Human Notetakers vs Technology: A Comparison
In today’s world, technology offers numerous advantages, constantly evolving to benefit users. However, it’s crucial to recognise the importance of human notetakers amidst this technological advancement. Options for Notetaking: In Person Notetakers: Direct interaction: Students can ask questions and refer to notes in real-time, whether handwritten or on a screen. Remote Notetakers: Modern convenience: […]
New Disability Action Plan to make UK most accessible place in the world
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the need to address the unique challenges faced by deaf individuals in accessing government services and resources. The government has announced the ambition for the UK to be the most accessible place in the work. The Disability Action Plan, through its various initiatives and commitments, […]
The New Improvements to Access To Work (AtW)
Access to Work has been an extremely useful employment support initiative. Created by the UK government, it was established to bridge the gap between disabilities and the workplace. It has helped individuals with disabilities or health conditions, offering practical and financial assistance that ensures that everyone gets a fair chance to enter and thrive in […]
Why now?
This is new territory in a world that changes almost daily. I can tell you with confidence that the early adopters who choose to create inclusive customer experiences will reap the benefits of attracting and retaining loyal deaf customers. This will, without a doubt, contribute to the success of your business. There are 12 million […]
The Deaf Community and the Perception of Disability
This article explores deaf identity and how deaf people perceive the label ‘disabled’. The Contrast Between “deaf” and “Deaf” The difference between “deaf” (lowercase) and “Deaf” (uppercase) is something that should be brought awareness to! It isn’t just a difference in spelling but a difference in identity, self-perception, and engagement with society. People who are […]
The Importance of a Positive Deaf Customer Experience
Whether a customer is deaf or hearing, their experience with a business will undoubtedly impact both their loyalty to the business and the likelihood of recommending the business to others. If they have a good experience with your business then they are also more likely to return, and choose your business over a competitor. Business […]
Lending Standards Board release new report: Access for d/Deaf customers in banking & credit
Last night, a brand-new report was launched by the Lending Standards Board (LSB), Access for d/Deaf customers in banking & credit, aimed at guiding financial services on how to create accessible services for d/Deaf customers. The LSB is the primary self-regulatory body for the banking industry, and their Codes compliment the statutory regulation. Nationwide Building […]
Meet our Head of Customer Experience – Rob
As part of our series introducing you to our team members, we sat down for a chat with Rob, who is our Head of Customer Experience. Rob Clements Where are you from? I live in South Oxfordshire these days. What have you done in your career until now? I initially trained to be a […]
Meet our Executive Assistant – Mirapher
As part of our series introducing you to our team members, we sat down for a chat with Mirapher, who is our Executive Assistant. Mirapher Ungnon Where are you from? I am from the Philippines. I was born and raised on the vibrant island of Mindanao. However, driven by my desire to pursue higher education, […]
Meet our Finance Officer – Danni
As part of our series introducing you to our team members, we sat down to chat with Danielle, who works as Finance Officer. Danielle Graham Where are you from? My life has mostly been based in North Essex. However, I did spend a lot of time during my teen years in Newbury/Reading in Berkshire for […]
Let’s talk about delays in Access to Work
Access to Work is a government scheme that covers costs associated with making your workplace accessible. Access to Work (AtW) is a brilliant scheme for ensuring individuals with disabilities are included in the workplace and that businesses are not affected financially as a result. However, when we spoke with employees that use Access to Work, […]
5 Ways To Create An Accessible Environment For A Deaf Employee
Creating an accessible work environment for deaf employees requires a commitment from both the employer and employees. By implementing the measures below, employers can create a more inclusive workplace that caters to the needs of deaf employees, helping them to work effectively and achieve their full potential. Here are 5 ways you can create an […]
A Successful Book Launch
Unleashing the Value of Deaf Employees: Insights from ‘Don’t Silence Your Talent’ Book Launch Event On January 31st, 2023, the launch of “Don’t Silence Your Talent: Unleash the value of your deaf employees” took place at FORA in Soho. The book, written by our founder and CEO, Victoria Williams, is a call for businesses to […]
Don’t Silence Your Talent – Launch Day!
Don’t Silence Your Talent. Unleash the value of your deaf employees Don’t Silence Your Talent is a practical guide for HR professionals who want to work collaboratively with deaf employees and harness the talent in their diverse workforce. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE 16 years ago when I established terptree, I made it my mission to change […]
terptree has been named as a top 100 UK SME
From hundreds of entries across every sector, terptree has been ranked #33 overall in the Elite Business 100 (EB100). The EB100 are the businesses to watch for the future. It recognises excellence in the SME community and ranks them across a broad range of criteria, from their longevity in the marketplace, year-on-year growth to how […]
Meet our Customer & Bookings Co-ordinator – Kayla
As part of our series introducing you to our team members, we sat down for a chat with Kayla, who works as Coordinator in Booking Team. Kayla Barclay Where are you from? I’m originally from sunny Spain, but my dad is Scottish, so I have dual citizenship (very handy, to be honest). What have […]
Meet our Business Administrator Jo
As part of our series introducing you to the members of our team, we sat down for a chat with Jo, who is a Business Administrator for the terptree team. Jo Newton Where are you from? – London (Cockney) was born within the sound of Bow Bells What have you done in your career until […]
5 Reasons Why Your Deaf Employees May Be Stressed
Everyone feels stressed at times. It probably wouldn’t surprise you to hear that work is the biggest cause of stress, even more so than other types of stress, such as financial or family-related. In fact, 99% of UK employed adults say they have experienced workplace stress. The quickest way to evaluate the stress levels within […]
3 Things We Can All Learn From Deaf Representation in 2022
Over the past year, there has been a boost in Deaf representation on our TV screens. The most recent of which was Tasha Ghouri in Love Island. Millions tuned in to watch the most recent season of Love Island when it aired in June. Since the show started 12 years ago, there has been […]
Meet our Customer & Bookings Co-ordinator – Caroline
As part of our series introducing you to the members of our team, we are today sitting down for a chat with Caroline, our longest serving member of the team (after Victoria of course!) Caroline Simmonds Where are you from? I’m from a small village in Hampshire, and I live in Basingstoke, so the apple […]
Global Goals
At the heart of terptree is a mission to change the world for deaf people. We do this is to enabling access to high-quality education, for deaf people, hearing people, sign language students and sign language interpreters. In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 goals for a better world by 2030. These goals have the […]
Icon Theatre and D-Live! launch digital theatre project Big Dreams to give a voice to deaf young people in Medway.
Deaf-led theatre company D-Live! will explore the unique challenges faced by deaf young people in new project Big Dreams, commissioned by Theatre31, Icon Theatre’s youth programme. Since March 2020, the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic have been felt across the UK with many young people facing isolation, grief and disruption to their education. In response […]
#terptreecelebrates
At terptree we are always on the look out for brands, organisations and individuals who are doing amazing things to support the deaf community. Outstanding deaf customer experience or championing the deaf employee experience or being an inspiration, and empowering deaf people to do anything they want. Check out these amazing stories and be sure […]
Meet our new Operations Manager – Erin
We have decided to take you behind the scenes of terptree and introduce you to the members of our team and find out a little more about everyone. To start things off we took a few minutes out of the day to sit down for a coffee (virtually!) with Erin Parnell, our new Operations Manager […]
Looking forward to the year ahead – what’s 2022 got in store for us?
It is always with the turn of a new year that we look forward to what will happen in the next year. This is exactly what we have been doing at terptree, looking forward into 2022 and predicting what will happen within customer experience, employee experience, equality and diversity. Enjoy and we would love to […]
Rose wins Strictly – what does this mean for the deaf community?
Saturday night was the most impactful Strictly Come Dancing final to date. With AJ sadly unable to participate in the final, this left Rose and Giovanni Pernice competing with John and Johannes Radebe to win the Glitterball trophy. But for both finalists in this year’s competition, there was a lot more at stake than just […]
How do I check that BSL Interpreters are registered and qualified?
It is really important to know that the support deaf students are receiving is of the highest standard. So, here you will learn about how to guarantee that the BSL Interpreters are fully qualified and registered. All of the Interpreters that we arrange for deaf students are NRCPD registered. NRCPD is The National Register of […]
The NMH costs for deaf students exceed the £25,575 DSA budget – any tips?
Even though the DSA budget has been increased to £25,575 and is more streamlined, deaf students will more than likely exceed this budget. So, let’s talk about why and how to manage this situation. Why do deaf students exceed the budget? Deaf people have different needs based on their preferences for communication, so this will […]
Who is responsible for what when supporting deaf students at University?
This article will simply explain who is responsible for what when deaf students are supported at University. So, we will go through the following stakeholders: Deaf student, University and Supplier. Deaf Student Sharing their timetable with their suppliers Sharing feedback about support workers with their suppliers Communicating any changes in the timetable Communicating preferred interpreters […]
How to welcome a deaf student on their first day
The first day is always the scariest, especially when enterin something new. I remember clearly my first day at school, College, University and at jobs too. The positive experiences were where I felt safe, because people had made an effort to allay any fears I had. So, this article will talk about how you can […]
What is the difference between a BSL Interpreter and a CSW?
A question that we are commonly asked is ‘What are the differences between an Interpreter and a CSW?’ and why? When? And how do you choose which is most suitable? CSW’s for students at University? This is a really good question and one that is asked regularly. It is often felt that for educational environments, […]
What’s the difference between STTR, Electronic Notetaker and live Captions?
Following on from our article last week about the types of Communication Professionals, we wanted to answer a question that we get asked a lot. What is the difference between Electronic Notetaking, live captions and Speech to Text Reporters? As all students started studying remotely during the Pandemic, deaf students who may have not received […]
How do I ask an employee about their hearing loss?
This is one of those questions that employers feel really awkward asking, but actually, if this was built into the recruitment process, it needn’t be that way. Recruitment and job adverts This is the perfect time to be finding out about the needs of candidates applying for roles. Whilst taking individuals through this process, make […]
Benefits of Deaf Awareness Training for a Workplace
As a business, we often walk into situations in the workplace where communication is not working. And most of the time in these cases, there has not been any Deaf Awareness Training. Often, the deaf employee has been working at the business for many years and has never really understood their colleagues, and their colleagues […]
Accessible vs Inclusion
One of the biggest misconceptions is around the words accessibility and inclusion and understanding the difference between these two terms. This article will debunk any myths and give you some real understanding about what accessibility and inclusion means within your business or organisation. Accessibility is where you have a product or a service and something […]
What is a Roger Pen
The Roger Pen is a wireless microphone that is used in combination with hearing aids. Due to its portable design, it can be conveniently used where additional support is needed over distance and in loud noise. It can also transmit the sound of multimedia devices, TVs and phone calls. It transmits the signal to hearing […]
How do I ask an employee about their hearing loss during the recruitment process?
This is one of the questions we are asked the most. How do I ask an employee about their hearing loss during the recruitment process? This is the absolute start of the process so encourage applicants to tell you about their needs at various intervals during the recruitment process. You can do this through your […]
Williams Racing Formula 1 team focuses on deaf employee and customer experience
Every Deaf Awareness Week we see momentum growing from industry to industry and this year we have been delighted to start working with Williams Racing. Williams is one of the world’s leading Formula 1 teams with a wealth of diverse and driven team members who are working towards the same goal. terptree were engaged to […]
The Launch of Sign Assist
Our business has a clear vision to change the world for deaf people and we have a tangible goal: By 2025, we will have positively impacted 1 million deaf peoples lives. The way we do this is engaging with businesses who are equally as passionate about people – whether as customers or employees. In the […]
Supporting deaf employees at Clancy
In our work supporting businesses with their Deaf Employee Experience, we have recently been working with Clancy to enable an employee with hearing loss to find a suitable role within the business. Working collaboratively, we were able to mediate so that Clancy could continue to keep this valued member of the team. It was fantastic […]
A Powerful BDA Campaign
Thursday 12 October 2000 – the BDA launched this controversial campaign – challenging Westminster’s attitude to recognising British Sign Language. The sign depicted on the billboard actually means ‘idle’ – but they make their point clearly. *Image credit BDA. Victoria Williams Founder & CEO terptree I remember this day very well. At the time, I […]
Workplace Adjustments
Unemployment levels of disabled people are nearly double that of people without disabilities*. But there are many opportunities available in a range of roles across the country; so why are these numbers so high? I believe that the answer to this question is twofold. Deaf people’s lack of opportunity and confidence This is an interesting […]
All about Captions!
What do they do, and how do they work? Live Captions In an age of fast and constantly changing television, keeping the viewers’ attention is more challenging than ever. Fast-paced dramas, news reports cutting from newsroom to reporters in the field and, of course, the exciting world of live sports with dialogue flying a […]
What is a Deaf Interpreter / Translator?
What do they do, and how do they work? A Registered Sign Language Translator (RSLT) is a Deaf Interpreter who translates from written text/English into BSL. Deaf Interpreters are native, first-language BSL users. They can use their years of experience to produce BSL in a way that Deaf BSL users understand. Who would use this […]
What is an Interpreter for Deafblind people?
What do they do, and how do they work? Some people are born deafblind or can become deafblind during their life. Deafblindness is a dual sensory impairment/loss, which describes the fact that two senses are being affected. Another form of Deafblindness is Ushers Syndrome. This is where someone experiences hearing loss and an eye […]
What is a British Sign Language Interpreter?
What do they do, and how do they work? British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreters enable communication between deaf and hearing people. This is crucial for those people who use BSL as their first or preferred language. British Sign Language was recognised as an official language back in 2003. It has its own grammatical structure […]
What is an Electronic Notetaker?
What do they do, and how do they work? It is important to remember that when a deaf person is either trying to lip-read the presenter or watch the Interpreter, they are unable to take notes at the same time, as this would involve switching eye gaze and missing the content. Hearing people can […]
Do you work with deaf people?
Did you know that there are 12 million people in the UK who are deaf or have a hearing loss? Did you know that 5 million of those people are of working age? Looking at it another way this number could represent 1 in 12 of your workforce. 1 in 12 of your team or […]
3 useful questions to ask deaf applicants for open days
Here are 3 useful questions to ask deaf applicants who would like to attend a virtual/face to face (later on) open day: 1. What is your preferred method of communication? Never assume. Ask the deaf applicant how they prefer to communicate. This will reassure them that your University cares about their access needs. If they […]
Interpreter Lockdown Stories #6
Hello Colleagues, Where to start with our experience of working (or not) during the Covid lockdowns? At the beginning… When we went into the first lockdown in March 2020, one of us had just returned from a holiday in New Zealand and had smiled at people on all the flights and at airports for wearing […]
Interpreter Lockdown Stories #5
When Covid-19 forced us into Lockdown, I was not at home. I was a 100 miles away in my partner’s house and that’s where I stayed for 3 months. This made a difference to my overall Lockdown experience. Although I had company, was really busy helping him with home improvements. I was not in my […]
Interpreter Lockdown Stories #4
I’ve been reading these blogs and thinking ‘Why not me’? Maybe there are more SLI’s like me? Interpreting has, for me, been the best career choice I’ve ever made, until the pandemic hit. Lock down 1.0 hit me hard. I went from being an in demand Medical Interpreter, to being out of work and relying […]
Which of these subject lines did you use this year?
Did anyone receive an “unprecedented” number of emails from March onwards this year? I certainly did! All from businesses I regularly buy from, and some from businesses I have bought from once in my life. They were getting in touch to tell me howthey were planning to serve me as a customer during the pandemic. On […]
Interpreter Lockdown Story #3
My Journal … Tuesday 10th March 2020 The news on Channel 4 about the Virus COVID 19 has both shocked and shaken me. Italy has been completely closed down. Spain isn’t far behind. The virus is killing swathes of people, spreading like a wildfire, killing mostly the elderly, or so it seemed. Sunday […]
What to do if the deaf student is unhappy with the supplier?
When you meet with the student on a regular basis; if the student is unhappy with the support they are receiving; they are able to quickly communicate this to you. The student may be unhappy for a number of reasons: – Lack of communication from supplier – No choice of interpreters – Reduced consistency in […]
The Kindness Economy
“A new order is evolving. And the indicators of how we want to live are everywhere. At Portas we call this new era, The Kindness Economy. An economy built on awareness and sentience. Kindness, a word rarely associated with business but one that I believe is fundamental to the future success of business” Mary Portas […]
Interpreter Lockdown Story #2
I would like to offer my perspective of the pandemic as an antithesis to that of lockdown story #1. I haven’t found myself feeling profoundly content nor have my needs steadfastly met during this time. I have felt despair and uncertainty a lot during the time as a newly registered interpreter and as someone living […]
How COVID transformed and continues to impact online digital transformation
We all know the score – online sales are through the roof and digital transformation has accelerated by over 5 years. “Online sales and servicing is now at 40% and is estimated to increase to 60-70% next year!” But are brands ready for this uplift in online transactions? Here is another important stat for you: […]
Cancellations not covered by DSA (SFE)
In this article, we wanted to explain to you when SFE covers cancellations and when they need to be covered by the University. So, here is a rundown of when SFE will and will not cover cancellation fees. When SFE won’t cover cancellation fees Timetable changes: if any sessions are changed due to […]
Uncertainty is the only certainty
This is an article that I planned to write last February. It was on the list of rolling topics and one I found particularly interesting. In the time since February 2019 – we have experienced every single bit of uncertainty we could ever imagine. In our health, mental health, family, financial, work, school, social life, […]
