Need a BSL interpreter? We can help!

The preferred language of thousands of people across the United Kingdom, British Sign Language (BSL) gives deaf and hard of hearing people the freedom and ability to communicate with others.

For those who don’t know sign language, a BSL interpreter can not only help others, but may open doors to new clients, customers and friends.

What is BSL?

BSL is the same as any other language, only it’s 100% visual.

Incredibly expressive, BSL uses hand shapes, facial expressions, movement and body language to communicate with others.

One of the biggest misconceptions about any sign language is that it’s a translation of English. It’s not. Sign language is a language in its own right, with regional accents and slang words.

These regional differences come from the residential schools for the deaf in the 19th and 20th Centuries, where children and teachers would have their own unique signs.

These children then grew up in that area, and so regions took on their own “accents”.

Again, just like spoken regional dialects, people can still understand one another despite the subtle differences.

Why would you need a BSL interpreter?

By using a BSL interpreter, you are first and foremost making a statement, declaring your commitment to disability access and equality for all.

In the UK alone there are an estimated 151,000 people who use BSL, with around 87,000 of those people deaf or hard of hearing.

That’s a lot of people who would be happy to use your business if a BSL interpreter was on hand.

But that’s just for business, there are of course many situations where a BSL interpreter is especially important, if not essential.

Many deaf people need an interpreter during an emergency situation, such as A&E, issues with children, or medical problems.

Usually people have to rely on family members during a medical consultation, but a BSL interpreter in hospitals and GP surgeries can easily overcome this obstacle, allowing a deaf person to have a confidential 1-to-1 meeting with their doctor.

These situations tend to already be highly stressful, and not being able to communicate compounds the problem.

121 are professional BSL interpreters

121 Captions is owned and run by deaf people who know first-hand the ease of access and benefits to business, that a professional BSL interpreter can provide.

Tina Lannin, 121 Captions’ founder and director, discovered how hard it was to get good communication support while at university and during her career, and so founded the company with the aim of making life easier for deaf and hard of hearing people.

Our core team at 121 Captions not only includes BSL interpreters, but court reporters and captioners, professional lip readers, certified lipreading teachers, and deaf awareness trainers.

If you would like to know more about British Sign Language interpreting, or any of the other services we offer, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.