Working with a BSL Interpreter

If you’ve never worked with a BSL interpreter before my aim, on this page, is to give you some top tips for communication between hearing and Deaf people.

BSL is a rich, expressive language and Deaf people are valuable members of our community. With a bit of confidence and practice working with interpreters, I hope that you will find communicating with Deaf people is not scary or stressful. 

The term ‘deafness’ covers a wide range of hearing loss and experiences.  Not every Deaf person can lip read, or sign, or hear certain frequencies and noises.  Every person brings their own personality and previous experiences into the situation when they are communicating with someone else. 

If you are asked to book a British Sign Language interpreter (BSL interpreter) it will be for a Deaf person who uses sign language as their preferred language.  Remember not all deaf people use sign language so not all deaf people will request an interpreter, but many will and they have a legal right to access information in British Sign Language (BSL).  [The British government recognised BSL as a language in 2003 and BSL users must not be discriminated against under the Equalities Act 2010.]

Top tips for hearing people :

1.         Do not expect the Deaf person to bring a family member or friend.  They are not qualified interpreters and won’t be insured, be following a code of conduct, be impartial or be expected to hold confidentiality.  The Deaf person will not have any independence or privacy, and you may not know the extent of the relationship with the person they have brought with them (or has chosen to accompany them).  A minor will be expected to be accompanied by a trusted adult of their choice.

2.         If the Deaf person chooses to bring someone with them you should still speak to the person that the meeting is with. 

3.         The interpreter is trained to help manage the communication for the best outcome for everyone.  They can assist you with seating or where to stand. We are all learning to use remote platforms now and in our role we can also assist with recommending how remote meetings can be optimal for all involved. Remember the Deaf person will need to clearly see the interpreter and the person speaking to them the most, whether this be in a face to face meeting or via a remote platform.  If possible, allow a few minutes before the meeting to get everyone settled. 

4.         The interpreter will remain impartial throughout the meeting.  Do not ask them to ‘tell so and so …’ .  You should be addressing the person directly; the interpreter is not there as a helper or as a carer.

5.         Speak at your usual pace, there is no need to shout or speak slowly.  Do not talk over another person, the interpreter only has one pair of hands and cannot follow more than one person speaking at a time. 

6.         The interpreter will only interrupt the meeting for clarity or to rectify a misunderstanding in the interpretation.

7.         Do not ask the interpreter to ‘not interpret’ something said in the meeting. If a hearing person can access the information in the meeting then the interpreter will relay it. 

8.         There may not be a direct and corresponding word/sign. Interpreters have trained for years to be able to accurately put across the meaning and context of the information needing to be relayed and will be making continual judgements as to the sign or words best fitting the situation. 

9.         If the meeting is expected to have a lot of jargon, please brief the interpreter beforehand or book someone who specialises in that area.

10.     The Deaf person cannot read notes, take notes or look at Powerpoint projections and the interpreter at the same time.  Allow time for the information to be read or written down before talking again. 

11.     Interpreters are human, we can and do become tired. Whether in a face to face meeting or using a remote platform, please allow for a break every 30 minutes or so. If the meeting is over two hours or particularly complex, please consider that the interpreter may need a co-worker to be able to maintain accuracy and not to become fatigued.

12. As all humans do, interpreters make mistakes.   If we know we have made a mistake we will interrupt the meeting (usually something along the lines of ‘I have made an interpreting error ….’ ) and will try and rectify the problem immediately.  

13.     We are not invisible and are aware of our impact on the meeting.  We are there in order to achieve the best outcome for everyone.  Hopefully, you will find sign language as fascinating as we do, but try not to watch us too much in the meeting- you are there to communicate with the Deaf person.

How to book a qualified interpreter

In order to be able to provide the best experience it is recommended that you book a qualified sign language interpreter.  All qualified sign language interpreters in the UK  are regulated by NRCPD (National Register of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind people).  NRCPD maintains professional standards, a code of conduct and ethics, check our qualifications, make sure interpreters are insured and have a DBS where necessary.   Look at www.nrcpd.org.uk to find an interpreter and/or check they are qualified.  Many spoken language interpreting agencies also provide BSL interpreters, when you are making a booking you can get the name of the interpreter and check against the register yourself to make sure they are qualified.

When the interpreter arrives they should have an ID card from NRCPD that has a yellow strip down the edge and is in date.  You and the Deaf person have the right to check this information before the meeting goes ahead. 

Please remember most of us are freelance and self employed.  We turn up to bookings in good faith that we will be paid in a timely fashion and treated fairly.  If you have booked a freelance interpreter directly you can request a copy of their terms and conditions before confirming the booking.  Agencies will also send out terms and conditions when making a booking.