Residents will soon be able to use a new British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting service when talking to council officers.
The service – set to go live on Thursday, 19 September – will give instant access to a BSL video interpreter for Medway’s deaf and hard of hearing community, when engaging with council services online from their smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC.
Medway is one of the few local authorities locally to offer the system, which can be accessed through Medway Council’s website, or via the InterpretersLive! app or website.
When using the system, residents can click on a link and a BSL interpreter will appear on their screen to find out which service they require. The interpreter will then call the relevant department and assist with a conversation.
Where the council officer is not able to help directly, a ‘call back’ can be arranged via videolink at a future date.
Demonstrations and assistance with the system will be available at two sessions on Thursday, 19 September:
- 2pm at Chatham Library and Community Hub, Dock Road, Chatham,
- 6.30pm at Medway Deaf Club, at Palm Cottage, Canterbury Street, Gillingham.
Representatives from InterpretersLive! will be at both sessions to help demonstrate the service.
If you would like any further information or to attend either session, please contact cis@medway.gov.uk.
Improving customer experience
Cllr Teresa Murray, Deputy Leader of Medway Council and Portfolio Holder for Public Health, said: “The new InterpretersLive! system is a great addition to our council services, and another great step in improving customer experience for those engaging with the council. We already offer drop-in sessions with BSL interpreters and text relay services for residents who are deaf or hard of hearing, but communication can still be difficult for those who use BSL as their first language. This will greatly improve our ability to help them, and I would urge anyone interested to head along to the drop-in sessions to learn more about it.”
Find out more about services for deaf and hard of hearing residents.