British Sign Language (BSL) / English Interpreters

The professional interpreter interprets between two languages in such a way that effective communication takes place between the participating language speakers/signers.  The interpreter interprets one-way (e.g. from BSL into English) and /or two-way (e.g. BSL into English, then English into BSL).

The professional BSL/English interpreter is impartial.  While s/he promotes effective communication and clarifies language and cultural misunderstandings where appropriate, s/he does not act as an advocate for clients.  The interpreter treats information exchanged during an interpreted session as confidential and has good knowledge of subject areas, e.g. health, business or law. 

We at SLI take great pride in providing you with the correct interpreter. We’ll do our best to provide you with someone who has the correct professional expertise that matches the requested assignment. We also take great pride in delivering our services to the highest standard, as a result, we only use Interpreters who are registered with the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI) or the National Registers of Communication Professionals Working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD).

Our Interpreters regularly engage in continuous professional development.  S/he must adhere to the common code of conduct, as stipulated by the registering body with which s/he is registered as a professional interpreter.

Deafblind / Hands on Interpreting

There are several methods of communication commonly used by Deafblind people. The method used by a particular Deafblind person will be determined by several factors including age at the onset of deafness and visual impairment, and the order in which they occurred. It is important to state the preference of the Deafblind person when booking, so that their needs can most easily be met. 

These are professionals who will either use the manual, block alphabet or a hands-on method of communication (Please see below for further explanation of each). Their role is to relay a speaker’s message onto the hand of the Deafblind person using the Deafblind Manual alphabet. The interpreter will also relay visual and other non-verbal information, for example reactions to what has been said, movement of other people and what they are doing.

Depending on their residual sight and hearing, A person who is Deafblind may use some form of tactile or other communication, including:

• Deafblind manual alphabet: (fingerspelling), this involves spelling out words on someone’s hand in BSL.

• Block alphabet: This is when a hearing person uses the tip of their forefinger to spell out each word in English in block capitals on the receiver’s palm. This method is most often used when communicating with members of the public and others who are unlikely to be familiar with the Deafblind manual alphabet.

• Hands-on signing: Some people who were born Deaf and then experience sight loss in adulthood but continue to use sign language even when they can no longer follow visual signs. This is possible through the listener/interpreter touching the hands of the person who is signing and following their movements.

• Visual frame signing: When a Deafblind person has a limited field of vision, sign language can still be used if the signs are adapted according to their visual needs.