Question 1

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Every event is different, so we price each one individually and send you a single, clear, all-in number, with no itemized surprises to decode. Tell us about your event on the Request page and we will have a proposal to you, usually the same day.

Question 2

Does working with LAS cover our ADA and access obligations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Providing qualified American Sign Language interpreters is how organizations meet their communication-access responsibilities for Deaf and hard of hearing guests. But with us, that is the floor, not the goal. We design the whole experience so your guests are genuinely part of the moment, not just legally accommodated. Compliance handled, hospitality delivered. For the full picture of what the ADA asks and the credit you can earn, see Access, in Plain Sight. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Question 3

Is there a tax credit for providing ASL access?

Accepted Answer

Often, yes, and most hosts never hear it from a vendor. The federal Disabled Access Credit (IRS Form 8826) lets an eligible small business, generally one with $1 million or less in gross receipts or 30 or fewer full-time employees in the prior year, claim half of eligible access spending between $250 and $10,250, for up to a $5,000 credit per year, and the IRS lists qualified interpreters as an eligible expense. A separate federal deduction covers physical barrier removal. We are not tax advisors, so confirm the details with yours, and we will gladly document your access spend. This is general guidance, not legal or tax advice.

Question 4

Whose responsibility is the access, and who pays for it?

Accepted Answer

Under the ADA, providing effective communication, like qualified interpreters, is the venue or host's responsibility, at no cost to your Deaf or hard of hearing guest. That cost is never passed to the guest. We make meeting it easy, hold it to The LAS Standard, and help you document what you provided. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Question 5

We are having an ASL performer. Do we still need interpreters?

Accepted Answer

Usually yes, and here is the honest reason. An ASL performer is art, and it is unforgettable, but performing and interpreting for access are two different, separately trained crafts. A performance on stage cannot always reach every seat all night, and it does not cover the MC, the other acts, the announcements, or an emergency. So a qualified interpreter stays part of the plan for full access, above all for safety and the moments no one plans for. The standard we are building is to carry the performer on your screens so the art reaches every seat, paired with an interpreter for everything the stage does not carry. We design both so the art and the access each get their due, and we never sell you one as if it were the other.

Question 6

How many interpreters do I need? Do I need a Deaf interpreter?

Accepted Answer

You never have to guess. We prescribe the right team for your event, including how many interpreters and whether a Deaf interpreter belongs in the room, and we explain why. Staffing is our expertise, so you can focus on your event.

Question 7

What is a Deaf interpreter (DI)?

Accepted Answer

A Deaf interpreter is a Deaf professional who works alongside a hearing interpreter for the clearest, most culturally accurate access in certain settings. When your room calls for one, we bring one. It is part of how we make access genuinely felt.

Question 8

How far in advance should I book?

Accepted Answer

The sooner the better, especially for large or specialized events, but we handle short notice too. Reach out anytime and we will tell you honestly what is possible.

Question 9

Do you travel? Where do you serve?

Accepted Answer

Las Vegas is home, and we travel nationwide for the right events. Travel is handled transparently: we show you the options up front, so there are never hidden costs.

Question 10

Can you do virtual or remote events?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Livestreams, webinars, town halls, and hybrid events, with video remote interpreting (VRI) and on-platform video interpreting (VPI), where the interpreter joins your Zoom, Teams, or webinar directly, all held to the same standard as anything on stage. Remote access should never feel like an afterthought, and with us it does not.

Question 11

Do you provide CART or captioning, not just ASL?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We offer CART captioning and inclusive event design alongside interpreting, because many hard of hearing guests rely on captions rather than signing. Often the right answer is both at once, ASL for some guests and captions for others, and we prescribe the mix your room actually needs. Access is bigger than the stage.

Question 12

What about DeafBlind, low-vision, or other access needs at my event?

Accepted Answer

Tell us who will be in the room and we design for it. Access is layered, so a DeafBlind guest, for example, may need close-up or tactile signing rather than a shared feed, and we plan for that specifically. Where a need falls outside what we deliver directly, we will still help you find the right resource. You are never left to figure it out alone.

Question 13

Who handles communication access during an emergency?

Accepted Answer

Emergency and safety information, evacuations, weather holds, security announcements, needs its own reliable access path, and it is never optional. When we design your access, we plan for it deliberately instead of assuming the entertainment setup will carry it. Raise it with us early so no guest is ever left without critical information the moment it matters most.

Question 14

Do you serve medical, legal, school, or workplace settings?

Accepted Answer

Our flagship strength is live events, stage and performance, corporate, and conferences, in Las Vegas and nationwide. Tell us your setting and we will point you to your rights and, where we can serve, provide the interpreters. Some settings, like medical and legal, carry specialized requirements, and we match them honestly rather than overpromising. If it falls outside what we cover, we will still help you find the right resource.

Question 15

We run a venue or festival. How do we make room for Deaf performers?

Accepted Answer

We would love to imagine it with you. Making room for a Deaf performer is a creative and cultural choice, separate from your access planning, and we can help you think through both, so the art and the access each get their due. Tell us about your stage and what you are dreaming up. This is a conversation we care about deeply, never a hard sell.

Question 16

What makes LAS different from other agencies?

Accepted Answer

We are Deaf-led and CODA-founded, and we treat access as five-star hospitality rather than a box to check. We do not dispatch a stranger from a database. We bring a prepared, Deaf-informed team who treats your guests like guests. Your audience feels the difference.

Question 17

What is The LAS Standard?

Accepted Answer

The LAS Standard is our promise for every event: the right team prescribed for your room and not guessed, prepped against your run of show, Deaf-informed and Deaf-led, fully insured, and a real welcome for your guests. It is how we make sure access is not just present, but felt. Compliance handled, hospitality delivered, held to The LAS Standard.

Question 18

How do we get started?

Accepted Answer

Tell us about your event on the Request page: the date, the space, and your audience. We will confirm availability and send one clear, all-in proposal, usually the same day. A real person reads every request.

Question 19

I am Deaf or hard of hearing. Can I request interpreters for an event I want to attend?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is your right. You do not have to wait and hope a venue thought of you. Copy the message above, send it to the event host or venue, and add us to the CC line. We take it from there and make the access happen.

Question 20

Who pays for the interpreters?

Accepted Answer

Not you. Under the ADA, the venue or event host is responsible for providing effective communication access at no cost to you. You are allowed to ask, and they are required to respond. We help them arrange it the right way.

Question 21

What are my rights under the ADA?

Accepted Answer

Places open to the public, including theaters, casinos, arenas, conferences, hotels, and clinics, must provide auxiliary aids and services such as qualified sign language interpreters so Deaf and hard of hearing people have equal access, at no charge to you. Asking is not a favor you are requesting. It is access you are entitled to.

Question 22

Is an ASL performer on stage the same as having an interpreter?

Accepted Answer

Not quite, and knowing the difference is your power. An ASL performer signs as art, facing the crowd and moving with the show. It is beautiful, it belongs, and we want that art to thrive. But performing and interpreting for access are two different, separately trained crafts. A performance on stage lives in one place, so it cannot always carry every word to every seat all night, and it is not designed to cover the MC, the other acts, the announcements, or an emergency. Your access is a qualified interpreter you can see clearly for everything that is said, start to finish, at no cost to you, and always ready for the moments that matter most. The future we are building is the performance carried on the venue's screens so it reaches every seat, and even then a qualified interpreter stays part of the plan for everything the stage does not carry. So enjoy the performance, and know you can still ask for the interpreter. Both belong in the same room.

Question 23

The venue says they cannot find anyone, or that it is too late.

Accepted Answer

That is exactly where we come in. Send them our email and CC us. We are a ready, Deaf-led team who can step in professionally, even on short notice. You should never have to go without access because someone waited too long.

Question 24

Can I ask for Lagundo ASL Services by name?

Accepted Answer

Please do. You can name us directly in your request. Deaf-led, culturally rooted, and here for our community first. Naming us makes it easy for the host to say yes and get it right.

Question 25

What if I need access at work, school, or a medical appointment?

Accepted Answer

Reach out and tell us the setting. We will point you to your rights and, where we can serve, provide the interpreters. If it falls outside what we cover, we will still help you find the right resource. You are never on your own with this.

Question 26

Do I have to bring my own interpreter?

Accepted Answer

No. Providing a qualified interpreter is the venue or organization's responsibility, not yours. You are never expected to bring your own, and you are never charged for the access you need to take part.

Question 27

Can a family member or my child interpret for me?

Accepted Answer

You should not have to rely on family, friends, or your own child to interpret. You deserve a qualified professional who signs accurately and keeps your private moments private. Ask for a qualified interpreter, and you can name us to make it easy.

Question 28

Can they charge me extra for the interpreter?

Accepted Answer

No. The cost of access belongs to the organization, never added to your bill or your ticket. If someone tries to pass that cost to you, that is not how access is supposed to work.

Question 29

How early should I ask for an interpreter?

Accepted Answer

As early as you can. A little lead time makes everything smoother. Late is still worth asking, and we handle short notice too. The important thing is that the request is yours to make, so make it.

Question 30

What does “effective communication” actually mean?

Accepted Answer

It is a simple idea with a real backbone: communication with you should be just as clear and understandable as it is for a hearing person, and making that happen is the venue or organization's job, not yours. It is not about doing the bare minimum so you can technically follow along. It is about you receiving the same information, and being able to respond, as easily as everyone else in the room. That is the standard we hold every event to.

Question 31

Do I get a say in how my access is provided?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your own preference is meant to carry real weight in how access is arranged, because no single tool fits everyone and only you know what actually works for you. If ASL is your language, an interpreter is your access, and captions alone are not the same thing. Sometimes the right answer is more than one tool at once. Tell us what works for you, and we build around it.

Question 32

Is video remote interpreting (VRI) the same as having an interpreter there in person?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes VRI is exactly right, and sometimes it is not. It depends on a strong connection, a good screen, and clear sightlines, and many settings really call for an interpreter in the room. The important part is that remote video should not just be handed to you by default; your preference is meant to matter. We help decide honestly, event by event, so the access is real and not just technically present.

Question 33

What if the venue says it is too expensive, or that access is not required?

Accepted Answer

You do not have to accept that at the door. Cost is generally measured against what the whole organization can do, not one department's budget or one event's petty cash, and there is no fixed price that automatically makes access too expensive. Cost or inconvenience by itself is not a valid reason to say no. You are not being difficult by asking. You are asking for something you are entitled to, and we can step in and make it easy for them to say yes.

Question 34

They already have captions or an assistive listening system. Can I still ask for an interpreter?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Those are useful tools, and they are welcome, but they are not automatically the same as an interpreter. An assistive listening system meets a separate, equipment-based requirement, and scrolling captions do not follow ASL grammar, so if ASL is your language they may not give you equal access on their own. What is effective for you is what counts. You can still ask for a qualified interpreter, and you can name us.

Question 35

Can they make me prove I am Deaf or hard of hearing before providing access?

Accepted Answer

You should not have to jump through hoops to be understood. A request for access does not need special legal wording, a doctor's note, or a pile of paperwork to be taken seriously. Asking is enough to start the conversation. If anyone demands excessive proof before helping you, that is not how access is meant to work, and you can loop us in.

Question 36

Where else can I turn to learn my rights?

Accepted Answer

You are not alone in this. Beyond us, the ADA National Network offers free, plain-language information about your rights and can be reached at 800-949-4232. We are always glad to help you think through a specific event too. Reach out anytime. Knowing your access is the first step to using it.

Question 37

How do I join your network?

Accepted Answer

Tell us about yourself on the Join page. We work with qualified interpreters and Deaf interpreters who prepare like professionals, show up present, and care about the whole guest experience. Deaf interpreters especially welcome.

Question 38

Are these paid opportunities?

Accepted Answer

Paid, always. We contract interpreters and we respect your value. Rates are discussed per contract, never dictated to you.

Question 39

Do I need to be certified to join?

Accepted Answer

Certification is valued, but it is not the only thing we look at. Our roster includes NIC, BEI, and EIPA certified interpreters and Deaf interpreters, and experience, skill, and cultural alignment matter just as much.

Question 40

Are freelance interpreters welcome?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We contract, we do not employ, so freelance interpreters are welcome to work with us while keeping their independence.

Question 41

Do you offer mentorship?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Mentorship is a huge part of what we are building. We believe in growing interpreters, not gatekeeping them. Reach out, tell us what you are looking for, and we will connect you with the right people.

Question 42

Are novice interpreters welcome?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Everyone deserves a seat at the table, especially those who are still growing. We build interpreters up, not out. Support over surveillance.

Question 43

How are interpreters matched to jobs?

Accepted Answer

By skill set, specialization, and the specific needs of each event and each Deaf guest. The right match is the whole point, so we staff with intention, never at random.

Question 44

What kind of work is it?

Accepted Answer

The rooms that matter: live events and festivals, stage and performance, corporate and conferences, and more. If you love the craft and the moment, this is the work you have been looking for.

Question 45

What does “As Should Be” mean?

Accepted Answer

“As Should Be” is our creed, shared with Sesmedia, the Deaf-led company whose family we are part of, born alongside both companies and carried into everything we do. It holds that Deaf artistry belongs in the spotlight, beside every other artist, never off to the side. Access is where we begin, so no Deaf or hard of hearing guest is ever watching from the edge, and from there we reach toward shared stages where Deaf performers are part of the main event. When a venue makes room for a Deaf performer in the light, the whole room feels bigger. This is what we mean when we say accessibility is art.

Question 46

Who is LVGUNDO?

Accepted Answer

LVGUNDO is our founder's stage name as an ASL performing artist. It is the name he carries onto the stage when the signing is the performance itself, side by side with the artist, rather than interpreting from the wings. You can see it in our Gallery, where each clip is labeled honestly as either an ASL performance or ASL interpreting, and you can follow along at @lvgundo.

Question 47

What is Sesmedia, and how is it connected to LAS?

Accepted Answer

Sesmedia Enterprises turns ideas into lasting ventures, built from Deaf culture outward. It is a Deaf-led company, founded by Eduardo Sesma, that builds the systems, structure, and craft that let a good idea grow into something that endures. Sesmedia is a family of ventures built over many years, and Lagundo ASL Services is one of them. The family shares one creed, “As Should Be”. Sesmedia is the studio behind much of the technology you experience with LAS. You can see their world at sesmediaenterprises.com.

Question 48

What is a CODA?

Accepted Answer

CODA means Child of Deaf Adults, someone raised by one or more Deaf parents, with ASL often as a first language and Deaf culture as home. Our founder, Lagundo, is a CODA. He was raised in Deaf culture, not just around it, which is why access here comes from lived experience rather than a training manual.

Question 49

What is the difference between capital-D “Deaf” and lowercase “deaf”?

Accepted Answer

Lowercase deaf usually describes the audiological fact of not hearing. Capital-D Deaf describes a cultural and linguistic identity: people who share American Sign Language, history, values, and community. Many people write it as “d/Deaf” to honor both. It is always kind to follow a person's own lead on how they identify.

Question 50

What does “hard of hearing” mean, and why do you say “Deaf and hard of hearing”?

Accepted Answer

Hard of hearing describes people with some hearing loss who may or may not use ASL, and many rely on captions rather than signing. We say “Deaf and hard of hearing” because access is not one-size-fits-all: the same event can need ASL interpreting for some guests and captioning for others, at the same time. Saying both names keeps everyone in the room, not just the guests we thought of first.

Question 51

What is DeafBlind?

Accepted Answer

DeafBlind describes people who have both hearing and vision loss, in varying degrees. Access often looks different here, sometimes close-up or tactile signing, sometimes another individualized accommodation, and a distant interpreter or a screen usually will not work. If a DeafBlind guest is part of your event, tell us early and we will help design for it, because access is layered and one solution does not cover every need.

Question 52

What is American Sign Language, and is it universal?

Accepted Answer

American Sign Language is a complete, natural language with its own grammar, word order, and culture, used across the United States and much of Canada. It is not universal. Other countries have their own signed languages, such as British Sign Language or Mexican Sign Language, and they are genuinely different languages. ASL is also not tied to English.

Question 53

Is ASL just English on the hands?

Accepted Answer

No. ASL is its own language with its own grammar and structure, not a signed spelling-out of English. Meaning lives in handshape, movement, space, facial expression, and timing all at once, which is part of why skilled interpreting reads as fluent rather than word for word. Signing an English sentence sign by sign is a different thing entirely, and it is not ASL.

Question 54

What does “qualified interpreter” mean, and why do you say qualified instead of certified?

Accepted Answer

A qualified interpreter is one who can interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively and expressively, using the vocabulary the setting requires. Certification is one valuable signal of skill, and much of our network is certified, but it is not the whole picture: experience, cultural fluency, and the right fit for the room matter just as much. Qualified is the real standard, which is why we lead with it.

Question 55

How do I get a Deaf person's attention, and what are a few basics of Deaf etiquette?

Accepted Answer

A light wave in their line of sight, a gentle tap on the shoulder, or flicking a light on and off are all normal and welcome ways to get attention. Keep your face visible, do not cover your mouth, and make eye contact rather than looking at the interpreter when you are speaking to a Deaf person. When an interpreter is present, speak directly to the guest, as in “What would you like?”, not “Ask her what she wants.” If you want to learn more, our community ASL classes are a warm place to start.

Question 56

Is the LAS website itself accessible?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and we hold ourselves to the same standard we ask of others. Our website and app are built to meet WCAG 2.2 AA, with full keyboard operation, screen reader and braille support, strong contrast, scalable text, reduced-motion support, and forms that guide you. If anything is ever hard to use, we want to hear about it so we can fix it.

Question 57

What are “auxiliary aids and services”?

Accepted Answer

It is the phrase for the tools that make communication work, and qualified sign language interpreters, including Deaf interpreters, are one of them, along with captioning and other supports. You do not need to memorize the term. Just know that when you ask for an interpreter, you are asking for something the law already names and expects the organization to provide, at no cost to you.

Question 58

What is “program access,” and why does it mean the whole experience?

Accepted Answer

Access is judged by the whole experience, not one piece of it. A building can have every ramp and every accessible door and still leave you out if you cannot actually follow what is being said. That is why we never treat communication as an add-on. Getting in the door, understanding the moment, and being able to take part are all part of the same thing, and all of them should be ready for you.

Question 59

What is the difference between “compliance” and real access?

Accepted Answer

Compliance is meeting the legal floor. Real access is you walking in and finding the room already ready for you, and leaving glad you came. The law is the starting line, not the finish. Plenty of places are technically compliant and still forget the person. We are Deaf-led, so we build for the felt experience, not the checkbox. Accessibility is not an afterthought. It is hospitality.

Good questions. Honest answers.

Deaf or hard of hearing? Know your access.

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