Where it started
Tanesh shares how she first saw an interpreter at church at 13, sat in front of her every Sunday to mimic her signs, and asked her mom to join the first ASL class.
Press · As seen on Fox 5 Atlanta
Tanesh Foster on the Portia Show
The SOS Agency founder and CEO Tanesh Foster, MA, NIC, joined Portia on Fox 5 Atlanta to talk about American Sign Language, Deaf culture, and communication access in healthcare.
Source: Portia Show / Fox 5 Atlanta. Reproduced with credit to @PortiaTVShow and @PortiaFox5.
With Natalie Green, Blessed Mbongo, and interpreter Kenton Myers.
Watch the full episode
The complete episode, with all of Portia's guests, is available on Fox 5 Atlanta.
Deaf people can do anything. Deafness is not a barrier. It's only a barrier if you don't provide communication.
Tanesh Foster, MA, NIC · Founder and CEO, The SOS Agency
From the interview
Six moments, in Tanesh's words.
Short clips from the episode, each one a piece of the story behind The SOS Agency.
Why I chose ASL
She fell in love with ASL, then with the people, and never looked back. In college she found out interpreting could be a career.
Deafness is not a barrier
Asked how it feels to see young deaf athletes excel, Tanesh puts the responsibility where it belongs: on providing communication.
The full conversation
What can the rest of us do? Provide access and communication. It's not as complex as it seems, and everybody deserves the full conversation.
How hard is ASL to learn?
The question SOS hears all the time. It depends on you: the younger you start, the easier it is, but real proficiency takes time.
ASL in healthcare
Imagine leaving a hospital without understanding your diagnosis or medications. Tanesh explains why ASL interpreters and CART in healthcare are her passion.
About the episode
“Yes, I'm Deaf...And??”
Portia's episode on thriving beyond the sounds of life brought together two deaf athletes and two sign language interpreters to talk about barriers, identity, and how communities can be more inclusive.
About the Portia Show
Hosted by veteran Fox 5 Atlanta anchor and reporter Portia Bruner, Portia is an Atlanta-based lifestyle talk show that premiered on Fox 5 in 2022. It features conversations on faith, family, health, wellness, and social issues, airs in Atlanta, San Francisco/Oakland, and Washington, DC, and streams on the FOX SOUL Network and the FOX LOCAL APP.
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Tanesh Foster, MA, NIC
ASL interpreter and founder and CEO of The SOS Agency in Atlanta.
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Natalie Green
Born with single-sided deafness, a cheer and basketball athlete at Gallaudet University.
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Blessed Mbongo
Deaf basketball player who represented Team USA at the Deaflympics and helped bring home gold.
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Kenton Myers
Multilingual interpreter. The SOS Agency provided the ASL interpreting for the episode, so the conversation was accessible to Deaf viewers as it aired.
Transcript
Tanesh, in her own words
Transcript of Tanesh's answers during the episode, edited lightly for readability.
How did you start learning ASL?
"I started learning American Sign Language when I was 13. My family had just moved to a new church and that church had an interpreter. I had never seen an interpreter before. And I sat every Sunday in front of this woman so that I can try and mimic what she was doing. And finally, they opened up a class and I told my mom that I wanted to join this class. And thankfully, my mom didn't deny me that opportunity because we didn't have anyone that was deaf in our family."
Why does communication access matter to you?
"For me, I have that story that I just fell in love with the language. And then I fell in love with the people and I never looked back. When I went to college, I hadn't declared my major yet. And they gave me the list and I saw sign language interpreting as an option. I didn't even know that interpreting was a field that you can get into."
What do young deaf athletes show us?
"Deaf people can do anything. So deafness is not a barrier. It's only a barrier if you don't provide communication."
What can the rest of us do?
"We can provide access. We can provide communication. It's really not as complex as it may seem. Everybody deserves to be a part of the conversation and to have the full conversation."
How hard is it to learn ASL?
"We get this question all the time. It really depends on you. I know that the younger you are, the easier it is to acquire a language in general, but it does take some time to become proficient."
Why focus on healthcare?
"We want to make sure that people have access to communication. Imagine being in a hospital and not knowing what you're there for or not getting the full understanding of your diagnoses or the medications that you need to take once you're discharged. So that is my passion, making sure that everyone has access to communication. That is providing ASL interpreters and transcription or CART if needed. And we are an agency here in Atlanta and we provide services all over the country as well."
Meet the founder
Tanesh Foster
Tanesh built SOS from the inside of an industry she knew well, and deliberately built its opposite. Interpreter, trainer, and founder, she knows what "done in full" looks like because she's done the work herself.
- assignments coordinated in 2025
- 10,000+
- fill rate
- 98%
- founder experience in the field
- 18+ yrs
- Georgia statewide contract / approved state vendor
- DOAS
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Tanesh speaks on ASL, Deaf culture, communication access in healthcare, and building an accessibility business. Reach out for interviews, panels, and podcasts.
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