Empowering the Deaf Community: The Impact of BSL Interpreters

Imagine for a moment being in a foreign country where you don't speak the language, yet you're expected to navigate everyday life without any assistance. How difficult would it be for you? While it might seem like a challenge, it’s the reality that the deaf community in the UK faces every day.

British Sign Language (BSL) is the first language of around 150,000 people in the UK, and yet many still struggle to access basic services due to a lack of BSL interpreters. In this blog post, we will highlight the vital role of BSL interpreters in empowering the deaf community and the impact they have on their daily lives.

The Need for BSL Interpreters

BSL allows deaf people to thrive and succeed in a predominantly hearing society. According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), 12 million adults in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss, or tinnitus: that’s one in five adults.

Engaging with the world around you is essential for building meaningful relationships, developing a sense of identity, and achieving your personal and professional goals. Although there’s no official census for BSL, it’s estimated that there are around 151,000 BSL users in the UK, with 87,000 being deaf. In the 2021 Census for England and Wales, BSL was the main language of 22,000 people in England.

Demand for BSL interpreters continues to exceed supply, leaving many members of the deaf community without access to basic services and opportunities they rightfully should have access to. The need for BSL interpreters is not only a matter of accessibility but also of empowerment. With access to BSL interpreters, deaf individuals gain the ability to fully engage with the hearing members of their communities, access education and employment opportunities, and exercise their rights as UK citizens.

The Use of BSL Interpreters in the Public Service

Providing BSL interpreters in the public service is essential to empowering the deaf community. The use of BSL interpreters in public services significantly affects the quality of life of deaf individuals. It ensures that deaf people are not excluded from accessing vital services.

Healthcare

In healthcare, BSL interpreters are used to ensure that deaf individuals receive the same level of care as hearing patients. Despite progress in the accessibility of BSL interpreters, deaf individuals continue to face significant challenges when accessing primary healthcare.

These issues include difficulties in booking appointments, ineffective communication with reception staff, inadequate auditory/PA call systems, insufficient appointment time for effective communication, difficulties in understanding provided information, and over-reliance on written communication.

Also, according to a study conducted by SignHealth, 70% of deaf people reported not going to their doctor because a BSL interpreter would not be available to them, and 40% felt the receptionist wasn’t helpful in the appointment-making process. This highlights the need for BSL interpreters in healthcare. When BSL interpreters are used, deaf individuals can communicate their medical needs and receive proper treatment.

Education

In education, BSL interpreters are used to ensure that deaf students are not excluded from accessing education. The use of BSL interpreters in education has been shown to improve academic outcomes for deaf students. Deaf students with access to sign language achieved higher grades than those without.

Legal System

The use of BSL interpreters in the legal system is also vital. Deaf individuals deserve to understand their rights and make informed decisions for themselves. But, legal jargon is difficult to understand, especially if you are already disadvantaged by hearing loss.

There’s a demand for BSL interpreters with legal training in the UK. Deaf people should systematically have a BSL interpreter in courts, police stations, and during legal consultations.

However, the National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters stated that as of 2015, there are only 1,137 BSL interpreters in the UK. There’s a significant shortage of qualified interpreters available to the deaf population.

The government is progressively making adjustments to better accommodate deaf people in the legal system. According to the British Sign Language Report 2022, the Ministry of Justice in the UK announced in 2021 that BSL interpreters are allowed in the jury room to aid deaf people in serving as jurors. Additionally, the ministry has produced several videos of public consultation documents on the government website using BSL interpreters.

Workplace

According to Signature, 65% of people with hearing loss are employed in the UK. The increase in deaf professionals within our modern society has created a demand for BSL interpreters in a variety of workplace settings. However, according to the British Academy of Audiology, in 2014, 41% of individuals who suffer from hearing loss were forced to retire early because they struggled to communicate at work. By 2018, this number increased to 56%, according to Signature. BSL interpreters in the workplace ensure deaf individuals can participate fully in the workplace and are not excluded from employment opportunities or forced to leave their jobs completely.

Despite the support of BSL interpreters in public service settings, many barriers still prevent deaf individuals from accessing these services. One of the main barriers is the lack of funding for BSL interpreters. Many public service providers do not have the funding to provide BSL interpreters, so deaf individuals are excluded from accessing these services. This is particularly true in the current economic climate.

The Impact of BSL Interpreters on The Deaf Community

British Sign Language is the UK's fourth most widely used language. Yet, the language barrier faced by the Deaf community can be a significant obstacle to their daily lives. BSL interpreters play a key role in overcoming this barrier and supplying access to information and services.

Many deaf people over the years have not had interpreters when they needed them. They reported feeling excluded from society and suffering from social isolation because of the lack of access to information and interpretation services. This highlights the need for BSL interpreters.

One of the most significant impacts of BSL interpreters in is how they improve quality of life for deaf people. They enable deaf individuals to access a wide range of services and activities that might otherwise be inaccessible.

BSL interpreters play an integral role in helping deaf people feel heard and valued. When you're deaf and faced with a situation where you need to communicate with non-BSL-speaking people, it can be all too easy to feel like your voice doesn't matter or that your opinions and experiences are being overlooked or ignored.

With the help of skilled interpreters, deaf people can participate fully in conversations, meetings, and events and feel like their contributions are being valued and respected.

Professional BSL interpreters play a vital role in empowering the deaf community, improving quality of life, and helping bridge the communication gap between the hearing and non-hearing citizens in the UK.

Final Thoughts

BSL interpreters play a crucial role in empowering the deaf community by enabling open and clear communication with the wider society. They ensure that deaf individuals can access basic services and fully participate in society. The use of BSL interpreters in public services is essential to ensure that deaf individuals exercise their rights and are not excluded.

Despite the progress made in the accessibility to BSL interpreters, many barriers hinder deaf individuals from accessing basic services. The lack of funding for BSL interpreters remains a significant obstacle that the government and public service providers need to address.

By increasing awareness, understanding, and funding for BSL interpreters, we can create a more inclusive society that values and respects the needs of all its members.

Give Me Your Word’s Specialist BSL Interpreters

At Give Me Your Word, we have a dedicated team of specialist BSL interpreters who are qualified, skilled and experienced in working across a wide range of settings. While translation and interpreting remain unregulated professions, our corporate membership with the Institute of Translation and Interpreting demonstrates our commitment to upholding the highest professional standards. As a linguist-led business, we have a thorough understanding of the interpreting and translation industry. GMYW’s commitment to fair terms attracts and retains the best translators and interpreters, ensuring you receive quality service every time.

For more information on GMYW’s specialist BSL interpreting services, get in touch with our team.

References

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Crowley, Craig. “The British Sign Language (BSL) report 2022.” GOV.UK, 31 July 2023, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-british-sign-language-bsl-report-2022/the-british-sign-language-bsl-report-2022#reporting-requirements-for-government-departments. Accessed 2 October 2023.

“Deaf Awareness Facts.” Deaflink, https://www.deaflink.org.uk/services/deaf-awareness/deaf-awareness-facts. Accessed 30 September 2023.

“Facts about hearing loss and deafness - British Academy of Audiology.” British Academy of Audiology, https://www.baaudiology.org/about/media-centre/facts-about-hearing-loss-and-deafness/. Accessed 30 September 2023.

“THE HEALTH OF DEAF PEOPLE IN THE UK .pages.” SignHealth, https://signhealth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/THE-HEALTH-OF-DEAF-PEOPLE-IN-THE-UK-.pdf. Accessed 30 September 2023.

“Hearing Loss Statistics | Hearing Facts UK.” Hear4u, https://www.hear4u.co.uk/hearing-loss-statistics/. Accessed 30 September 2023.

“Help & Resources.” British Deaf Association, https://bda.org.uk/help-resources/#statistics. Accessed 30 September 2023.

“Improving the quality of interpretation and translation in primary care services - NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group.” NHS Leeds CCG, https://www.leedsccg.nhs.uk/news/improving-the-quality-of-interpretation-and-translation-in-primary-care-services/. Accessed 30 September 2023.

“Language, England and Wales: Census 2021.” Office for National Statistics, 29 November 2022, https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/language/bulletins/languageenglandandwales/census2021. Accessed 30 September 2023.

“The National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters briefing document.” NUBSLI, https://www.nubsli.com/guidance/the-national-union-of-british-sign-language-interpreters-briefing-document/. Accessed 2 October 2023.