Ontario Interpreting Services (OIS)

• To request sign language interpreting services, click on the link to your area office::  Belleville, Durham, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa(LSQ interpreting available), Peel, Peterborough, Sarnia, Sault Ste. Marie, Simcoe York, Sudbury(LSQ interpreting available), Thunder Bay, Toronto, Waterloo and Windsor.
• Give the OIS staff person the following information:
  • Name and telephone number of consumers
  • Date, time and location of the appointment
  • Purpose of the appointment
  • Number of people present at the appointment
• Services are arranged on a first-come, first-served basis. Emergency services are the exception and take priority.
• Call 2-4 weeks before your appointment. OIS needs as much notice as possible to book a sign language interpreter for you.
• Organizations, businesses, government and service providers, including hospitals, are responsible for the cost of making their service accessible and are charged a fee for service by OIS regardless of who requests the interpreter. This principle is supported by the Ontario Human Rights Code, the 1997 Supreme Court Eldridge decision and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

OIS Rates – Effective April 1st, 2006

Interpreting Rates:

Category A

• Social service transfer payment agencies
• Not-for-profit agencies/organizations with a charitable registration number
• Consumer organizations

Base Rate: A fee of $100 per interpreter is charged for up to two hours of service.  After that, $50 is charged for every hour or part thereof, per interpreter.

Category B

• Hospitals
• School boards, public and private educational institutions
• Government departments, agencies, boards, commissions
• Police services
• Private sector corporations and businesses including banks and insurance companies
• Professional associations and unions

Base Rate: A fee of $110 per interpreter is charged for up to two hours of service.  After that, $55 is charged for every hour or part thereof, per interpreter.

Travel Costs:

Travel time
Whenever possible, local interpreters will be assigned to appointments. However, where travel to and from the interpreter's normal place of residence and an assignment involves a total of more than two (2) hours, travel time will be charged at 50% of the hourly interpreting rate minus the two hours. This is in addition to the mileage claimed for distance travelled.

Mileage

Mileage will be charged at .37 per km, minus the first 50 km (round trip).

Please be advised that mileage costs for OIS After-Hours Emergency Interpreting Service is $0.37 per kilometer and is calculated from the point of departure.  Fees for mileage and/or parking or taxi may be charged.

Additional Travel Costs
Other reasonable travel costs, such as public transportation can be charged when applicable. Meals, accommodation, airfare and other extraordinary charges (i.e. considerable parking costs) will be negotiated at time of booking.

 For further information, contact your local CHS office.

Ontario Interpreting Services: Guidelines for Deaf Interpreters (PDF)

Ontario Interpreting Services: Guidelines for Deaf Interpreters (ASL)

What is the Eldridge Decision?