David Buxton, the Chief Executive of the British Deaf Association (BDA), says that sign language interpreters and agencies may be asked to reduce their rates in order to save the jobs of deaf people that rely on Access to Work.
Speaking ahead of crucial meetings in May, Mr Buxton said that a range of tactics were under consideration to fight recent changes to the scheme and one involved reducing the cost of employing freelance sign language interpreters.
Members of deaf organisation umbrella body, UKCoD (UK Council on Deafness), will meet on 20th May to formulate a campaign strategy to oppose the changes to how Access to Work pays for interpreters and communication support for deaf workers. Those changes are said to limit choice for deaf people, make it harder to find an interpreter or get a new job. Members of UKCoD include Action on Hearing Loss, BDA and the Association of Sign Language Interpreters.
David Buxton
Another meeting involving leading deaf organisations, just two days later on 22nd May, with officials from the DWP will reveal if demands for change are to be actioned or ignored by the government.
So far, a petition has been created and a Labour MP has raised a motion in parliament that has led to deaf campaigners writing to their local MPs asking for support. So far, 43 MPs have signed the motion.
“I don’t know if sign language interpreters have been in touch with their MPs. 87% of interpreters are freelance and don’t want to change that.” Said Mr Buxton.
“Interpreters need to work with deaf people to find a solutions and get involved in the campaign, we’re not talking not massive reductions in salaries, but a solution that is a best fit for all otherwise deaf people will be out of work because they won’t be able to pay for communication support.”
“They have to understand that if deaf people lose their jobs then interpreters will lose their jobs as well so we have to work together.”
“It also means that interpreting agencies will have to change. We have to create a win-win situation and that’s how we see the situation and that’s what the campaign plan with UKCoD will be about.”
Jim Edwards
UKCoD, Chaired by Signature Chief Executive Jim Edwards, is taking the lead on coordinating the campaign to reverse the changes to Access to Work. He says that many different organisations are affected by the changes.
“Fortunately we have had David (Buxton) and people at Action on Hearing Loss and a range of organisations saying that this problem feels like it comes from a number of different perspectives” he said.
“It’s not just about sign language interpreters, it’s any form of language and communication support; whether it is as an employer of deaf people or whether its effectively like Signature when we’re interested in the quality standards, NRCPD and registration.”
“It feels like the way that DWP have tried to resolve what they see as a problem in a particular way and there is really consensus views from a range of organisations in the deaf sector who say that this feels like it is broken and maybe we should work together.”
“Therefore that is the call. Will the sector work together in asking the DWP to undertake something of a review? More will unfold in the next two weeks.”
By Andy Palmer, Deputy Editor. Andy also volunteers for the Peterborough and District Deaf Children’s Society on their website, deaf football coaching and other events. Contact him on twitter @LC_AndyP
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Mick Canavan
April 29, 2014
If you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Fighting back against the cuts should not involve a ‘public’ campaign to reduce interpreter wages because it will have unintended effects as well as being a cowardly way to defend our services from the 1%. There is plenty of money around (look at the bankers bonuses and the wealth that exists amongst the elite) and the BDA should be collaborating with other organisations to get rid of this terrible government and NOT do their dirty work for them!
If you reduce interpreter wages you will have less people in future training for those jobs which will lead to shortages at best and at worst lower wages in general will lead to poorer interpreters in terms of quality…the good ones will leave and get better jobs elsewhere.
This is a mistake and it is politically disastrous in my view.
Another interpreter
April 29, 2014
One of the biggest issues has not been the charges from freelance interpreters who rarely charge the full amount of an AtW budget. The problem has been interpreting agencies (both deaf and hearing led) whacking a massive fee on for themselves as a ‘finding fee’ and then bleeding to capacity an AtW budget.
Stories of agencies telling deaf customers that their AtW budget wasn’t enough to hire an RSLI (when in fact it was, but because of the cut the agency was taking from the deaf person) are not unheard of.
Agencies also frequently ask interpreters to reduce their fees whilst still taking a cut for themselves.
It’s time for agencies to be transparent about how much they take for themselves.
Herein lies a massive problem when responses hurl in about right to privacy and running a business etc etc.
(Not when you’re spending public funds guys!)
Barakta
April 29, 2014
I’m confused. Is this a further change to the officially limiting to below 30 hours thing or making people employ staff full time for comms support or terping?
Is this a formalisation of AtW being much more picky about sub-30 hours agreements and trying to fob deaf people off with less?
Pete
April 29, 2014
Perhaps the BDA should learn from other campaigns where Deaf and interpreters work together. Interpreters are neither the problem or the solution. This governments attitude towards deaf people is! Who saw the poster? AtW has more money than in 2010 (when it was underspent) but are helping LESS people. AtW has been underspent for years. The money is there!
This government want to be able to use it on forcing deaf and disabled people to work for nothing on work experience schemes. This will make it look like they are supporting more people and reduce the unemployment statistics when they’re not.
…Don’t believe everything you are told!
If something is blue, but they are telling you it’s red, it’s still blue!
Pete
April 29, 2014
Barakta – the 30 hours was just the start of their cuts… They are doing whatever they like and believe they can get away with it 🙁
Christian Leyland
April 29, 2014
Yet again, the burden is on the interpreters to cut their costs. I know hundreds of interpreters that have made cut already and have not increased their rates for years.
There is one solution to saving money and that is for the deaf person to have a choice of freelance interpreters direct and cut out the agency that is creaming the profit.
Monkey Magic
April 29, 2014
I do wish representatives of interpreters would automatically be included in these meetings – ASLI have already commented that they are having to fight to get seats in meetings – why are interpreters being talked about and not invited to contribute? We are only impartial when we are interpreting, not when it comes to our working conditions. We choose to be freelance so that we are impartial to enable Deaf people to do their jobs without the interference of residual employment issues, yet somehow our self employed status is being played with here and used against us. It shows a real lack of understanding of interpreters, their work, and what interpreters need in order to be useful to the people they interpret for. There HAS to be a distinction between people that go all the way and train, qualify and register and those that hold conversational BSL LANGUAGE qualifications otherwise what is there to encourage people to move on into interpreter training and be better? How will that be of benefit to Deaf people and the hearing people that also rely on interpreters? What will be the point of going past Level 2 BSL if there will be no greater reward and recognition of the work put in, and no greater skills and experience? In most areas of work people are rewarded for their credentials, not constantly told that they are the problem and criticised. I also think that not ALL Deaf people share this view with the BDA and that the BDA are therefore not that representative of the whole Deaf community on this matter. Where are the interpreting representatives to balance out this argument and why are they not being invited to contribute? It is not as simple as asking interpreters to absorb even more losses to their pay. I have not put my rates up in 6 years and I am being asked to take another pay cut, and a significant one at that – why don’t you cut to the real issues with the powers that be and make them realise that what they are doing is discriminatory and out of order rather than take the easy route and keep blaming interpreters.
Lesley
April 29, 2014
An interpreter is a highly qualified job which requires pay to reflect this. The onus should be on the agencies, who should be regulated and Jim Edwards knows this so I don’t really understand why it’s taken so long for the likes of UKCOD and BDA to wake up and smell the coffee. The whole network is in shambles and doesn’t even have a proper support network or ombudsman regulating so beats me why deaf people and interpreters should work together? More like the organisations should be working with them!
Terp anon
April 29, 2014
Just another thought. Should all freelance interpreters campaign against the use of interpreting agencies and promote the likes of the VLP app that allows a deaf person to choose an area in which they live and have a choice of qualified interpreters in their area.
Agencies are worrying now because ATW budgets have been an additional source of income for years & now cuts are being made, they can only come up with the strategy of campaigning against interpreter costs.
We have also recently seen several agencies across the uk that have been under investigation because of the fraudulent abuse of ATW budgets & maybe it’s time ATW insist on the use of freelance interpreters.
I’m discusted that the BDA are getting involved in such a campaign. This is not conducive to the cause and undermines the years of training an interpreter goes through.
As a freelance interpreter myself, I am on salary that is of average wage, out of my gross hourly fee I have to take into consideration:
No sick pay
No holiday pay
No maternity pay
No paternity pay
No payment for Bereavement leave
20% paid towards tax & NI
Yearly CPD training costs
Yearly Registration costs with NRCDP
Yearly Registration costs with VLP/ASLI
Pension contributions costs
Professional indemnity insurance
Income protection insurance
Stationary costs
Accountancy fees
Home office overhead costs
Travel costs, which are now excluded by ATW
People fail to see all these additional oncosts that all interpreters have to pay out & see the gross hourly fee as our take home salary.
When you start to drive down costs, then you drive down the choice of quality interpreters available to the deaf community.
June
April 29, 2014
I am not an interpreter but a CSW of many years experience and have been involved with the Deaf community since a child and work in colleges, as that is my niche, so my situation is different to that of a freelance interpreter. I am however very glad that you have highlighted the fact that the overall salary of working freelance is no better than that of many salaried workers. My husband is freelance in the IT business and has the same issues in that everyone thinks, because the hourly rate is high, that it all goes in the pocket. No it doesn’t for all the reasons you have listed (probably with a few differences relating to occupation).
With the already high costs of training to become an interpreter, not to mention the personal sacrifice of time, interpreters should get more of what they earn and the agencies less. They should not be criticised for wanting a fair wage to equal their qualifications. Start paying less and people will vote with their feet and the country needs more, not fewer interpreters!
Tim
April 29, 2014
Sounds like people are being played off against each other to try and pull them all into a ‘race to the bottom.’ It’s never the executives at the top who are expected to take pay cuts, is it?
Ellen7
April 29, 2014
As a disabled campaigner I am horrified by the approach being taken by the deaf organisations over this but not surprised. The attacks on Access to Work are part of the current ideological attack on the welfare state and the benefits system that is meaning disabled people are being overwhelmingly disproportionately impacted by austerity. The same tactics as have been used to introduce notorious schemes like the Work Capability Assessment and the bedroom tax are being used here – vilifying benefit claimants (the government do consider Access to Work a benefit) – with the same ultimate goal which is to attack workers rights. Blaming interpreters and expecting trained and skilled professionals to accept lower terms and conditions is playing into the Government’s hands, will be to the detriment of Deaf people who will no longer be able to access the communication support they require and is seeking out Deaf people. A united campaign that respects the rights of both Deaf people and interpreters is what is needed and why I am proud to be part of the Stop the Changes to Access to Work campaign.
Anon.
April 29, 2014
I wanted to make a complaint about a CSW and now an NRCPD interpreter but there is no approved governing body that would make sure my complaints would be fairly dealt with. So why should I place my trust in complaint procedures when it is all bias and done by self regulating bodies?? Why should deaf people work with those who abuse the system knowing they can get away with it.
Sue MacLaine
April 29, 2014
I agree with Mick Canavan’s comment. I feel very sad that an organisation such as the British Deaf Association has a Chief Executive who understands so little about politics and rights.
I am an interpreter and like many other interpreters I have not put my fee up for some many years. I also offer my services voluntarily as a way of giving back to the Deaf community. I can do that because I am paid properly for the work I do. To say that interpreters cann show support for the Deaf community by lowering their wages is so in imaginative and again it is a shame that the BDA, once the leading light organisation for the Deaf community, has been reduced to colluding with an uncaring and vile government. On the subject of agencies, I think for Access To Work bookings agencies have no place. There are plenty of ways that interpreters can be contacted, not least now through facebook where requests can be placed. However, I do think agencies have a place in domains such as Health (physical and mental) where there are shared budgets and also a necessity for continuity of interpreter.
Vicki Lamb
April 29, 2014
Most people have covered want I wanted to say already, but I’m becoming increasingly frustrated with being told interpreters earn too much money. The ASLI fees and salaries report shows that the average interpreter freelance salary has barely increased for years! What other profession is there where someone with a postgraduate level qualification does not increase their earning potential over time!? And as costs of living increase, it is becoming more and more difficult to justify remaining in the profession. When it stops being financially viable, interpreters will leave the profession and consumer choice will be limited. Quality will likely become poorer.
Deaf people and interpreters should be working together – to protect the rights and working conditions of both. Not telling the government that interpreters are greedy. We should also be talking to members of the disabled community who are also being affected by the cuts. That is the ‘one voice’ we should share.
Disdain
April 29, 2014
I would like to see David Buxton take a reduction in his wages to help BDA with its financial difficulties as does he not realise that if BDA closes down due to having no money, David will lose his job(!)
drjulesd
April 29, 2014
So Access to Work bring in a policy change without consulting with any of the service providers or service users as to the practicalities of implementation, and interpreters are supposed to just accept pay cuts and a worsening of their terms and conditions? No thanks. There are many reasons why interpreters object to becoming salaried interpreters- skill stagnation/ lack of opportunity for skill development, lack of support (e.g. line management, supervision, CPD opportunities), the potential for the interpreter to be overworked (no co-worker, insufficient breaks), risk of conflict with interpreter’s Code of Conduct and difficulties in maintaining professional boundaries- to mention but a few. Add these concerns to a pay cut and it is easy to see that interpreters will leave the profession and there will be little incentive for individuals to train. Colluding with this poorly thought through and mostly unworkable ‘salaried interpreter’ policy benefits no one, least of all deaf employees.
Dave Wycherley (@weebitchilly)
April 29, 2014
Terp anon sets out some of the expenses that a self employed interpreter must pay, while Vicki Lamb offers sensible info regarding a lack of wage rises to qualified interpreters over the years. We are all feeling the pinch. Yet, many Deaf workers rely on Access To Work funding (lets give it it’s full title) to access the work environment – and any reduction in this may affect their ability to get or potentially keep a job. I feel this is an issue that both ASLI and VLP will be in full support of the Deaf community with, not for monitory reasons only, but because we are a full and integral part of the Deaf community, and feel this is an important issue. This surely must be an issue that the DDA (Equality Act) and the Human Rights act should support opposition to these cuts.
Oh Dear
April 30, 2014
Economics 101 for Dummies.
Law of Supply and Demand followed by Division of Labour.
Demand for interpreters is higher than the supply, hence prices will be remain high.
The more qualified the interpreter is, the higher the Division of Labour, hence higher price. This is turn attracts more people into the profession and more people to train to a higher level. Subverting this basic free market economic is stupid as people will not train or enter the profession when they could earn more elsewhere.
In time when demand and supply are in balance, the price will stabilise. Hence more competition between freelance interpreters.
Price fixing is anti-free market and doesn’t work.
All Deaf organisation should point out that the government wastes £Billions every year on stupid spending policies. I could list £200bn wasted by the government, but hey that another subject.
So tell the government to stop attacking deaf people.
J. Finch
April 30, 2014
Amazing to find a national “Big D” deaf-led Membership organisation being manipulated by someone who’s part of the ruling coalition. You may not know this but David Buxton is a Lib Deem councillor who has aspirations of becoming a MP or even a Lord one day. Isn’t this a ploy for him to use the BDA as a vehicle to promote his political credentials?! Lowering an interpreter’s earnings and forcing them to accept full/part time employment positions removes choice for us Deaf professionals by driving the most skilled and able out of business. What’s more, there’s no incentive to spend thousands of pounds to become one. Yes I’m deaf not an interpreter, nor an interpreter trainer! I’m just a simple deaf professional who has lost my job because of the ATW cuts and rarely comment publicly! So you can guess how angry I am at this smokescreen created by both David Buxton and Jim Edwards who are jointly responsible for deflecting the blame from the true criminals in the Coalition Government Shame on you, David Buxton for lying to everyone that this is the deaf community’s voice and putting your personal political ambitions first! Shame on you Jim Edwards for manipulating this to caboodle closer to this despicable Government.
Matt Brown
April 30, 2014
What is the source of this assertion that “87% of interpreters are freelance and don’t want to change that”? Not really very credible to throw around statistics without giving a source of research. Personally I would welcome a salaried (but not full time) post – it would likely represent a pay rise, not a cut.
Last year I did several ATW-funded jobs where I was literally sitting around all day doing nothing for nearly 90% of the day. I no longer accept ATW-funded assignments where the brief is simply generic “office support” – I will take a booking if there is actually something specific to interpret, but I am never again going to sit around for hours on end waiting for something to happen. I’m far too old to waste my life and taxpayer money that way.
I wrote the following blog post last month about the failure of Signature & NRCPD to support good interpreting practice and circumvent the greed of unethical agencies. It has been in their power all along to halve interpreting costs and at the same time help interpreters get what they need to do a good job, but they don’t. My personal belief is that this is because interpreter representation in their governance is entirely tokenistic and they don’t understand the profession they claim to regulate.
http://signspace.co.uk/blog/the-sign-language-interpreting-industry-is-broken/
Lars Lyndon
April 30, 2014
ATW run from £35-£45p/h depending domain and time of day.
Freelance TI earns £20-£25 on average
Freelance RSLI ears £30-£40 (depending on the domain) on average. £40 p/h is high and fairly rare if I understand correctly.
So agencies like to employ TIs and the take £10 p/h.
So from a 20 hour budget with a £35 rate and use of a TI an agency makes £200 for about a 2 hours (this is generous) consumption of their time per 20 hour budgeted client. 10 of these is £2000 per week gross and one person can manage this work load.
If the TI interpreter provided is in house they earn about £10 p/h salaried and the profit goes up to £500 per client. 10 clients means £5000 per week. Again gross but manageable as one person.
So instead you form a group of 5 interpreters that cover the needs of those 10 clients. They all agree a £30 p/h if fully qualified and they save the government £5 p/h or 20%….
There is your solution guys but it will take the community as a whole to work together.
Black and white I know but it would be a solution.
Adam Redfern
April 30, 2014
When contempt is a way you begin to get treated there is very rarely a healthy outcome:-(
Whenever we as interpreters enter this conversation we are perceived as looking after our own interests, however, I rarely hear friends of mine being questioned as to the what and why of their earnings.
On the one hand, good, quality, insured, registered competent interpreters are wanted. On the other ………cheaply.
I was a level 2 CSW 13 years ago, before doing 4 qualifications paying for 3 myself to become better. 13 years ago, I wasn’t as good, quality, insured, registered or competent ………but I was cheap.
I qualified in 2003 the average rate for qualified interpreters was then £30-£35.
It is now 2014. The average rate for interpreters now £30-£35.
So 11 years with no real rises. Now also deducting travel expenses from jobs in real terms……..and we are in the wrong.
Agency fees being quoted for jobs (atw included) from £35-£50.
You have several agencies listed as supporters on this website, maybe they can shed some light onto their side also.
Also, now my bee is in my bonnet.
Average UK Post Graduate salary £39,500. Average UK Bsl interpreter salary following the most recent fees and salary report (I expect a drop if adjusted for 2014) £25,000-£29,000.
Average freelance earnings £25,000-£29,000.
This amount stays the same regardless of years experience or age.
As a comparison with other post graduate professions:
Average UK Post Graduate salary 2014
£39,500
Age range:
up to 29 years old £29,625
Up to 39 years old £38,710
Up to 40 years old £45,820
50 plus £45,820.
But we are interpreters and it doesn’t count. We are here to be asked why we earn what we do, talked about as if we are parasites and treated at times with contempt.
The amount of voluntary work etc that we do for the community as a matter of course seems to be conveniently forgotten, and even expected in some cases.
I know too many good interpreters looking to leave the profession, and too many ‘cowboys’ eager to take their place. Be careful what you wish for.
Josef Baines
April 30, 2014
David Buxton, from a deaf person to another deaf person, I have a personal message for you.
I really, really do hope you are listening to the Deaf and sign language interpreting communities’ needs. Your comments in the Limping Chicken article goes against it.
An astute politician needs to be attuned to the community and respond to their needs, not go against it.
Cutting interpreters’ wages may well sound the death knell for the Deaf Community.
Making cuts would mean lack of effective career progression for Deaf people.
There are already a small number of qualified sign language interpreters throughout the UK. Make cuts and you will further reduce the number of interpreters.
Small number of (or lack of) interpreters = no access for Deaf people.
Why? A reduced wage would mean future interpreters would not be interested in becoming interpreters. Result? Interpreters will change career for better wage.
It is not all about interpreters ‘earning more’ than Deaf people. If we really, REALLY want to reduce interpreters’ wages, the only way to do this would be to increase the number of interpreters first to match the number of Deaf people nationally, so then the labour market becomes more competitive and this will force interpreters to reduce their fees to make their services more attractive to Deaf clients.
Make cuts and you will find that interpreters will further increase their fees to reduce demand. This will be counterproductive for Deaf people.
The bottom line is, do not undo years of hard work to help Deaf people progress in their careers. Cutting interpreters’ wages will undo years of hard work and harm current and future Deaf people’s employment opportunities.
Darren Townsend-Handscomb
April 30, 2014
There are lots of ways that interpreters, Deaf people, and service providers can work together to look at how best to have a service that meets Deaf people’s work access needs, in a resource efficient way.
However, for this to happen, AtW / DWP would have to be able to, and be trusted to, work with people in a person centred way, matching access solutions to individual needs.
In some work environments (relatively few) employing one or more interpreters could be a cost effective solution. For some a mix of face to face and video interpreting would meet their needs. For others, having an interpreter sit around all day is absolutely what’s needed (e.g. where immediate response is required regularly but unpredictably). We could even begin to explore how cancellations or interpreters not being required could be managed to potentially release the scarce resource to other Deaf people.
But, and it’s a really really big BUT, there are substantial barriers to this, barriers that make it risky to even publicly discuss some of these solutions.
First, AtW / DWP often don’t have the skills to assess Deaf AtW users work access needs, AND often won’t believe or accept the Deaf person’s own assessment of their needs.
Second, whilst meant to be an individualised award made within flexible guidelines, AtW is increasingly applied as a one-size-fits-all award, made within (seemingly randomly applied) inflexible ‘rules’. Examples of this include the blanket imposition of the ’30 hour’ guidance, the refusal to pay for a second interpreter, the refusal to pay for a note taker, weekly hours that don’t match with Deaf AtW users actual work needs, etc. etc.
In this context proposed potential ‘solutions’ risk being imposed on all Deaf AtW users, regardless of whether they meet their work access needs or not.
Third, Deaf people can no longer trust AtW / DWP, and for good reasons. When Deaf people have suggested solutions they have been rejected out of hand, or used against them. E.g. where Deaf people suggested they may be able to manage with less hours at an appropriate rate, rather than the same hours at a reduced rate, they have been warned that this would be fraud, since previously they said their needs were higher.
Fourth contributions from third parties are used as ways to bully Deaf AtW users, and to justify AtW making unreasonable and unworkable decisions. E.g. AtW for a long time said that ASLI had been consulted and said that £30,000 was a reasonable interpreter salary. A lie. They have also told Deaf AtW users that they have ‘been advised’ that £x per hour is an appropriate rate for interpreters, even though the Deaf person can’t find any interpreters working at that rate. When asked advised by who, AtW said they couldn’t say as they had been advised in confidence.
In this context for Deaf people in partnership with communication professionals and service providers (e.g. BSL Beam, Sign Video, and even agencies) to explore and offer solutions, in order to achieve the most cost effective solution that meets their work access needs, is naive at best, and probably dangerous.
Suggesting in public that THE solution to Deaf AtW users problems with AtW is simply that interpreters be paid less doesn’t appear to reflect what Deaf AtW users themselves are saying the problems are, and runs the risk of being another stick for AtW / DWP to beat Deaf people with.
Instead we, our organisations and our representatives, must fight to ensure that AtW / DWP begins to treat Deaf AtW users with respect, as experts in their own needs, and offer them packages that actually meet their work access needs.
Once we have achieved that, we can begin to explore in partnership ways that we can explore cost effective solutions that meet Deaf people’s work access needs.
PS DeafATW has information and resources (collated from Deaf people and allies) to support Deaf people challenge poor AtW decisions and behaviour, and all of us campaign for change. Within a few days the site will be updated to include information in BSL as well as English
longtimeterp
May 1, 2014
The strength of feeling here is overwhelming and I am glad to see other interpreters and Deaf people covering my points.
I would like to reiterate that ASLI has tried to work with the BDA for a number of years now. Prior to David Buxton joining, correspondence was ignored. After he joined, sadly the BDA has knowingly excluded ASLI from vital meetings. So I’m staggered to find the “plea” here for interpreters to work together with the Deaf Community.
David here is not representing the Deaf Community’s views and that is one of the saddest points about his article. If the BDA represents Deaf people then why isn’t he in tune with what they want? Also why has the BDA charged £10 for its Deaf members to have a copy of the AtW report it produced? Hardly conducive to assisting them with their AtW appeals.
Do Deaf people go to the BDA for help with their AtW issues? I think not. DeafATW is run by an interpreter, and was set up to assist Deaf people with their appeals. Interpreters are happy to volunteer their help to Deaf people with AtW complaints to make. We are working together – albeit not in an organised way.
Again, ASLI has been trying to work with Deaf organisations for a number of years. Why is David attacking them instead of working with them?
What a shame he’s adding to the problem, not helping to resolve it on behalf of the Deaf community. Might help his political career but will cause untold damage to Deaf people’s careers and wellbeing in the meantime. Not to mention interpreters too (we are humans and allowed a career and income too you know)…..What a price to pay.
A deaf person's perspective
May 8, 2014
I am absolutely horrified at the present situation with ATW. I am a Deaf professional working in social services and rely on interpreters to support me as I assess my clients – I have a wide ranging caseload that includes hearing clients. I can’t manage my job without interpreters. Without my interpreters, I would be unable to fulfil my role and therefore be out of a job. My interpeters have not been paid since February 2014 and they have started to pull out of bookings with me because of ATW not paying them. This has a dire knock on effect on my job role and has far reaching consequences for my clients. The situation is keeping me up at night with worry as I am sure is the same for many other deaf people in a similar situation. This treatment of deaf people is oppressive and discriminatory as ATW refer enquiring interpreters to the deaf person and the deaf person is blamed. So in addition to problems in the workplace, my reputation among interpreters is suffering as well and as a consequence, my mental health suffers and my confidence as a Deaf professional is chipped away. What happened to the equality act 2010? What happened to article 27 of the UN convention of the rights of disabled people? Both have been ratified by the government. Shame on them for not complying with current legislation.
The real problem is the current government pushing through these changes. Wake up, learn a bit about politics and decide which party is best for you and get out there and vote. Each vote counts. 17 percent of the UK population is disabled. The government will sit up and notice if a large number of people let their MPs know the current situation and how it is affecting them.
As for David’s post, I am disappointed that the finger is being pointed at interpreters when this should not be the case. It is the unscrupulous agencies who charge a hefty fee and vat on top of the interpreters cost. I have in the past even been quoted a 100 percent mark up by a particular agency as I already knew what that the interpreter’s fee would be. I can tell you it took me a very long time to stop gaping. This is horrifying and needs to be regulated. I manage my own ATW now to keep costs down and ATW are still driving my provision down even more(!)
Please could the BDA fight for more recognition and follow through of the equality act and the un convention rather than collude with this coalition government’s brutal “edward scissorhands” attitude to our ATW budgets.
Tina Stimson
May 12, 2014
I have been working with the same lady for 13 years. ATW did not write to her about her package of support needing to be renewed but sent her an email to the wrong email address. The lady in question did not realise that the 3 year package was up and therefore I was booked to continue to work with her. When ATW returned 2 months worth of invoices the process of renewal started. It then took another 2 months to sort it out and another 2 weeks for ATW to agree to pay the backlog of invoices. This lady is a Director of a small Charity and therefore the Charity was unable to pay me four months backlog of invoices. This lady cannot run the organisation with no support and therefore I continued to support her with my fingers well and truly crossed that ATW would pay the 4 month backlog of invoices. ATW asked for 5 quotes from different people. These were duly submitted and when the package of support was provided the daily rate was reduced by £10. I queried this and was firmly told “do not worry this is an average of the five support workers quotes and of course my invoices would be paid in full”. Oh no they will not I will only be able to submit invoices for the daily amount. So not only have I now lost £10 per day, I am not allowed to claim now for the uplift in my train fares which I usually do from 1st April so I have lost that money as well but also I have lost a slight increase on my daily rate which is also submitted as a pay rise. I have argued with ATW that working full time with this lady, 3 days a week, all day with sometimes no break is very very difficult and if ATW would like to consider providing two support workers for this lady, as any other environment should do, they can pay for two peoples invoices or of course just pay me my daily rate and I am willing to continue to work with this lady. No ATW will not do that either. They said if this lady needs two people to work with her each day then this lady has to organise her day so she doesnt need support or only book support when she needs it rather than having me “sit in the office waiting for her staff to talk to her”. If I did that it would be a job from heaven whereas in reality I am going from meeting to a conversation with a member of staff to a meeting to phone calls to another meeting etc etc all day. This lady has now also come across outside agencies, conference providers or people who want to meet with her not willing and refusing to pay for her interpreters because “you get ATW so they pay”. So another problem this Deaf person has to sort out along with her other ATW problems as well as her daily work schedule. Eventually Deaf people who rely on communication support will not work because the ATW funding will be so small they will not be able to employ anyone willing to work for that small amount of money. That then leads to the person not being in work, claiming benefits and tax payments will be lost. As someone said earlier there is always plenty of money to pay for aid abroad when there is a problem, or pay a bank to get out of trouble or pay for an MP to go by first class train travel to enable them to work in a quiet environment. There is plenty of money for that, put that money into the ATW budget and keep Deaf people in work.