|
British Sign Language (BSL) is just one of the many languages that Prestige Network provides translations to and from, enabling communication between Deaf* and hearing people via the use of a skilled BSL /English Interpreter. Without proper interpreter provision, the Deaf community will not always get the most out of conferences, business meetings, trade-related events, family events, shows and performances, and anywhere else a language barrier can be encountered. Participation in such an event is often a two-way process, and a British Sign Language / English Interpreter can enable Deaf and hearing people to fully understand each other’s contributions, resulting in a more successful and productive experience. |
|
*Conventionally, using the word ‘Deaf’ (with a capital ‘D’) refers to a person whose preferred language is British Sign Language (BSL) whereas ‘deaf’ (with a lowercase ‘d’) refers to any person with a significant hearing loss.
British Sign Language (BSL) is a language all of its own and involves communication by hand gestures, facial expressions as well as body movements. It is classed as a visual-spatial language and is a very full bodied and detailed language. It may be faster to speak words than to create a sign, but this does not mean that communicating in BSL is slower than a spoken language. Because our eyes can perceive multiple signals and signs are combined with movements of the head, face and body, the BSL conversation is as fluent as a verbal one.
It was not until March 2003 that the UK government recognized British Sign Language as an official minority language. This has fortunately led to an increased awareness of the language which now has a similar status to that of other minority national languages such as Gaelic and Welsh. It is estimated by the Department of Work and Pensions that British Sign Language is the first language of nearly 70,000 people in the UK.
Think about the diversity of the different cultures within the global community. The vibrant colourful dialects, range of expression and the cultural elements involved in each language. British Sign Language is the same, with its own vocabulary, grammatical rules and expressions as well as regional dialects. Prestige Network’s British Sign Language / English Interpreters offer a perfect facilitation service across-the-board, enabling hearing people and the Deaf community to communicate with each other. A skilled British Sign Language / English Interpreter will communicate the feeling and emotions expressed as well as the literal meaning.
British Sign Language / English Interpreting is an important area for you to consider for your business and making your services more accessible to Deaf people. A British Sign Language / English Interpreter can be used in any situation where communication is key - from anything from business negotiations to religious occasions, training seminars to open days, and in a variety of environments such as legal, educational, medical, social or personal related.
Our interpreters are highly trained in British Sign Language as well as English and we work only with qualified and/or registered BSL / English Interpreters. British Sign Language (BSL) used by a professional interpreter can assist in bridging the communication barrier between Deaf and hearing people.
All our British Sign Language / English Interpreting staff abide to a strict code of conduct relating to impartiality and confidentiality. Our BSL / English Interpreters are very sensitive to their role, especially in legal issues. Their role is simply to provide an impartial interpretation of all communication and not to offer advice or opinions - even when asked. Their strict code of ethics also mandates that all communication will remain confidential.
As well as providing face-to-face British Sign Language / English Interpreters, we can assist you in making your website, video clips and video material more accessible to the Deaf community.
Our clients often congratulate us on the manner and expertise with which we deliver our projects to them. It is not only that our Project Manager regularly updates them on the progress of the job but also the customer service that they receive before and after its completion.
Apart from offering other language services (translation, interpreting into more than 300 languages, language consultancy and diversity training), we assist our clients with multilingual publishing, website localisation, voice-over and transcription assignments and more.
Prestige Network is able to provide British Sign Language / English Interpreters to most counties and towns in England, Scotland & Wales. See areas covered listed below (not in any particular order):
Banffshire Banff Buckie Paignton Keith Macduff Ellon Turriff Angus/Forfarshire Chesterfield Forfar Dundee Arbroath Brechin Montrose Carnoustie Kirriemuir Argyllshire Inveraray Oban Dunoon Campbeltown Lochgilphead Tobermory Ayrshire Ayr Kilmarnock Irvine Saltcoats Kilwinning Newtown Welshpool Largs Troon Cumnock Portsoy Dufftown Berwickshire Chester Stockport Birkenhead Wallasey Runcorn Macclesfield Crewe Cornwall Greenlaw Duns Linton Cheshire Bodmin Truro Camborne Buxton Matlock Ashbourne Redruth St. Austell Falmouth Penzance Newquay Carlisle Whitehaven Workington Penrith Keswick Brampton Derbyshire Derby Ilkeston Swadlincote Devon Newton Abbot Tavistock Dorset Ffestiniog Barmouth Manchester Harlech Monmouthshire/Sir Fynwy Monmouth Newport Blackwood Cwmbran Abergavenny Lowestoft Chepstow Tredegar Montgomeryshire/Sir Drefaldwyn Montgomery Machynlleth Llanidloes Pembrokeshire/Sir Benfro Pembroke Milford Haven Haverfordwest Fishguard Tenby Poole Cumberland Weymouth Wimborne Huntingdonshire Huntingdon St. Ives St. Neots Ramsey Yaxley Kent Maidstone Canterbury Bromley Plymouth Torquay Barnstaple Rochester Margate Folkestone Dover Greenwich Lancashire Preston Nottingham Mansfield Worksop Newark Retford Southwell Oxfordshire Sherborne Bolton Warrington Barrow-in-Furness Melton Mowbray Dorchester Coalville Lutterworth Lincolnshire Lincoln Grimsby Scunthorpe Boston Grantham Stamford Skegness Louth Middlesex Somerset City of London Harrow Enfield Staines Ealing Potters Bar Westminster Norfolk Lancaster Liverpool King's Lynn Dereham Cromer Hunstanton Northampton Peterborough Corby Kettering Wellingborough Northumberland Alnwick Newcastle-upon-Tyne Morpeth Hexham Berwick-upon-Tweed Nottinghamshire Oxford Banbury Witney Bicester Henley-on-Thames Carterton Thame Rutland Oakham Uppingham. Cottesmore Shropshire Shrewsbury Telford Oswestry Bridgnorth Whitchurch Market Drayton Ludlow Taunton Nairnshire Bath Weston-super-Mare Yeovil Bridgwater Wells Glastonbury Staffordshire Stafford Stoke-on-Trent Wolverhampton Walsall Northamptonshire Cannock Lichfield Suffolk Ipswich Bury Wakefield Cardiganshire/Ceredigion Cardigan Barnsley Rotherham Great Yarmouth Newport Minster Shaftesbury Durham Durham Sunderland Stockton-on-Tees Darlington Hartlepool Gateshead Washington Essex Chelmsford Basildon Romford Southend Colchester Harlow Brentwood West Ham Gloucestershire Gloucester Bristol Cheltenham Stroud Cirencester Tewkesbury Hampshire Winchester Southampton Portsmouth Bournemouth Basingstoke Holywell Buckley St. Asaph Norwich Herefordshire Hereford Ross-on-Wye Leominster Ledbury Bromyard Kington Hertfordshire Hertford Watford St. Albans Hemel Hempstead Stevenage Hatfield WALES Anglesey/Sir Fon Beaumaris Holyhead Llangefni Scarborough Amlwch Menai Bridge Brecknockshire/Sir Frycheiniog Brecon Builth Wells Hay-on-Wye Talgarth Llanwrtwd Wells Caernarfonshire/Sir Gaernarfon Exeter Tiverton Caernarfon Nairn Auldearn Cawdor Ferness Orkney Bangor Llandudno Conwy Pwllheli Porthmadog Carmarthenshire/Sir Gaerfyrddin Kilsyth Bridge of Allan Denny Alva Sutherland Ammanford Llandovery Kidwelly Middlesbrough Whitby St. Clears Aberystwyth Lampeter St. Edmunds Felixstowe Sudbury Haverhill Bungay Surrey Guildford Croydon Woking Sutton Kingston-on-Thames Wandsworth Wimbledon Brixton Sussex Chichester Brighton Worthing Crawley Hastings Eastbourne Tullibody Dumfriesshire Dumfries Bognor Regis Horsham UK Warwickshire Warwick Birmingham Coventry Nuneaton Rugby Penicuik Dalkeith Bonnyrigg Morayshire Solihull Stratford-upon-Avon Westmorland Appleby Kendal Windermere Ambleside Kirkby Lonsdale Wiltshire Trowbridge Salisbury Swindon Devizes Marlborough Warminster Worcestershire Worcester Dudley Kidderminster Stourbridge Halesowen Malvern Evesham Carmarthen Llanelli Yorkshire Northallerton Beverley Hull Bridlington Driffield Hornsea Filey Wakefield Bradford Halifax Harrogate Selkirkshire Doncaster New Quay Tregaron Denbighshire/Sir Ddinbych Denbigh Wrexham Ruthin Abergele Llangollen Flintshire/Sir Fflint Mold Flint Rhyl Prestatyn Connah's Quay Glamorgan/Morgannwg Cardiff Swansea Merthyr Chippenham Tydfil Barry Caerphilly Bridgend Neath Pontypridd Merioneth/Meirionnydd Dolgellau Bala Tywyn Blaenau St. David's Radnorshire/Sir Faesyfed Presteigne Llandrindod Wells Knighton Rhayader New Radnor SCOTLAND Leicestershire Leicester Loughborough Hinckley Aberdeenshire Aberdeen Peterhead Fraserburgh Inverurie Huntley Eyemouth Lauder Coldstream Buteshire Rothesay Millport Brodick Lochranza Cromartyshire Cromarty Ullapool Newton Stewart Whithorn ENGLAND Caithness Wick Thurso Halkirk Castletown Clackmannanshire Clackmannan Alloa Tillicoultry Annan Lockerbie Moffat Sanquhar Langholm Gretna Grangemouth Dornoch Helmsdale Brora Golspie Lairg Durness Tongue West Lothian/Linlithgowshire Linlithgow Livingston Bo'ness Broxburn Whitburn Armadale Bathgate Wigtownshire Wigtown Stranraer Bedfordshire Bedford Luton Dunstable Leighton Buzzard Leeds Sheffield Biggleswade Sandy Renfrew Paisley Greenock Johnstone Berkshire Reading Bracknell Maidenhead Newbury Thatcham Windsor Wokingham Abingdon Buckinghamshire Aylesbury Milton Keynes Slough Buckingham High Wycombe Cambridgeshire Cambridge Wisbech Ely March Whittlesey Chatteris Dunbartonshire/Dumbartonshire Dumbarton Clydebank Cumbernauld Helensburgh Alexandria Kirkintilloch East Lothian/Haddingtonshire Haddington North Berwick Dunbar Tranent East Linton Fife Cupar Dunfermline Glenrothes Kirkcaldy St. Andrews Cowdenbeath Burntisland Inverness-shire Inverness Fort William Kingussie Newtonmore Portree Kincardineshire Stonehaven Banchory Laurencekirk Inverbervie Kinross-shire Kinross Milnathort Kirkcudbrightshire Kircudbright Castle Douglas Dalbeattie New Galloway Lanarkshire Lanark Glasgow East Kilbride Hamilton Motherwell Coatbridge Carluke Midlothian/Edinburghshire Edinburgh Musselburgh Elgin Forres Rothes Lossiemouth Fochabers Nairnshire Nairn Auldearn Cawdor Ferness Orkney Kirkwall Sromness Balfour Peeblesshire Peebles Innerleithen West Linton Perthshire Perth Crieff Pitlochry Callander Blairgowrie Rattray Coupar Angus Kincardine Renfrewshire Port Glasgow Barrhead York Kilmalcolm Ross-shire Dingwall Stornaway Tain Alness Invergorden Roxburghshire Jedburgh Hawick Kelso Melrose Roxburgh Selkirk Clovenfords Galashiels Shetland Lerwick Scalloway Baltasound Stirlingshire Stirling Falkirk