Out of all of the Insight anonymous blogs that I have edited and published, I have never received as many messages as I did for the one relating to the negative experience with an interpreter. You can read that blog here.
Since publishing the article I received countless emails from deaf people who have been through similar situations, interpreting agencies offering advice and also freelance interpreters who wanted to share some tips for ensuring such a thing didn’t happen again.
So from these emails I decide to compile a list of the tips and advice that was shared with me in the hope that it will prevent future people from encountering the same difficulties. If you have anything additional to suggest, please do so in the comments.
- If you ever experience something negative linked to an interpreter and you are unhappy with their service, you can make an official complaint either directly with the agency that you booked the interpreter from or to the NRCPD*. “A lot of people worry making complaints will get them into trouble but it actually ensures we provide a high quality service and are aware of any issues that need to be resolved.”
- If you’re unable to book your preferred, usual interpreter “why not book a ‘no fee’ 15 minute Zoom call to check that you are a match with this interpreter for your work.” Please note, not every interpreter offers this or has time to do so but it can help both parties immensely and make sure you have a good rapport before you carry out work together. “It will also give the interpreter the chance to get to know you and how you communicate.”
- If you’re presenting or delivering a talk with specific jargon or themes, it is useful to send the interpreter background information first with as much context as possible. Expecting a new interpreter to interpret ‘cold’ without any prior knowledge of the job or expectations is a huge gamble! “Preparation before a job is essential for any working relationship.”
- If you are mid-meeting and you realise an interpreter is not delivering information clearly or providing an accurate voice over, you can halt the meeting and communicate by text if that’s an option or suggest you continue to liaise via email. Sometimes continuing a meeting with poor communication can be more of a hindrance than if you cancel the meeting altogether.
- Where possible, gather a pool of preferred interpreters and get to know their availability and flexibility in advance before agreeing to any last minute presentations. Your employer/client should be aware that your communication needs take precedence over any work deadline.
Has this list helped you? Could you add any suggestions? Feel free to let me know in the comments. If you have had a positive experience working with interpreters that you’d like to share – anonymously if you wish- please do get in touch with me at rebecca@rawithey.com
*The NRCPD are the national voluntary regulator of over 1,700 language service professionals including British Sign Language/English Interpreters.
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Hartmut
April 12, 2023
The problem often comes when the deaf presenter is delivering in a form of signed English. In my experience the interpretation flows better when one signed in ASL or BSL, although there are pauses between each chunk of interpreted information.
Cathy
April 12, 2023
I have worked with many different interpreters and they often initiate a form of “signed English” rather than full BSL. I have noticed this over the years and it is a disadvantage if the Deaf person has no English ability whatsoever, making communication more difficult. The other way round is just as problematic when the Deaf person is a strong BSL user and the interpreter is not used to this strong communication mode. There is little can be done when many hearies are not natural or native signers and they may not mix with many different Deaf people outside of there work, so they do not pick up the different styles of signing or speed.
deaf101
April 14, 2023
Its also a problem with electronic notetakers (ENTs), not just interpreters. There are so few ENTs on the NRCPD register – mainly because they get work regardless. However, ENTs on the ‘other’ register – the ANP – have varying qualifications and skills and there is just no way to know this until you book them. many of them type too slowly or miss out large chunks of text and many are not qualified or skilled to caption remotely. Obviously there is the option to book an STTR but they are very expensive and often harder to source. I think whomever is providing the support should be more honest on whatever register they are a member of as to their actual skills and experience. There’s also a real lack of lipspeakers, ENTs and STTRs in places like Wales, Northern Ireland an Scotland. Its sad that there is so much focus on BSL barriers but not enough on those of us who don’t use BSL. Can we have more articles relevant to the rest of us and the challenges we face?
KB
April 14, 2023
I cant comment on the original blog but I was nodding my head like Churchill the dog throughout. I am not a BSL user – I use ENTs and lipspeakers and I have the exact same problems regarding availability, rates and standard of support I recieve. If my usual pool are not available, then booking someone else is very much booking them and finding out on the day what they are like. I suspect many communication support workers who are ‘busy’ are actually just not willing to take an Access to Work booking. Standards have definitely slipped but god help you if you dare to complain.