County Durham residents who use British Sign Language (BSL) can now access the support of an interpreter to contact us.
Following a successful trial, we are working in partnership with SignVideo to connect deaf or hard of hearing residents to an interpreter, who will provide live access to customer services.
Interpreters will be able to relay any queries or issues to council teams and provide a response as part of the video call.
Access the service
Residents can access the service by visiting our Contact us by British Sign Language web page and clicking on a link to talk to an ‘Online British Sign Language interpreter’. Once connected, the interpreter will confirm that they want to contact us before calling the customer services team.
The service is available from 8.30am until 5pm Monday to Thursday, and from 8.30am until 4.30pm on Fridays.
Engaging with more residents
Cllr Alan Shield, our Cabinet member for equality and inclusion, said: “We are committed to making information as accessible and inclusive as possible for all residents in County Durham. By adapting to the needs of our users, we can provide the best possible service.
“Following a successful trial, we look forward to providing additional support to residents who are hard of hearing and successfully engaging with even more residents.”
Further information
In order to use the video relay service, residents need to make sure they can access the internet on their device and that it has video capability. It should also be: an Apple mobile device running iOS 11 or above; an Android device running Android 4.4 or above; or a desktop or laptop computer with the latest version of Google Chrome or Firefox.
Free WiFi is available to residents in our libraries should they not have access at home. People without a device can also access the service through our Customer Access Points. More information is available on our Contact us in person web page.
If residents need technical support, they can contact help@signvideo.co.uk or call 020 3388 0771.
For more information on the support available for people with a hearing loss, visit the The Adult Sensory Support Team web page.