About us and our users
![Two Signalise hands happy](/static/media/hi5.604c585eb40bc03fba8f.png)
Signalise is a multi-stakeholder co-operative which was established in October 2019. As a cooperative, our communities – deaf people and interpreters – are our members. Through many years of professional, real-world experience, we've reached a collective conclusion: the current system of booking British Sign Language Interpreters does not work. We are here to change that!
Signalise is a unique service, co-designed by our members - Deaf people and communication professionals.
We welcome involvement from health and social care providers and commissioners who need to purchase services and organisations involved in the Deaf community.
Only by working together can we meet the needs of all our user groups - Deaf people, professionals and interpreters.
Our Users
There are three user groups involved in Deaf people's access to services. Deaf people, professionals and the interpreters who facilitate this communication.
We have co-designed our service with each of our user groups, running focus groups and via an online survey. Read our report Signing the right path here.
The British Deaf Association says there are up to 87,000 Deaf people who use British Sign Language in the UK as their first or preferred language.
There are only 1,300 British Sign Language(BSL)/English Interpreters in the UK with 50 on Merseyside.
Frontline staff and organisations across all sectors that need to provide services to Deaf people.
Our Supporters
We have raised £65,000 so far via grants and community fundraising. Our Crowdfunder campaign in October 2020 raised a whopping £8,605 with 255 supporters in 28 days (with an initial target of £5,000!). A huge thank you to all of our supporters! Our community Share Offer raised £328,250 (10% over target) and we have been joined by over 200 new supporters. We look forward to working with you all soon!
Our accreditations
- Start date: 20/05/2022Expiry date: 19/05/2025
- Start date: 19/07/2024Expiry date: 18/07/2025