terptree has been working with the University, providing BSL/English interpreters for over five years.

Teresa Stone, Disability Advisor, works with students with ongoing health conditions to ensure that they get the best access to education and services at the University. As part of this work, Teresa works with deaf students to make sure that they get access to all the University has to offer.

Teresa first discovered the terptree by searching the internet for communication agencies. At that time, she was looking for someone to provide qualified teachers for the deaf. Since that time, terptree has provided an ongoing role to the University. This has included providing note-taking and BSL/English interpreting support across a wide range of subjects, from maths to psychology.

Teresa explained that the work with terptree is generally commissioned through the Disabled Students Allowances Quality Assurance Group (DSA-QAG) website. Practitioners have to register on this website to be able to provide non-medical help to disabled students and students who need extra support in their studies. terptree is registered as such a practitioner, which means that the University has been able to maintain its ongoing relationship with them.

Teresa told us that there are many benefits of having a dedicated agency working consistently with a student. “Agencies, such as terptree, have a wider pool of specialist and qualified interpreters to draw from, which we would not have access to in-house. This ensures consistency of provision, ease of communication and familiarity with the agency you are working with. They get to understand your needs, and the needs of the student and provide communication professionals who meet these needs.

As terptree is an established agency, who have given us consistency in their provision during the five plus years we have worked with them, they have got to know us, and can therefore bring this knowledge in the support that they provide our students.”

terptree are delighted that University of Sussex found them through their internet search and that we are able to continue working with them through our inclusion on the DSA-QAG website. terptree’s mission is to change the world for deaf people, and access to education is clearly an essential step towards achieving it.

To find out more about the University of Sussex visit www.sussex.ac.uk