Say it in sign language

Vanessa BRANCHEREAU and Amélie PIETRI

Creators of API LsF (Professional Agency for Sign Language Interpreters)

Services for individuals

Developed as a cooperative, Amélie Pietri and Vanessa Branchereau’s API LsF was created to promote the development of French sign language. Operating in the Nantes region, they support people who are deaf or hearing impaired with the various situations of everyday life.

Nantes - Loire Atlantique - France

Services for individuals

Each holding a Master’s degree in the interpretation and translation of French sign language, Pietri and Branchereau practiced independently before becoming business partners. Sharing the same values, they pooled their skills to create the API LsF (a Professional Agency for Interpreters of French Sign Language). For two years, they were supported by Ouvre-Boites 44, a generalist cooperative for business and employment also assisted by France Active in the Pays de la Loire region (FONDES). Last September, they launched their activity as a cooperative.

Generating dialogue

Their service aims to facilitate exchanges between deaf and hearing people in all situations: from medical consultations to administrative and professional procedures such as job interviews, annual reviews and court hearings. Their cooperative also provides assistance for companies with deaf and hearing-impaired employees during group sessions such as training courses and team meetings. Institutions and public authorities also use their services to provide sign language interpretation during public events such as ceremonies, political debates and elections.

By pooling their resources, Pietri and Branchereau have been able to extend their field of activity to the world of arts and culture. For several years, they have worked at the Tissé Métisse, Hip Opsession and Cine Alter’natif festivals in Nantes. They also regularly provide services for theatre companies and during performances.

Priority zone guarantee Aurélie Pantin, Project Manager at FONDES supported the cooperative. "Vanessa and Amélie know how to convey their passion for the job. I immediately got behind their project," she says. The regional association was able to provide a bank loan guarantee, particularly since the API LsF was set up in a priority zone of Nantes. Thanks to Ouvre-Boites 44, they were in contact with the organisers of Nantes’ trade fair for entrepreneurs and were able to use the general opening session to assess demand for sign language translation. "We want to go further by organising more comprehensive services for hearing-impaired and deaf people for the next show ", says Vanessa, who is also proud that the Paris trade fair for entrepreneurs has now also gained in accessibility. Over the past year, the cooperative has been able to prospect new clients after hiring an interpreter, and the creation of an administrative position is slated for 2019-2020. In the future, Pietri and Branchereau plan to join a digital platform that will provide deaf people throughout France with a 24-hour videophone-interpretation service.

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