Deafblind people across London will benefit from improved access to communication support as the government takes action to significantly increase the number of interpreters for Deafblind people through the funding of interpreter competency sessions.
The bespoke sessions, scheduled across several weekends with some occurring in London, will facilitate the competency assessment of interpreters for Deafblind people. The grant funding is expected to deliver a more than eightfold increase in interpreter capacity, expanding the total number of specialists to 68. This substantial expansion of interpreter capacity will enable Deafblind people to access support more quickly and easily, reduce waiting times, and improve access to vital communication services.
The grant funding was designed in collaboration with the government’s independent BSL Advisory Board, which set up a working group to address the lack of interpreters for Deafblind people.
The Board consulted with representatives from Signature, the UK’s leading awarding body and provider of BSL and other Deaf and Deafblind qualifications, and the National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind people (NRCPD), the national regulator of language service professionals, to develop the competency sessions.
Before the government introduced this funding, there were just eight registered interpreters for Deafblind people serving a population of approximately 12,000 Deafblind people. Boosting the number of interpreters is expected to relieve supply pressures and deliver long-term benefits for Deafblind people and public services.
This grant funding is part of the government’s broader commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity and putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of everything it does. This extra investment will help ensure that more people can access the support they need to get on in life.
Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State for Social Security and Disability, said:
“This government recognises that too many Deafblind people have faced barriers simply because specialist support has not been available where it is needed most. This grant funding will start to address that.
“Effective communication should not be a privilege and by increasing the number of interpreters, we are delivering real change for the Deafblind Community.
“We are grateful to the BSL Advisory Board’s role in making this happen and for continued productive engagement with the government to keep breaking down barriers for Deaf and Deafblind people.”
The funding for the competency sessions will also support the expansion of NRCPD’s register of interpreters for Deafblind people.
Dr Joanna Atkinson, Co-Chair of the BSL Advisory Board, said:
“Deafblind people communicate in different ways including tactile forms of British Sign Language. Expanding the number of sign language interpreters with expertise in working with Deafblind people represents a major step forward so Deafblind people can access information, take part and get on with their lives.
“We are confident that the rollout of these sessions will help meet increasing demand for qualified BSL interpreters for Deafblind people, strengthen the quality and availability of services, and create better opportunities for the thousands of Deafblind people who depend on them.
“We would like to thank Signature and NRCPD for their partnership and support in helping deliver this much-needed investment in the future of Deafblind interpreting.”
