Enabling access to public services through signed language interpreting
Public service settings
Signed language interpreting takes place in many public service settings – for example, a parent–teacher meeting at the school of a hearing child of a deaf parent, a medical consultation or a funeral. In these situations, signed language interpreters enable deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind signers to communicate with people who are not familiar with their signed language.
Short meetings (up to an hour) without special requirements can usually be covered by a single interpreter. Longer communicative events, such as a town-hall meeting, typically require at least two interpreters working together.
Because many public service interactions are one-to-one, people unfamiliar with signed language interpreting may assume the interpreter is a participant. In fact, the interpreter’s role is solely to enable communication, not to take part in the discussion. Their task is to provide an accurate and culturally appropriate interpretation while maintaining confidentiality.
Signed languages are not universal. Before booking, clients should confirm which signed and spoken languages will be used at the meeting and ensure that properly trained and qualified interpreters are engaged. Signers may prefer to recommend interpreters they work with regularly. Providing a brief outline of the meeting’s content helps interpreters prepare effectively. Although interpreters are skilled in interpreting a wide range of topics, it is still important to check their qualifications and specific expertise for the assignment.
Many EU countries have legislation and regulations in place to ensure deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind people have access to signed language interpreting. The scope of provision varies by country and may be limited, for example, in the number of funded hours available or the availability of interpreters.
Legal settings
Signed language interpreters work in various legal settings, from the courtroom to the police station. An interpreter must hold specific qualifications to work in a legal setting. This can usually be verified through a national registry of legal interpreters or a comparable national or regional certification system.
Interpreters are bound by a professional code of conduct, which includes confidentiality, impartiality, accuracy and fidelity. For example, the Code of Conduct for Registrants and Regulated Trainees of the UK’s National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People, and the Register of Irish Sign Language Interpreters Code of Conduct. These:
- set out obligations regarding confidentiality, impartiality, accuracy and professional competence (including continuing professional development)
- outline mechanisms for managing conflicts of interest and complaints.
Depending on the situation, one or two interpreters may be required. National rules in the country where the proceedings take place set the requirements for interpreting services. In criminal proceedings, EU Directive 2010/64/EU on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings applies, including in those concerning the European Arrest Warrant.
JUSTISIGNS
JUSTISIGNS is an EU-funded initiative that identifies the skills required for signed language interpreting in legal settings and provides training for qualified and trainee interpreters.
The project highlights a critical issue: laws are often applied based on assumptions that do not account for deaf people, overlooking their cultural, linguistic, and social realities. Such assumptions can lead to unequal access to justice and undermine the principle that justice protects deaf people’s individual rights.
JUSTISIGNS identifies several contributing factors, including:
- the limited or non-recognised status of signed languages, restricting access to information at all stages of the legal process
- a limited understanding within legal settings of the constraints of interpreting between any two languages – challenges that are compounded when working between a spoken and a signed language
- a limited awareness among legal professionals of the historical, educational and cultural background of deaf people.
These factors emphasise the importance of ensuring that signers have access to qualified signed language interpreters in legal settings.