Meet our team of BSL interpreters
Donna Jewell
Donna is the owner and director of Just Sign, as well as a BSL/English interpreter. Donna qualified in 2013 and is a registered interpreter with the Scottish Register (SRLPDC). Just Sign is also a registered agency with SRLPDC.
Taking ownership of Just Sign in October 2015, Donna enlisted the help of her father, whose parents were Deaf BSL users themselves. Therefore, his knowledge of the Deaf community, culture and history along with his extensive knowledge of working for local government helped Donna with the initial transition into owning a business.
Having been brought up within the Deaf community, Donna and her team ensure that the needs of the community are at the heart of everything they do. Donna's understanding of the interpreter landscape, the Deaf community's needs and her business acumen see Just Sign being recognised as an ethical team who care about offering a great quality of access.
Donna and her team are committed to bridging the communication gap between the Deaf community and the Hearing community and ‘Making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work and visit’ (BSL Scotland Act 2015).
Our team
A company is nothing without its people, and we believe we have the best.
Donna and her team are committed to bridging the communication gap between the Deaf community and the Hearing community and ‘Making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work and visit’ (BSL Scotland Act 2015).
To make our customers' lives easier
Trust
Our customers have the trust and confidence that we have everything in hand.
Educate
We help, we educate, walk you through every step of the way.
Community
To empower and give Deaf people the same access.
Customer testimonials
What our customers really think of us.
FAQs
BSL interpreters are trained to translate between British Sign Language (BSL) and spoken or written English in a variety of domains. Interpreters will facilitate communication between Deaf and hearing participants, and work to ensure that everyone understands and can fully participate in the conversation. BSL interpreters are registered with an appropriate registration body. Just Sign interpreters are required to be registered with either Scottish Register of Language Professionals with the Deaf Community (SRLPDC) or National Registers of Communication Professionals with the Deaf and Deafblind Community (NRCPD). All interpreters are required to follow a code of professional conduct, and any information discussed during an interpreted conversation will be treated confidentially by the interpreter. BSL interpreters are expected to act in an impartial manner. It is not the role of an interpreter to offer advice or personal opinions, nor to advocate on behalf of a Deaf person.
Deaf BSL users prefer to use BSL as this is their first language. British Sign Language has a different grammatical structure and is linguistically different from English. Lip-reading is also not an appropriate method of communication as studies have shown that only around 20% to 30% of what is being said can be understood through lip-reading, with the remaining information having to be guessed based on context. Lip-reading is also only a one-way communication method, as the Deaf person may not be able to make themselves understood by the hearing person.
Interpreters will often book work weeks and even months in advance. In recent years, demand for BSL interpreters has increased dramatically, so it is recommended that you request an interpreter as far in advance as possible. Although we will always endeavour to secure interpreters for last-minute requests, we cannot guarantee provision as interpreters may have less availability at short notice. It is important to recognise that interpreters may choose not to work in specific domains, which further limits availability for booking interpreters.
There are several options to get in touch with us and arrange an interpreter. If you would like to speak to our team directly, please call our office on 0345 646 0446. Alternatively, click on the Enquire button at the top of the page, which will take you to a Contact form on our website to request an interpreter. In this form you will be asked to provide details about your appointment/event, including date, time, duration, and details of what the event is about, as well as your contact information. Please be aware that submitting this form is only a request for us to begin the process of securing an interpreter. It does not guarantee that an interpreter has been booked.
Once we have an interpreter secured for the time and date you have requested, we will send an email confirming the booking. If we are unable to secure an interpreter, we will contact you to offer alternative times or dates where an interpreter has indicated that they have availability, if these are suitable to you.
Please contact office@justsign.co.uk immediately to advise of any changes. This may incur a cancellation fee as per our Terms & Conditions, which are detailed within our confirmation letter.
Still have questions?
Check out our FAQ page for all our FAQs
Contact us
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1 Haypark Business Centre
Marchmont Avenue
Polmont
FK2 0NZ