Tomasz, 40, works for his local council in London and relies on a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter for key parts of his job. However, the restrictions on Access to Work funding limit the number of hours of support he receives, meaning he can’t always carry out the responsibilities of his role. Here, Tomasz shares his story.
Communication and a cochlear implant
I have used hearing aids for my whole life until last year, when I had a cochlear implant fitted on one side. At that time, my hearing was getting worse and I was having some balance issues too. I did a lot of research and decided to get the cochlear implant, which has really helped to improve some of those issues.
Even with the cochlear implant, BSL is my first language which I use every day with friends. Sometimes, when I’m reading English, I do struggle with some of the jargon, so BSL is my preferred way of communicating.
Day-to-day at work
I work full time for the council, and a big part of my role is booking BSL interpreters for deaf residents. When a deaf resident contacts us and wants to arrange an appointment with a doctor or a social worker, I will support them with that. I do sometimes have to remind services of their responsibility under the Equality Act to provide interpreters for deaf people.
My role also involves finance and front office duties, and this can involve taking telephone calls, which would be impossible for me without the support of an interpreter.
At work, I try to pass on my knowledge of deafness and issues affecting deaf people. My team are now quite deaf aware, understanding about using flashing lights for drawing deaf people’s attention and equipment that can support deaf people.
Access to Work
I first applied for Access to Work when I was working as a Support Worker. At that time, I was given a low-cost grant that only covered a limited number of interpreter hours. I struggled a lot as the budget did not meet my needs.
A few years later, I challenged the decision and was approved for an increased budget that covered the appropriate cost of a qualified interpreter. However, when I moved to a new job, I was shocked to find that Access to Work had introduced a cap.
This had a significant impact on my work, and I felt very frustrated and upset. The capped amount does not match the needs of a full-time role or the fees charged by qualified interpreters.
How the cap affects me at work
When I do not have an interpreter, I struggle significantly. For example, I can’t make telephone calls without an interpreter, which means I have to delay tasks and my workload builds up.
If I do not have an interpreter for several days, hearing colleagues have to cover front desk and telephone duties. I have to focus on other tasks which are not the main part of my role. If hearing staff are off sick and I need to cover the front desk without an interpreter, my manager has to step in.
This makes me feel very uncomfortable and unprofessional. It really affects my confidence.
Worries for the future
Deaf people need to have the support of a fully qualified interpreter for the hours that they are working. Interpreter fees go up every year, yet rates are not changing in line with this. This means I can get less interpreter hours each year.
The Access to Work grant is essential for me, but I am worried about the future. If the grant is cut further, I wouldn’t be able to do my job at all.
