The article deals with the position of sign language interpreting in Austria. Learning Austrian Sign Language and sign language interpreting is for the larger part a question of self study. The consequence thereof is that few people are drawn to this profession, with the exception of those with deaf relatives. Sign language interpreting is mainly limited to crisis situations where hearing and deaf people cannot communicate. This is due to the fact that the deaf do not have the financial means to provide interpreters for all communication situations and the government only provides financial support for interpreting in the aforementioned crisis-situations, which naturally also has an impact on the sign language interpreting job market.