Wakefield council goes one better
Wakefield Council has unveiled its new communication and interpreting service.
Deaf people from across the district will now have access to council sign language interpreters, who will attend pre-booked appointments with places such as banks, doctors and solicitors.
Deaf residents will be given a card to show at public places explaining that they require an interpreter and a dedicated telephone number is available for deaf people to contact the assisted communication service via text message.
Duncan Wood, chairman of Wakefield Deaf Society, welcomed the scheme and said: "The interpreter service is there to ensure that the deaf fully understand what communications are happening in situations involving them, for example, when they go and see a doctor.
"Deaf people in the past have taken the wrong medication as a result, but this won't happen now with an interpreter explaining everything."
Bev Hetherington, service co-ordinator, said: "Deaf people are used to not getting the best of services and often being left in the dark, but times are changing and we want to improve the level of service they receive.
"People forget that deaf people's first language is signing and English their second, so merely writing things down is not enough.
"And everyone is a potential service user because anyone of us could become deaf and need support in communicating."
