Miss-Delectable
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Brighter signs for region’s deaf as training increased - icWales
TWENTY future sign language interpreters are being trained in South Wales as part of a bid to make it easier for deaf people to access services.
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People hopes that the interpreters being trained on its British Sign Language futures scheme will help tackle long waits for the hard of hearing who want translation services when they see their GP or meet a council officer.
Sign language training officer Sarah Smith, 44, who works at the RNID in Cardiff, said the idea was to speed up the time deaf people had to wait for vital appointments.
She said: “If you are ill most people can see their GP that day.
“ It’s more difficult for a deaf person, often they have to wait two or three weeks for an appointment.
“The idea is to make it easier for deaf people to access services by increasing the number of interpreters.
“But the service providers still have to pay for them, which many of them don’t realise.”
Deaf people across the region have been engaged in long-running battles with authorities like Cardiff council over the provision and payment for interpreting facilities.
Earlier this year, the British Deaf Association criticised Cardiff over its unwillingness to pay for interpreters, and there are only believed to be around seven or eight working in the city.
Among those going through the full-time training are Olivia Rettar, 54, of Rhiwderin, Newport, and Claire Anderson, 30, of Porth.
Both study full-time and take part in placements with local authorities, emergency services and other agencies with the aim of raising awareness among frontline workers about the needs of deaf people.
Grandmother Olivia, who hopes to be fully qualified by the middle of 2009, said: “All of us have been on placements with the council, police, ambulance and hospitals through the whole of Wales.”
In total, 30 people are on the scheme which was given £2.7m of funding by the Welsh Assembly Government in 2006 using £1.1m of European money.
Claire, who moved from Newcastle to join the British Sign Language futures scheme, is expecting to be partly qualified in 2009 and said they were negotiating with local authorities over which services the trainees would be allowed to translate for.
TWENTY future sign language interpreters are being trained in South Wales as part of a bid to make it easier for deaf people to access services.
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People hopes that the interpreters being trained on its British Sign Language futures scheme will help tackle long waits for the hard of hearing who want translation services when they see their GP or meet a council officer.
Sign language training officer Sarah Smith, 44, who works at the RNID in Cardiff, said the idea was to speed up the time deaf people had to wait for vital appointments.
She said: “If you are ill most people can see their GP that day.
“ It’s more difficult for a deaf person, often they have to wait two or three weeks for an appointment.
“The idea is to make it easier for deaf people to access services by increasing the number of interpreters.
“But the service providers still have to pay for them, which many of them don’t realise.”
Deaf people across the region have been engaged in long-running battles with authorities like Cardiff council over the provision and payment for interpreting facilities.
Earlier this year, the British Deaf Association criticised Cardiff over its unwillingness to pay for interpreters, and there are only believed to be around seven or eight working in the city.
Among those going through the full-time training are Olivia Rettar, 54, of Rhiwderin, Newport, and Claire Anderson, 30, of Porth.
Both study full-time and take part in placements with local authorities, emergency services and other agencies with the aim of raising awareness among frontline workers about the needs of deaf people.
Grandmother Olivia, who hopes to be fully qualified by the middle of 2009, said: “All of us have been on placements with the council, police, ambulance and hospitals through the whole of Wales.”
In total, 30 people are on the scheme which was given £2.7m of funding by the Welsh Assembly Government in 2006 using £1.1m of European money.
Claire, who moved from Newcastle to join the British Sign Language futures scheme, is expecting to be partly qualified in 2009 and said they were negotiating with local authorities over which services the trainees would be allowed to translate for.