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 Jewell
Director
Laura Young
Office Manager
Greg Colquhoun
BSL / English interpreter
Rachel Davidson
Admin assistant
Ruth Edgoose
BSL / English interpreter
Ruth Donaldson
BSL / English interpreter
Chloe Davidson
BSL / English interpreter

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 values

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.

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Name Surname

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Name Surname

Wow we just wanted to thank you for the BSL/English interpreter for our family wedding, they were amazing and went beyond what we expected. Thank you so much for your efficient service.

Service user

Just Sign provided four BSL interpreters for our annual conference focusing on teaching and learning and two BSL interpreters for our PhD 3 Minute Thesis competition final. They were professional, well-prepared, and extremely helpful and accommodating. We appreciate their support in making our high profile University-wide events more accessible.

University of Edinburgh, Institute for Academic Development

Just Sign helped us make our events accessible and went over and above to find resources for us. A pleasure to work with from start to finish

BBC Ability Staff Network

We have worked with Just Sign for a number of years. They are always quick to respond and the team are a pleasure to work with. Their interpreters provide high-quality support for our patients and staff across a variety of services.

NHS Lothian

Thanks again for your help on this - you always make it so easy for us.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

I have used the services of Just Sign over the last 18 months. They have been providing communication support both BSL interpreters and electronic notetakers for various meetings both online and face to face meetings held all over the UK. Just Sign staff have been professional and engaging from booking support, provide support during and after each booking. The administrative staff have been excellent in responding to any queries. I want to say a huge thank you to the team and I highly recommend them!

Direct Access

Just Sign Ltd provide patients across NHS Fife with high quality, accurate and timely interpretation services that meet the needs of both our patients and health care professionals. Just Sign are trusted providers that cater their services to meet the needs of our health board and go above and beyond to cater to all our Deaf BSL-using patients. They ensure NHS Fife is supported in meeting its legal obligations to provide appropriate interpretation services as per the Equality Act 2010 and the BSL Act (Scotland) 2015.

NHS Fife

I would also like to thank the two interpreters who have supported me with translation throughout my dissertation and Just Sign Ltd Interpreting Agency for making sure I have had the interpreting support I needed throughout University.

Service user

This was our very first fully signed event and with an audience of around 700 people we needed to get it right. From the moment we contacted 'Just Sign' the support provided was first class. Both Donna and Greg, our interpreters. were fully prepared and extremely professional. They integrated really well with our team and worked exceptionally well with the choirs through the rehearsals, held just prior to the event, and throughout the show that evening. Both brought enthusiasm and energy which helped to enhance our event. Feedback from our choirs, schools and the wider audience were just fantastic. We will be using Just Signs services again and would highly recommend them.

The Scottish Primary School Glee Challenge, The Frisson Foundation

Thank you very much for providing the BSL/English interpretation at the event last week. We really appreciated the interpreter coming along and providing the service at such short notice. They were brilliant - we received lots of positive feedback about their interpretation.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh

FAQs

What does a BSL interpreter do?

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.

Why do I need an interpreter?

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.

Why do I need to book interpreters in advance?

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.

How do I book an interpreter?

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.

How do I know if the interpreter booking is confirmed?

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.

What do I do if I need to change the booking, or make a cancellation?

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

We'd love to hear from you

office@justsign.co.uk
0345 646 0446
07778 733 981
Just Sign Ltd
1 Haypark Business Centre
Marchmont Avenue
Polmont
FK2 0NZ
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