Background

Why a co-op?

The history of interpreting in the UK over the last ten years has meant more agencies providing interpreting and other services for Deaf people. Many of these are spoken language agencies, who have no knowledge of British Sign Language (BSL), Deaf people or their needs. Often complaints are not listened to, and change or improvements are too slow. Deaf people have less choice and control over the services they receive.

Deaf people and interpreters experience many problems with agencies but if we worked together these could be solved.

Our aim is to have a user-led organisation where we talk to each other and make sure services work for all users: Deaf people, professionals and organisations that need to book interpreters such as hospitals, banks and people who run events.

We also need to be a viable business that brings in profits to support the purpose and mission of the co-op.

It is important that interpreters have support and training and that Deaf people have a say in how interpreting services are run and delivered. That way we can make sure that experienced and valued interpreters stay in the profession and that Deaf people's access is safeguarded for the future.