DHIS

What DHIS does

DHIS (Deaf and Hard of Hearing Interpreting Services, Inc.) is a New York City-based professional interpreting agency founded in 1996 by Joshua Finkle and Irma Azrelyant. The company provides sign language interpretation services to deaf and hard of hearing individuals and the institutions that serve them across the NYC and Tri-State area. Its core service portfolio includes on-site interpretation, Video Remote Interpretation (VRI), platform-based delivery via FaceTime and Zoom, and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) real-time captioning. Specialized domain lines cover legal, medical, vocational training, conference/event, business/corporate, educational, theatrical, musical, government, and religious settings, supplemented by foreign sign language coverage across Mexican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Ukrainian/Russian, Hebrew/Israeli/Arabic, and International variants.

The business operates on a fee-for-service, professional services model with quote-based, pay-as-you-go pricing. Services are sold through direct sales motions targeting enterprise and institutional buyers (healthcare facilities, courts, schools, corporate clients, government agencies, event organizers) and are delivered on-site at customer locations or remotely via internet-based video. Distribution runs 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The technology layer is light: standard video conferencing platforms serve as delivery channels rather than a proprietary platform, and the agency's primary assets are its network of certified interpreters and its longstanding community reputation.

DHIS is a privately held, founder-controlled entity with 1-10 employees, no disclosed institutional investment, no parent company, and no recorded M&A or funding activity. Customer logos are not disclosed; revenue mix is spread across healthcare, legal, educational, corporate, government, religious, vocational, and conference verticals. The operating footprint is regional (NYC and Tri-State), with remote VRI providing a partial reach extension beyond physical proximity.

Name

DHIS

Legal name

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Interpreting Services, Inc.

Website

https://dhisnyc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DHIS is a New York City-based sign language interpreting agency founded in 1996 that provides on-site, video remote, and CART captioning services to healthcare, legal, educational, corporate, and government clients across the NYC and Tri-State area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sign Language Interpretation Services

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (541930)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interpretation, Translation & Language Access Training (Community Interpreting) (EDAAADAJ)

Keywords

• Sign language interpretation
• Deaf interpreting services
• Video remote interpretation
• CART captioning services
• Accessibility interpretation services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Professional Interpreting Services: Fee-for-service professional interpreting services delivered on-site or remotely. Services span multiple domains including medical, legal, educational, corporate, conference, theatrical, and vocational training settings. Revenue is generated per interpretation session or engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

DHIS is a professional sign language interpreting agency that delivers on-site and remote Video Remote Interpretation (VRI) services to bridge communication between deaf and hearing individuals across healthcare, legal, educational, corporate, governmental, and conference settings in the New York City and Tri-State area. The agency also provides CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) real-time captioning and specialized foreign sign language interpretation across Mexican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Ukraine/Russian, Hebrew/Israeli/Arabic, and International sign languages. Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with delivery options including on-site presence, internet-based remote sessions, and FaceTime/Zoom-compatible platforms.

Product overview

DHIS (Deaf and Hard of Hearing Interpreting Services), Inc. is a professional interpreting agency providing services in the New York City and Tri-State area. The company operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product portfolio centers on Sign Language Interpretation services (including on-site, video remote, FaceTime, and Zoom-based delivery) supplemented by CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) real-time captioning services. Specialized domain services include Legal, Medical, Vocational Training, Conference, Business/Corporate, and Educational interpreting, along with Foreign Sign Language services covering multiple international sign languages. Additional specialized interpreting covers theatrical, musical, government, and religious contexts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sign Language Interpretation Professional sign language interpretation services delivered on-site, via Video Remote Interpretation (VRI), and through remote sessions on FaceTime and Zoom platforms, serving deaf and hard of hearing individuals across healthcare, legal, educational, corporate, and government settings.
• CART Services (Communication Access Realtime Translation) Real-time captioning services that provide immediate translation of spoken language into text for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
• Foreign Sign Language Services Specialized interpreting services covering multiple foreign sign languages including Mexican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Ukraine/Russian, Hebrew/Israeli/Arabic, and International sign languages.
• Legal Interpreting Facilitating accurate and unbiased communication between individuals who speak and sign different languages within legal contexts and proceedings, including court proceedings, legal consultations, depositions, and attorney-client meetings.
• Medical Interpreting Healthcare-focused interpreting services that bridge language barriers between healthcare providers and deaf patients to ensure effective communication of diagnoses, treatments, and medical information.
• Vocational Training Interpreting Interpreting services for vocational training programs that help deaf individuals understand and engage in skill-building activities.
• Conference Interpreting Real-time sign interpretation services for conferences, meetings, and events with highly skilled interpreters ensuring seamless language transitions.
• Business / Corporate Interpreting Specialized interpreting services facilitating effective communication in corporate settings including meetings, negotiations, and conferences.
• Educational Sign Language Interpreting Support services for deaf or hard of hearing students with qualified interpreters rendering spoken language and educational content into sign language.
• Additional Interpreting Services Additional interpreting services covering theatrical, musical, government, and religious settings.

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Sorenson Communications: Major provider of video relay services (VRS), VRI, and on-site ASL interpreting in the U.S. Overlaps with DHIS on VRI for deaf and hard of hearing clients, particularly in healthcare and business settings.
• LanguageLine Solutions: Largest U.S. interpretation and translation provider, offering over-the-phone, video remote, and on-site interpretation in 200+ languages including ASL. Directly competes with DHIS in VRI and on-site interpretation, especially in healthcare and legal.
• Certified Languages International: National interpretation services provider offering telephone and video interpretation across multiple languages. Overlaps with DHIS in remote interpretation services for healthcare and government.
• AMN Healthcare (Stratus Video / Language Services): Parent of Stratus Video and CyraCom, providing video remote interpretation including ASL services to healthcare systems. Direct overlap with DHIS in healthcare interpreting.

Direct peers

• Purple Communications: Direct competitor in VRS, VRI, and on-site ASL interpreting services, serving deaf and hard of hearing consumers and enterprise customers across the U.S. Comparable service mix in the sign language interpreting market.
• Hands On Communication Services: Sign language interpreting agency serving the New York metro area with similar verticals (healthcare, legal, education). Same geographic footprint and customer mix as DHIS.
• ASL Services Holdings: Specialized ASL interpreting agency providing on-site and remote sign language services across healthcare, legal, and education. Closest direct peer to DHIS in service scope and vertical focus.
• InDemand Interpreting: Healthcare-focused VRI provider offering ASL interpreting to hospitals and health systems. Comparable to DHIS in medical interpreter delivery model and target customer base.
• Sign Language Center: Regional ASL interpreting agency offering on-site and VRI services in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Directly comparable to DHIS in service mix and small-agency operational model.

Others

• Gallaudet University (Interpreting Services): Premier deaf university whose interpreters and training pipeline feed DHIS's talent pool. Indirectly comparable as a training and credentialing ecosystem that supplies the certified interpreters DHIS depends on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DHISNYC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DHIS