CSD Paramount Sponsor of the 2005 RID Conference

From: CSD - Jul 5, 2005
____________________________
PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
Release Date: July 5, 2005
Contact: Derric Miller
CSD Communications Office
dsmiller@c-s-d.org

CSD Paramount Sponsor of the 2005 RID Conference

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (June 21, 2005) — CSD has committed to be the top sponsor, the "paramount" sponsor, for the 2005 RID Conference, which will be held in San Antonio, Texas July 10-15.

Expecting upwards of 2,000 attendees this year, the 2005 RID Conference theme is "Bridging Cultures." The conference is the largest gathering of sign language interpreters in the world, and this conference will focus on educational development. At the most recent conference in 2003, over 75 educational opportunities were offered, ranging from five hour concentrated tracks to three hour workshops.

"We understand the need for the highest quality interpreters in the world," said Ben Soukup, CSD chief executive officer. "For those of us who are deaf, interpreters are literally our connection to the hearing world. As the industry evolves, especially with the burgeoning video relay service, there is a growing need for qualified interpreters all across the nation. The RID will ensure that as the interpreting pool grows, they will wield and hone their skills to maintain their certification, so there is no drop-off in overall quality."

"RID is happy that CSD will be the paramount sponsor for the 2005 RID Conference," said Clay Nettles, RID executive director. "As with past conferences and projects, CSD's generous support of RID is greatly appreciated once again. Their commitment to RID and the interpreting profession is obvious and without question. We look forward to continuing our efforts with CSD and hope to make a difference in establishing quality standards for the profession."

To learn more about the conference, go to www.rid.org.

About CSD
CSD (aka Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc.) was established in 1975, primarily to provide sign language interpreting services to deaf and hard of hearing adults in South Dakota. Today, CSD employs over 3,000 individuals in offices across the nation, providing a broad continuum of social and human services programs, as well as telecommunications relay services. CSD is a private nonprofit agency dedicated to providing quality services; ensuring public accessibility; and increasing awareness of issues affecting the deaf, hard of hearing and individuals with speech disabilities. For more information, please visit www.c-s-d.org.

About RID
The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc., (RID) is a national membership organization of professionals who provide sign language interpreting/transliterating services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons. Established in 1964 and incorporated in 1972, RID is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

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