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3 Overview of CurrentSign LanguageInterpretation Servicesin Ireland3.1 INTRODUCTIONThe objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of the current provisionof sign language interpretation services in Ireland. This chapter is structuredas follows:3.1 Introduction3.2 Policy and legislation3.3 Development of sign language interpretation services3.4 The key players in the sector3.5 Accessing sign language interpretation services3.6 Interpreter staffing and skills3.7 FundingData sourcesInformation in the public domain in relation to the Deaf community and signlanguage interpretation services in Ireland is very poor.When conducting reviews, information can often be hard to come by. However,in relation to this review of SLI services, the lack of official statistics was significant.For example, there are no official figures even in relation to fundamental pieces ofinformation such as the total number of Deaf people in Ireland, or the totalnumber of Irish Sign Language/English interpreters in Ireland. This situationhighlights the need to improve information and data in relation to the Deafcommunity in Ireland, and the SLI services upon which they rely.Information outlined in this chapter was gathered from a variety of sources, suchas desk and internet research, data provided by representative organisations,public bodies and booking agencies (particularly Irish Sign Link), publishedjournals and reports (e.g. SIA Group Report 2002), and the output from theconsultation process. Information sources are listed in Appendix 1.page 32 • Review of Sign Language Interpretation Services and Service Requirements in Ireland
3.1.1 Definition and background of Irish Sign LanguageIrish Sign Language (ISL) is the indigenous language of the Deaf community inIreland; it is a language that has been passed down by many generations of Deafpeople. It is a visual, spatial language with its own distinct grammar. Not only is it alanguage of the hands, but also of the face and body. It is very different to spokenEnglish and Irish Deaf people maintain it with pride.“Irish Sign Language is the daily language of approximately 5,500 people, andwhen family members are included this figure grows to 20,000," Mary CoughlanTD, former Minister for Social and Family Affairs, (2003).Like every other language around the world, Irish Sign Language has developedover many years and has been shaped by the thousands of people who use it.Just like spoken languages, primary sign languages from around the world are verydifferent from each other.Irish Sign Language arose from within Deaf communities in Ireland and wasdeveloped by Deaf people themselves. Irish Sign Language has been in existencefor hundreds of years. Research indicates that sign language was not derived fromspoken language, as it has its own unique structure and is not grammaticallyrelated to spoken English, or spoken Irish.In Ireland, there has been a long history of teaching what is known as 'SignedEnglish' - a version of signing based on English grammatical rules. Signed Englishis not viewed as a sign language but as a signing system, which developed out ofthe interaction between Deaf and hearing people; for example it has often beenused in schools for teaching Deaf children to read and write. Signed English is lesspopular than Irish Sign Language, which is used by the majority of Deaf people inIreland.3.1.2 Demographics of the Deaf community in IrelandThere are no official statistics in relation to the total number of Deaf people inIreland. Such information is currently not collected by the Central Statistics Office(CSO). The 2002 census grouped blindness, deafness, severe vision and hearingimpairment into one category, with the total number of people in this categorybeing 74,270. There is no means of extrapolating the number of Deaf people fromthis figure.The most recent official data available in relation to the demographics of theDeaf community in Ireland is contained in the CSO Quarterly National HouseholdSurvey Disability Update, Quarter 1, 2004. As shown in the table below, the CSOquarterly update indicates that in 2004 there were approximately 4,500 people inIreland with a hearing difficulty 9 (including Deafness); in 2002 that figure wasapproximately 5,600. 109 Hearing difficulty is not defined by the CSO. Candidates were asked if they had a longstanding disability, and subsequently were presented with avariety of boxes to tick about what type of disability they had. Hearing difficulty was the only category relating to deafness and as such it includedthose who are Deaf, hearing impaired and hard of hearing etc.10 The discrepancy in relation to these two figures must be viewed with caution. While it does appear that the total number of people with a hearingdifficulty declined between 2002 and 2004, a significant proportion of the difference between the figures is attributable to information gaps in the2004 data; for example the number of people with a hearing difficulty who are aged between 15-24 years, or those who live in the West of Ireland.There is no information on these categories in the 2004 data.Review of Sign Language Interpretation Services and Service Requirements in Ireland • page 33
Page 1: RESEARCH SERIESSEPTEMBER 2006Review
Page 4: 4.8 Theme 6: Accreditation and a fo
Page 7: PrefaceAs proposed in the Outline S
Page 10 and 11: Key players involved in SLI service
Page 12 and 13: Interpreter staffing and skillsIt i
Page 14 and 15: INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICEThe rese
Page 16 and 17: appears to be growing in popularity
Page 18 and 19: • Personalised service - A person
Page 20 and 21: • The establishment of a new enti
Page 22 and 23: • Further development of the Iris
Page 24 and 25: • Estimated cost in year 1 is €
Page 26 and 27: 1.3 REVIEW OBJECTIVES and SCOPE1.3.
Page 28 and 29: 2 Review Methodology2.1 APPROACHFig
Page 30 and 31: Interviews and discussions• Inter
Page 34 and 35: Table 3.1. Persons aged 15 to 64, w
Page 36 and 37: 3.2 POLICY AND LEGISLATION3.2.1 Int
Page 38 and 39: Sustaining Progress, Social Partner
Page 40 and 41: According to the Education Act 1998
Page 42 and 43: 3.4 KEY PLAYERS INVOLVED IN SLI SER
Page 44 and 45: upholding the status of Irish Sign
Page 46 and 47: 3. A Deaf user or service provider
Page 48 and 49: 3.5.3 Main reasons for accessing se
Page 50 and 51: InternetThe internet and email have
Page 52 and 53: As shown in the table above, there
Page 54 and 55: Figure 3.10. Total number of interp
Page 56 and 57: The first cohort of students on the
Page 58 and 59: Looking at the summary financial an
Page 60 and 61: 3.7.2 Overall client spend on sign
Page 62 and 63: The public sector service providers
Page 64 and 65: 4.3 THEME 1:THE NEED FOR SIGN LANGU
Page 66 and 67: subject for both Deaf and hearing s
Page 68 and 69: 4.5 THEME 3:ACCESS TO SLI SERVICES
Page 70 and 71: 4.6 THEME 4:THE QUALITY OF SLI AND
Page 72 and 73: primary client of the interpreter.
Page 74 and 75: 4.8.1 The impact of the absence of
Page 76 and 77: 4.9.3 What is neededFunding is need
Page 78 and 79: 4.10.3 A quality service on the gro
Page 80 and 81: Table 5.1. Key statistics on SLI se
Page 82 and 83:
The research has considered mainstr
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Summary• Other than where the par
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5.2.1 Linguistic approachIn all of
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Interpreting services are also prov
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5.3.1 Population distributionMost o
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5.3.3 Responsibility for booking in
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5.3.4 Sign language interpretersSal
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The use of videophones and webcams
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• It provides a flexible solution
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5.5 QUALITY OF SLI SERVICES DEFINED
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5.5.2 Interpreter training courses
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Pressure for the registration and r
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Proposal (which has been agreed wit
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• In most of the countries includ
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Table 5.6. Overview of key strength
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6 Summary ofKey Findings6.1 INTRODU
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6.3 KEY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN TH
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7 Recommended FutureModel for Deliv
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7.2 RECOMMENDED FUTURE SLI SERVICE
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Table 7.2. Key areas for improvemen
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7.3.2 Comhairle - oversight of SLI
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There are substantial risks associa
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Requirements:• Excellent project
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7.3.9 ComplaintsThe Irish Sign Lang
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number of Deaf clubs. The videophon
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7.6 OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUPPOR
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Accreditation should be linked to t
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videophone technology, piloted in t
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It is assumed that the rollout of t
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Appendix 1: Bibliographyand Referen
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www.bris.ac.uk/deaf - Bristol Centr
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SASLISLAISLISLIANZSMSTCDVCOThe Scot
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