Clare Vale: Making written communication accessible for Deaf customers and clients (with BSL)

Despite the fact more than 11 million people living in the UK are Deaf or hard of hearing, many continue to face barriers when it comes to everyday communication.

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Organisations across the country have tried to improve accessibility with the provision of text relay and email services. However, they fail to recognise that these communication options are equally inaccessible for Deaf individuals who rely on British Sign Language [BSL] and physical gestures to communicate.

English has a completely different structure to BSL, so reading and writing in English can be difficult for BSL users but, just like anyone, the Deaf community and BSL users have the right to access vital information, services, and support with ease.

Therefore, organisations must do more to understand and cater for their communication needs.

What is British Sign Language [BSL]?

British Sign Language [BSL] is a language in its own right and the first or preferred language of many Deaf people in the UK.

Using space and movement of the hands, body, face and head, BSL is part of a rich cultural heritage, having evolved in the UK’s Deaf community over hundreds of years.

It also has many dialects that vary region by region. For example, signs in Scotland may not be understood in southern England, and some signs are even different from city to city.

BSL does not follow the same grammatical and sentence structure as English and uses a grammatical structure often referred to as a ‘Topic Comment Structure’. For example, ‘what is your name’ in English is ‘name you what’ in BSL.

Unlike speakers who have other languages as their first language, BSL users cannot be immersed in the language around them as they cannot hear it, making it harder for them to learn English.

This is often apparent in a BSL user’s writing and impacts their reading and reading comprehension.

For most Deaf people, BSL is the only language in which they can access information, from learning about the latest news developments, to seeking medical advice or services and support from a business or local authority.

This is why text relay and email communication methods are not adequate for Deaf BSL users who do not speak or use English, and organisations must offer other, more suitable means to enable BSL users to access information in their first and preferred language – ideally in real time and on demand through a video BSL interpreter.

Improving access with video BSL interpreting

In today’s digital world, accessing a BSL interpreter on demand is easier than ever before. Technologies and services are readily available for organisations to book interpreters at the click of a button, whether to provide customer service, medical advice, consultations, or anything else.

Through services like Sign Solutions’ InterpretersLive! platform, organisations can arrange video meetings and appointments at the click of a button to help Deaf customers and clients access services via a BSL video relay service.

Information can also be made available on a company’s website with BSL translation, to ensure Deaf people can easily access it in their preferred language.

Powered by Starleaf, InterpretersLive! delivers real-time access to qualified and registered British Sign Language [BSL] interpreters using a secure encrypted and ISO27001 accredited, HD quality video platform. The Starleaf platform has millions of users worldwide and is already familiar to the Deaf community in the UK, who use it to contact a range of organisations free of charge in their first or preferred language of BSL.

Conclusion

The needs of the UK’s Deaf population remain unmet and more must be done to ensure appropriate communication options are available and accessible.

By learning about BSL, understanding the unique needs and preferences of Deaf individuals and offering solutions like on demand video BSL interpreters, organisations can ensure Deaf customers and clients are not denied access to information and services and, in turn, provide them with more independence, a better experience and the equality they deserve.

Clare Vale is managing director of Sign Solutions, who are a supporter of this site