Salem, Oregon. – Bridges Oregon is a non-profit organization created by deaf individuals. Bridges Oregon has accepted
the relocation of Sign Language Assessment (RSLA) program from Research and Resource Center with Deaf*
communities (RRCD) at Western Oregon University (WOU) and will be housed at Bridges Oregon.

It will be renamed the National Sign Language Assessment (NSLA).

The NSLA service uses Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI) and is conducted in American Sign Language (ASL)
to assess the individuals’ ASL skills. In 1980, the SLPI:ASL assessment was adapted by Bill Newell and Frank Caccamise
from the Language/Oral Proficiency Interview (L/OPI), an interview technique used for assessing spoken language
communication skills. In October 2019, two national trainers from the National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID), a
college of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), visited WOU to guide and train the team to implement the national
SLPI:ASL service which has now moved to Bridges Oregon.

The service has widespread value to those seeking an external evaluation of their ASL skills. State and federal
employees, law enforcement members and others can use this service to verify their fluency when seeking pay increases,
promotions, or new jobs. Students can use this service when applying for academic programs requiring prerequisite
knowledge of ASL,obtaining an internship, and/or when looking to enter the job market.

The NSLA is an assessment conducted remotely involving a conversation in ASL between an interviewer and a
candidate. The service assesses a person’s skills in using a natural sign language for communication. The assessment
provides an analysis of a person’s sign language vocabulary, production, fluency, grammar and comprehension skills.

The NSLA provides ratings and comprehensive diagnostic feedback, providing candidates a better understanding of their
strengths and areas for improvement to continue to move to a higher rating. The NSLA is listed on the National Seal of
Biliteracy and Oregon State Seal of Biliteracy as an acceptable means of demonstrating proficiency in a language other
than English.

The service is available for use nationwide, including the U.S. territories. For more information, visit
www.bridgesoregon.org/NSLA.

About Bridges Oregon:
Bridges Oregon is a nonprofit for Oregonians who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing or face other communication
barriers. It is in our mission to facilitate equity, inclusiveness and provide a bridge to opportunities through advocacy,
education and communication. Learn more at www.bridgesoregon.org, fb.com/BridgesOregon, or https://www.instagram.com/bridgesoregon/.

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