Sign language requests are now first-class in NEO

NEO now supports dedicated request types for sign language interpreting — starting with DGS (German Sign Language / Deutsche Gebärdensprache, often also requested as GSD) and ASL (American Sign Language).

These are real language pairs in the booking flow, not a free-text remark on a spoken job. Project managers and client portals can request the right modality up front, then allocate, confirm, and bill through the same commercial path used for other interpreting work.

Four request types LSPs can sell today

Sign work does not fit one delivery format. Clients ask for different setups depending on urgency, location, and how participants join. NEO covers four operational request types:

  • On-site at the client location — interpreter on premises for an appointment, consultation, or internal meeting.
  • On-site at an external venue — interpreter at a third-party location when the assignment is not at the client’s usual address.
  • Instant video (VRI) — start a video remote session when the need is immediate and a camera channel is available.
  • Scheduled video (VRI) — plan a video session for a fixed date and time, including multi-party meetings.

Phone interpreting and AI Call stay for spoken language work. Sign language needs video or shared physical space — NEO keeps that boundary clear so requests do not land on the wrong channel.

What sits behind the request

  • DGS and ASL as selectable languages with sign-language handling in allocation and policy.
  • Language pairs such as DGS ↔ German or ASL ↔ English, including spoken ↔ sign directions clients actually buy.
  • The same rate hierarchy, claims, and invoicing path as other job types once Sign rates are configured.
  • Portal and wizard booking for the video types, with email create available for on-site and scheduled video where policy allows.
  • NEO Assistant support to clarify DGS versus ASL when a request is ambiguous before the job is created.
  • Request Management visibility so dispatch can see Sign jobs without hunting through notes.

Delivery uses qualified human interpreters on the video and on-site workflows already used in NEO. This is not automated sign detection and not an AI avatar product.

Commercial use cases that matter to buyers

These are the situations language service providers hear every week — and where a dedicated Sign request type reduces back-and-forth:

  • Healthcare and clinics — a Deaf patient and a clinician need DGS ↔ German for an intake, diagnosis discussion, or follow-up. Instant video for same-day needs; scheduled video or on-site when the appointment is planned.
  • Public authorities and social services — case meetings, benefit interviews, and municipal appointments where accessibility is required and the location may be the authority’s office or an external venue.
  • Legal and notarial meetings — consultations and preparatory sessions that need a clear language pair, a confirmed interpreter, and a documented booking trail for the client.
  • Workplace and HR — onboarding, performance conversations, training sessions, and internal town halls where employers need reliable DGS or ASL coverage without rebuilding their portal stack.
  • Customer support and retail operations — branch or contact-center teams that must serve Deaf customers by video when an on-site interpreter cannot arrive in time.
  • International and US-facing work — ASL ↔ English video for corporate, education, or partner meetings when the LSP’s spoken-language catalog alone is not enough.
  • Events and multi-party sessions — scheduled video when several participants join from different sites and the interpreter must be confirmed in advance.

Why this belongs in one operating system

Without dedicated Sign types, teams often park the need in email notes (“Gebärdensprache”, “GSD”, “ASL please”) and hope the right vendor is found later. That creates risk: wrong modality, missing camera expectations, unclear rates, and slow confirmation.

With Sign request types in NEO, the commercial offer is explicit. Clients can ask for what they need. Dispatch allocates against the right skills. Finance uses the same rate and invoice machinery. The LSP can price and deliver DGS and ASL work as a product line — not as an exception.

What to set up next

  1. Confirm DGS and ASL vendors with the correct language pairs.
  2. Configure Sign rates for on-site and video modalities.
  3. Enable the Sign job types on client and branch portals where those clients should book them.
  4. Brief project managers and NEO Assistant users to clarify GSD/DGS versus ASL at intake.

NEO is ready for GSD/DGS and ASL request types today. The commercial value is straightforward: clearer intake, cleaner operations, and a sellable Sign offering inside the same interpreting platform.