Procedure for booking British Sign Language (BSL)/English interpreters Deaf people who are British Sign Language (BSL) users have a right to access public services through BSL/English Interpreters, and it is the responsibility of any public body to arrange for these services. Book a registered BSL/English interpreter as soon as you receive a request. Regardless of how far in advance the assignment date is, interpreters are always in demand. Give as much information about the assignment, including date, time, location and context (meeting, interview, conference). For assignments longer than 30 minutes, usually at least two interpreters are booked. For assignments longer than one hour, at least two interpreters must be booked, sometimes more depending on the number of Deaf or Deafblind BSL users present. This facilitates effective and smooth co-working and ensures the interpreters have sufficient breaks. You can book a BSL/English interpreter directly – contact details can be found on: Scottish Register of Language Professionals with the Deaf Community (SRLPDC): https://thescottishregister.co.uk National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD) https://www.nrcpd.org.uk/ The BSL/English interpreter’s registration profile may also be available to view which may support you in booking the most appropriate interpreter to work the assignment. If you know the Deaf or Deafblind person attending the assignment, you can also check with them directly about their preferred interpreters. If it is difficult to book an interpreter directly, you can contact an interpreting agency who will source an interpreter for you. You will need to ask the Disability and Learning Support Services about which interpreting agencies are currently on the list of contractors. Upon the interpreter’s arrival, you must ensure that the BSL/English interpreter is registered either through SRLPDC or NRCPD. Ask to check their badge, which may look like either of the following examples below: The cards displayed above are for demonstration purposes only. When asking to view the BSL/English interpreter’s badge, you must check it is valid and not expired. Information about booking BSL/English Interpreters is available below. Booking BSL/English Interpreters and STTR Captions AUTHOR Alison Hendry, British Sign Language (BSL) Development Officer DATE November 2021 UPDATED Dr Gabrielle Hodge, Chair of BSL Implementation Group, December 2025 If you require this information in an alternative format, please contact: disability.service@ed.ac.uk Download this page as a Word Document (604 KB): Document Procedure for booking British Sign Language (BSL)/English interpreters (Word Doc) (603.61 KB / DOCX) Download this page as a PDF (515 KB): Document Procedure for booking British Sign Language (BSL)/English interpreters (PDF) (514.39 KB / PDF) This article was published on 2024-10-29
