- Aim: To deliver high-quality communication support for people who are deaf.
- Impact: In the past year, we co-ordinated the delivery
of 19,544 communication
assignments: 17,676 BSL/English interpreting assignments and 1,868
other communication support assignments for people whose first language
is English. This enables people who are deaf to participate in work meetings,
to attend doctor or hospital appointments, and to be able to communicate
on an equal basis in many other vital or every day services. Our aim was
to deliver 21,000 assignments, but the shortfall was partly due to the
ongoing shortage of communication professionals available to deliver the
support needed. We now have 549 registered from across the UK who have
signed up to work with us.
Our Communication Services were awarded the quality standard ISO 9001:2000 by the British Standards Institute (BSI), the world's most established quality framework.To view this BSL video you need to install the Flash Player and ensure Javascript is enabled in your browser
- Aim: To increase the quantity and quality of communication professionals available to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Impact: Our
interpreter development work has resulted in another 14 new interpreters
joining the professional register, enabling more people who are deaf or
hard of hearing to access vital and everyday services. Eleven other interpreters
were supported to rise to higher levels within the register. We ran eight
British Sign Language (BSL) courses, at Levels 3 and 4, with more than
60 students improving their signing skills to the highest levels. All
our students work in some capacity with children or adults who are deaf,
and some of our students are themselves deaf.
See our impact in Scotland.To view this BSL video you need to install the Flash Player and ensure Javascript is enabled in your browser
- Aim: To work towards better mental health services for people who are deaf.
- Impact: We have part funded and been involved in developing
the Certificate in Mental Health and Deafness with the University of Birmingham,
which will provide excellent learning and development for staff working
with people who are deaf and have mental health needs, including RNID
staff. We have also worked with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)
to develop a DVD in British Sign Language (BSL) which explains the Mental
Capacity Act to people who are deaf. This is distributed by OPG nationally
and has been hugely popular with more than 1,000 DVDs requested ensuring
that people who are deaf are more aware of their rights.
See our impact in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.To view this BSL video you need to install the Flash Player and ensure Javascript is enabled in your browser