Communication servicesfor deaf and hard of

hearing people

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Choosing a serviceYou can choose a communication service that suits youand your needs. If you’re not sure, ask for advice whenmaking a booking, or contact the RNID InformationLine (see the back cover for details). We havefactsheets on all the services described in this leaflet.

Booking a serviceTo find out how to book a communication service,contact the RNID Information Line. Services are in greatdemand across the UK, so it’s best to book at least fourto six weeks in advance. But it is always worth trying atthe last minute if you need to. Video interpreting isdesigned to be available at very short notice.

When you book, it’s important to give information aboutthe assignment, including dates, times and the fulladdress of the venue. It also helps if you can supplysome background information – is it a meeting, aninterview or a conference, how many people areinvolved, how long will it last?

You usually need to book a communication service for atleast two hours. Most start from around £90 for aminimum booking but speech-to-text reporting is moreexpensive. Video interpreting costs less, but it’s onlyappropriate for short periods of time. However, prices forcommunication services do vary, so check beforemaking a booking.

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About this leafletThis leaflet is written for deaf, deafened and hard ofhearing people who want to find out aboutcommunication services. Hearing people who need tobook a service may also find this leaflet useful. Weuse the term deaf people to refer to deaf, deafenedand hard of hearing people throughout this leaflet. Wealso tell you about communication services fordeafblind people – deafblind interpreters andcommunicator guides.

This leaflet covers:• BSL/English interpreters, including video

interpreting services. (BSL means British SignLanguage.)

• Communication support workers.• Deafblind interpreters and communicator guides.• Lipspeakers.• Notetakers.• Electronic notetakers.• Speech-to-text reporters.

Contact the RNID Information Line for more

information aboutcommunication services

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What about confidentiality?People who provide communication services followstrict guidelines. This means their work is absolutelyconfidential and they should not tell anyone else whatis said in an assignment. They are also impartial,which means they are not allowed to offer opinionswhile working. All BSL/English interpreters used byRNID are registered with CACDP (the Council for theAdvancement of Communication with Deaf People)and adhere to its code of ethics.

Help with paying forcommunication servicesIf you are deaf or deafblind you won’t usually have topay for the communication services you need. Findout more about the following: • The Government’s Access to Work scheme may

help to pay for communication services you needat work or, if you are unemployed, for interviews.

• The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) mayrequire service providers, such as hospitals anddoctors, to provide communication services.

• If you are a student you may be able to get help topay for communication services, or your educationprovider may have to provide them under the DDA.

• You might be able to claim a benefit calledDisability Living Allowance, if you need help tocommunicate with others.

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BSL/English interpretersDeaf people whose first or preferred language is BSLuse BSL/English interpreters. A BSL/English interpretercan make it easier for a deaf sign language user and ahearing person to communicate with each other. Aninterpreter interprets from one language to the other. Inthe UK, this will usually be from BSL to spoken orwritten English, or vice-versa.

Make sure you book an interpreter who has completedapproved interpreter training and who is registered witheither CACDP or SASLI (Scottish Association of SignLanguage Interpreters). Your interpreters will need abreak roughly every 30 minutes. For longerassignments you should book two interpreters.

Video interpretingAlthough most interpreting is done face-to-face,several organisations, including RNID, now offer avideo interpreting service. Video interpreting is not areplacement for face-to-face interpreting. But it hasbeen set up to try and solve the problem of getting aninterpreter at short notice or for brief appointments.Anyone with access to a videophone and ISDN2 linecan book a video interpreter.

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BSL/Englishinterpreters workwith people whosefirst or preferredlanguage is BSL

LipspeakersLipspeakers work with people who prefer tocommunicate through lipreading and speech. Youshould be a confident lipreader with good English skillsto use one. Both deaf and hearing people can uselipspeakers to help them communicate with each other.

Lipspeakers repeat what is said without using theirvoice, so that you can lipread them easily. Theyproduce the shape of words clearly, with the flow,rhythm and phrasing of speech. They use naturalgestures and facial expressions to help you follow whatis being said. They will also use fingerspelling if you askthem to.

Lipspeakers are qualified at two levels, level 2 and level3, and you should book one who is at the right level forthe assignment. Level 2 lipspeakers are not trained towork in large conferences or in workplace assignmentswhere the speed of speech is very fast. Level 3lipspeakers edit down fast speech, without losing themeaning of what is said. Your lipspeaker will need abreak about every 30 minutes. For assignments that aremore than two hours long, you should book twolipspeakers. Ask for advice when making a booking.

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Communication supportworkersCommunication support workers support deaf people,usually in an educational setting. They provide helpwith communication between you, your tutor and otherstudents on your course. The support they offerdepends on your needs. They will use clearcommunication and may take notes, interpret, orcommunicate in BSL or Sign Supported English(SSE), depending on their skills.

Their rate of pay varies a lot and depends on whatsupport they offer.

Deafblind interpreters andcommunicator guidesDeafblind people and hearing or sighted people usedeafblind interpreters or communicator guides tocommunicate with each other.

Interpreters and communicator guides work with arange of communication methods including BSL,hands-on-signing, clear communication, the BlockAlphabet, the Deafblind Manual Alphabet andspeech-to-braille. • Deafblind interpreters work in more formal settings,

such as on training courses. • Communicator guides work more informally. For

example, they could help you write a letter, or theymay go out with you to help with an everydayactivity like shopping.

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Lipspeakers work with people whoprefer to communicate throughlipreading and speech

Electronic notetakersElectronic notetakers work with deaf people who arecomfortable reading English, as all notes are typed inEnglish. They can also help hearing people who wantto communicate with deaf people.

Electronic notetakers type a summary of what is beingsaid, on a computer. This information then appears onthe screen, so you can read it. Electronic notetakingmeans you have fewer words to read compared tospeech-to-text reporting but it does mean you won’tget a full word-for-word report. If you would ratherhave a word-for-word transcript of everything that issaid, you may prefer to use a speech-to-text reporter.

Electronic notetakers use special software, like RNIDSpeedText® or Stereotype. They use two laptopcomputers – one for you and one for the operator. Youcan read a summary of what has been said on yourscreen. You can also type a reply, which the operatorcan read to hearing people in the room.

Your electronic notetaker will need a break aboutevery 30 minutes. You should book two forassignments that are two hours or longer.

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NotetakersA notetaker works with deaf people who arecomfortable reading English. Notetakers are trained totakes notes for deaf people in meetings, on courses,or at other events. Notetakers can be flexible and willwrite notes in a way that suits you. If they arehandwriting notes, it may take you a bit of time to getused to their handwriting.

It is quite common for someone to have a notetakeras well as another communication service. If you arewatching a sign language interpreter or lipspeaker, itis impossible to take notes and follow what is beingsaid at the same time.

Notetakers may specialise in a particular field. Forexample, if you are taking a science degree atuniversity, it’s important that your notetaker knowssomething about the subject. If you have very specificneeds, you may need to spend time finding the rightnotetaker to support you.

Your notetaker will need regular breaks. You shouldnot expect them to work through lunch and coffeebreaks, unless this is necessary and part of thecourse, in which case you may need to book twonotetakers.

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Electronic notetakers work withdeaf people who are comfortablereading English

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Speech-to-text reportersSpeech-to-text reporting is suitable for deaf peoplewho are comfortable reading English, often at highspeed and sometimes for up to a couple of hours at atime. Speech-to-text reporters also use systems calledPalantype® or Stenograph®.

A speech-to-text reporter uses a special keyboard totype every word that is spoken by a speaker. Theytype words phonetically – how they sound rather thanhow they’re spelt. This is then converted back intoEnglish. Everything that is typed appears on acomputer screen. By typing in this way, the reportercan keep up with the speed of spoken English. Theresulting English is usually spelt at least 95% correctlyand the remaining words are spelt roughly how theysound.

At large events, information can be projected on to abig screen or on to smaller screens around the room.This makes it easier to view.

Normally, you will only need one speech-to-textreporter. However, you should discuss this when youmake a booking. If only one is booked, you shouldmake arrangements for regular breaks.

www.rnid.org.uk

RNID’s vision is of a world wheredeafness and hearing loss are notbarriers to opportunity and fulfilment.RNID is the largest charity representing the 9 milliondeaf and hard of hearing people in the UK. As amembership charity, we aim to achieve a radicallybetter quality of life for deaf and hard of hearingpeople. We do this by campaigning and lobbyingvigorously, by raising awareness of deafness andhearing loss, by providing services and throughsocial, medical and technical research.

This leaflet is part of RNID’s communicationrange.Published in February 2004.

Some photographs in this leaflet were posed by models.

0481/inf417.0204 Registered Charity No. 207720Photography Elaine Duigenan, Alex Segre, Chris Kelly

RNID Information LineContact us for a range of information on deafness and hearing loss.RNID Information Line, 19-23 Featherstone Street, London EC1Y 8SLTelephone 0808 808 0123 Textphone 0808 808 9000Fax 020 7296 8199 informationline@rnid.org.uk www.rnid.org.uk

RNID Tinnitus HelplineContact us for information and advice about tinnitus.RNID Tinnitus Helpline, 19-23 Featherstone Street, London EC1Y 8SLTelephone 0808 808 6666 Textphone 0808 808 0007Fax 020 7296 8199 tinnitushelpline@rnid.org.uk www.rnid.org.uk

RNID Sound AdvantageWe sell a range of equipment for deaf and hard of hearing people.RNID Sound Advantage, 1 Haddonbrook Business Centre, Orton Southgate, Peterborough PE2 6YXTelephone 0870 789 8855 Textphone 01733 238020Fax 0870 789 8822 solutions@rnid.org.uk www.rnidshop.com