapes that represent groups of consonant sounds and hand placements that represent groups of vowel sounds that is used with natural speech to represent a visual model of spoken language;
-
(2) “Deaf individual” means an individual who has a documented hearing loss so severe that the individual is unable to process speech and language through hearing, with or without amplification;
-
(3) “Deaf interpreter” means a deaf individual who facilitates communication between another deaf person and a licensed qualified interpreter or between two (2) or more deaf persons;
-
(4) “Deafblind individual” means an individual who has a combined loss of vision and hearing that prevents the individual’s vision or hearing from being used as a primary source for accessing information;
-
(5) “Hard of hearing individual” means an individual who has a hearing loss, may primarily use visual communication, and may use assistive devices;
-
(6) “Interpret” means to provide language equivalency between a hearing individual and an individual who is deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or oral deaf using techniques that include without limitation:
-
(A) American Sign Language;
-
(B) English-based sign language;
-
(C) Cued speech; and
-
(D) Oral interpreting;
-
-
(7) “Interpreting agency” means an entity that provides qualified interpreter services for a fee;
-
(8) “Licensed provisional interpreter” means an individual who is deaf, licensed under this subchapter;
-
(9) “Licensed qualified interpreter” means an individual licensed under this subchapter;
-
(10) “Oral deaf individual” means an individual whose sense of hearing is nonfunctional for the purpose of communication and whose primary method of communication is speech reading and spoken English; and
-
(11) “Oral interpreting” means the use of oral transliteration with special techniques to make the English language visible for persons who communicate as speech readers.