Glossary
Published 27 November 2025
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Government legislation, policy and schemes
Access to Work (AtW)
The UK government offers AtW support for disabled people to help them find and stay in work. It offers grants for practical support at work, such as equipment, mental health support and money to pay for communication tools, especially during job interviews.
Link: gov.uk/access-to-work
Accessible Information Standard (AIS)
A legal requirement in the NHS and adult social care in England to ensure that people with a disability or sensory loss receive information in formats they can understand and are provided with appropriate communication support.
All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication
New rules and standards of communication to improve health and social care access to public and private services for deaf, deafblind people and BSL users in Wales. As well as helping people find and understand the right information, they ensure hearing healthcare staff give the right support.
Appointee and appointeeship
A person or organisation appointed to manage the financial affairs and benefits of someone who is unable to do so, often due to disability or a lack of capacity.
Approved mental health professional (AMHP)
A specially trained social worker or other professional authorised to carry out certain duties under the Mental Health Act, such as assessments and decisions about compulsory detention.
Assisted Dying Bill
Introduced in 2024, as of 2025, this Bill is currently going through Parliament to make it legal for someone who is terminally ill and mentally competent to choose to end their life.
Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
The NDIS is an Australian government scheme which allocates funding to disabled people to support independent living. Unlike the UK, deaf parents can now book interpreters to carry out their parenting roles.
Best interest assessor (BIA)
A professional who assesses whether it is in a person’s best interests to be deprived of their liberty for care or treatment, often under the Mental Capacity Act.
Best Start in Life (formerly Sure Start)
The UK government’s LA scheme focuses on the early years (0 to 5 years) of child development and supports families in the community.
Link: Best Start in Life
British Sign Language
British Sign Language (BSL) is the natural visual language used by the Deaf community in the UK. It has its own grammar, vocabulary and syntax, and is distinct from spoken English. BSL uses hand shapes, movements, facial expressions and body language to convey meaning and is officially recognised by the BSL Act as a language in its own right.
Link: British Sign
British Sign Language (BSL) Act 2022
The act guides public services how to make information accessible to deaf and deafblind people who use BSL. It requires the government to report how relevant ministerial departments are using BSL in communications with the public on policy and changes to the law.
BSL National Plan
Scotland’s government actions to tackle barriers faced by BSL users to help make Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn.
Care Act 2014
The law that sets out the rights and responsibilities of LAs, care providers and service users in relation to residential social care and community support. It covers care providers responsibilities, assessment, eligibility, charging and safeguarding.
Link: Care Act 2014
Care Inspectorate Scotland
The independent regulator of social care and social work services in Scotland, responsible for inspecting and improving care standards.
Care Inspectorate Wales
The independent regulator of social care and childcare services in Wales, ensuring quality and safety.
Link: Care Inspectorate Wales
Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The independent regulator of health and social care in England. It has powers to inspect care homes, hospitals and community health care, among others.
Link: Care Quality Commission
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
An NHS service that assesses and treats children and young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties.
Children Act 1989
The act outlines the expectations for parental responsibility and the obligations of LA services for children in need, as well as other vulnerable groups. This legislation governs public and privately run children’s homes, community homes, voluntary homes, and voluntary organisations. And with respect to fostering and adoption, child minding and day care for young children.
Link: Children Act 1989
Children’s Hearing Services Working Groups
Local groups that bring together health and social care professionals and parents to improve services for deaf children and young people.
Court of Protection
A specialist court in England and Wales that makes decisions about the property, financial affairs and personal welfare of people who lack mental capacity. It includes Deprivation of Liberty orders under the Mental Capacity Act, and power of attorney.
Link: Court of Protection
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
The government department that is responsible for welfare, the state pension and child maintenance policy. It is responsible for benefits a deaf or deafblind person may need to access such as personal independence payments.
Direct payments
Funds provided by LAs to individuals so they can arrange and pay for their own care and support, including communication support.
Disabled Students’ Allowance
UK government support that covers the study-related costs that a young person may have due to a mental health problem, long-term illness or any other disability.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
A background check to ensure that people working with vulnerable groups, such as deafblind individuals, do not have a criminal record that would make them unfit for the role.
Link: Personal DBS check
Education, health and care plan (EHCP)
A legal document in England that sets out the education, health and social care support a child or young person with special education needs and disabilities will receive.
Link: Children with SEND
Equality Act 2010
UK legislation that protects people from discrimination based on disability, race, gender and other protected characteristics.
Link: Equality Act 2010
Human Rights Act 1998
UK law that incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights, protecting fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and access to information.
Link: Human Rights Act 1998
Independent mental capacity advocate
A professional who supports people who lack capacity to make decisions about their care or treatment, ensuring their views and rights are represented. Independent advocates come from outside the NHS and LA services.
Integrated care system (ICS)
A partnership of organisations in England that plan, buy and provide health and care services in a geographical area, with the aim of joining-up care.
Local authority (LA)
A government organisation responsible for providing public services, including social care, education, and support for disabled people, within a specific area.
Local safeguarding children boards
Established in 2006, it is the state’s duty to protect and promote the welfare of a child. Accountable to the Department for Education, safeguarding boards are responsible for coordinating care and making sure services work together to protect children from risk of harm.
Link: Safeguarding boards
Means-tested support
Services or financial assistance that are only available to people whose income or assets fall below a certain threshold.
Mental health advocate
A professional from within the local authority or NHS care system who supports individuals in understanding and exercising their rights in mental health care, ensuring their views are represented in decisions about treatment or care.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
Collaborates with experts to create practical guidance and provides recommendations on various diseases and conditions for health and social care practitioners.
Link: NICE.org.uk
NHS App
A secure, health app designed to give patients greater access to NHS services. It is available on smartphones and tablets, and is known as the digital front door to the NHS in England. Patients can order repeat prescriptions, view medical records, track referrals and more.
Link: NHS App
NHS Digital
Designed and operated many of the core digital systems that support the NHS such as patient records and emergency services infrastructure. The organisation also collects, analyses and safeguards the use of health and social care data across England.
Patient Safety Commissioner
Independent of government and the healthcare system, the commission listens and amplifies patient needs, plans for and protects the public, advises and challenges government, and convenes support for the healthcare system.
Personal budgets
Allocated funds provided by LAs or the NHS to individuals so they can choose and pay for their own care and support services.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
A UK government benefit for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, intended to help with extra costs of daily living and mobility.
Pharmacy First
An NHS service allowing patients to access certain prescription medications and advice directly from community pharmacies without needing a GP appointment.
Planning for adulthood
Planning for Adulthood (PfA) is a process designed to prepare children with disabilities for transitioning into adulthood, involving meetings and support to develop skills for independence, employment and community inclusion. These meetings, often called transition planning or PfA, typically begin around age 14 to 16 years, bringing together the young person, family and professionals from health, education and social care to create a shared vision and plan. The goal is to ensure a smooth transition to adult services by establishing a plan that covers key areas like housing, health, relationships and employment.
Power of attorney (POA)
A POA has this legal authority through a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) legal document, allowing a person to appoint someone else to make decisions about their health, welfare or finances if they lose capacity. There are 2 types of LPA – one for health and welfare, and one for property and financial affairs.
Procurement Act 2023
An act designed to bring about transparency in government contracts and purchases and commissioned services.
Link: Procurement Act 2023
Safeguarding
Measures to protect vulnerable people, such as deaf and deafblind individuals, from abuse, neglect or exploitation. This must include accessible and easy ways to report concerns.
Safeguarding partners
Organisations (such as local authorities, NHS and the police) that work together to protect children and adults at risk of harm.
Scottish Government National Care Service
Created by the Scottish Government, this aims to deliver social care, social work and community health services across Scotland.
Service-level agreement (SLA)
A formal contract between service providers and commissioners, setting out standards, responsibilities and expectations for service delivery.
Social value and community benefit
The positive impact that services or contracts have on the wider community, such as improving accessibility, inclusion or wellbeing for BSL users.
Statutory duties, powers, responsibilities
Legal obligations and authorities held by professionals or organisations (such as social workers or LAs) to provide care, protection and support.
Terms relating to deaf, deafblind and disabled people
Ableism
Discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities. It includes the intended or otherwise assumption that disabled people are inferior and less capable. See ‘Benign neglect’ and ‘Tokenism’.
Ableist language
These are everyday phrases and idioms that present disability in a negative and unhelpful light. This reinforces stereotypes and adds to the ongoing marginalisation of deaf, deafblind and disabled people.
For example, the common phrases ‘falling on deaf ears’ or ‘deaf to reason’ are used when someone will not or has not understood something that they should be able to easily understand. It is often used as an expression, but it also insinuates that they are slow or ignorant.
Access anxiety
The stress or worry experienced by deaf, deafblind or disabled people about whether they can access public or private services, information or communication support within everyday life activities, for example, making a GP appointment. Access anxiety caused by access barriers can prevent people from engaging with services.
See also: access labour.
Access fatigue
When a deaf or deafblind person experiences exhaustion and burnout from years and years of trying to arrange or fight for access to the most basic of public services.
See also: barrier fatigue.
Access labour
The extra effort required by deaf, deafblind or disabled people to access services, communication or information that is readily available to others such as NHS appointment bookings or GP triage telephone systems. BSL users in the UK experience a large burden from ‘access labour’ and ‘access anxiety’.
Additional disabilities
Other disabilities or impairments that a person may have in addition to being deaf or deafblind, such as physical, cognitive or learning disabilities.
Advocacy
Support provided to help individuals understand and exercise their rights, communicate their needs and access services – often by a trained advocate who understands the person’s language and cultural needs.
Aphasia
A language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate, often caused by brain injury or a stroke. It can impact speaking, understanding, reading or writing.
Apraxia
A neurological disorder affecting the ability to perform coordinated movements or gestures.
Audism
Discrimination or prejudice against deaf or partially deaf people, including the belief that hearing is superior to deafness.
Auditory-verbal training (AVT)
A specialised form of speech therapy designed for children with hearing loss. It focuses on developing listening and spoken language skills through auditory input rather than visual cues like sign language.
Barrier fatigue
Barrier fatigue is the exhaustion and burnout felt by deaf and deafblind people when they cannot access public services and experience repeated obstacles and problems trying to do simple tasks, such as knowing when their name is called in the waiting room.
See also: access fatigue.
Benign neglect
Something or someone that has been intentionally or repeatedly overlooked, either out of hostility or through a passive disregard. For deaf and deafblind people, an already vulnerable and marginalised population, their needs have been historically ignored or overlooked across all sectors, not always out of malice, but due to a lack of awareness or prioritisation, leading to non-existent or inadequate support or services.
See also: ableism.
BSL Advisory Board
A non-statutory board of mainly BSL users established in March 2023. Its role is to advise the government on matters of importance to deaf and deafblind people and on implementing the BSL Act. The board aims to make sure the voices and views of deaf people across the UK are at the heart of the work of the UK government.
There are currently 17 board members and 2 co-chairs. All of the board members are deaf BSL users or the family members of deaf BSL users. The board meets every 3 months and currently has 4 sub-groups that also meet every 3 months.
BSL community
The community of people who use BSL, including deaf, deafblind and hearing BSL users and BSL interpreters.
BSL complaints process
A complaints procedure that is accessible in BSL, allowing BSL users to raise concerns or complaints in their preferred language.
BSL interpreter
A trained professional who facilitates communication between BSL users and non-signers by interpreting between BSL and spoken or written English.
BSL language therapy (BSLT)
Speech and language therapy is offered to hearing children with delayed language needs, there is no BSL language therapy for deaf children or young people.
Therapists need to be either proficient in BSL or work with an interpreter. As well as looking at multimodal expression and language development.
BSL signers
People who use BSL to communicate, including both deaf and hearing individuals.
BSL user
A deaf or deafblind person who uses BSL as their main or preferred language, and relies on it for access.
Capacity assessment
An evaluation to determine whether a person has the mental capacity to make a specific decision about their care.
Care Act advocate
A Care Act advocate supports people to understand their rights under the Care Act 2014 and to be more fully involved in their assessments and processes such as care reviews. They are often independent from the health and social care system.
Care provision (residential, in-home)
Services provided to support people with daily living, either in a residential care home or in their own home.
Children in need
A legal term for children who require additional support from social services to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development. Based on the provision of Children Act 1989.
Children of deaf adults (CODA)
Hearing children who have one or more deaf parents and often grow up bilingual in BSL and spoken language.
Cochlear implantation
A cochlear implant uses electrical stimulation to replace the function of the cochlear (the inner ear).
Link: Cochlear.com
Cognitive difficulties
Problems with mental processes such as memory, attention, language or problem-solving, which may affect learning or daily functioning.
Cognitive load
Cognitive load can be thought of as concentration fatigue. It is the intense effort of extra concentration and demands on the brain. A deaf and deafblind person will extend more effort because of the added difficulties they face communicating and doing daily tasks, which puts additional strain on their health and wellbeing. Contributing factors may include: poor lighting, noise, difficulty in accessing information and services, and a lack of understanding by others, particularly in public services and the workplace.
Commissioning
The process by which public sector services are planned, purchased and monitored to meet the needs of a population.
Community-led provision
Services or initiatives that are designed, managed and delivered by members of the community they serve, such as Deaf or BSL user-led organisations.
Communicator guide
A trained support worker who assists deafblind people with communication, navigation, environmental awareness and accessing information, often using tactile or adapted sign language.
Core-skills training
Essential training for professionals to develop basic competencies that are mandatory in public services. Training in deaf awareness or the communication skills needed to work effectively with deaf or deafblind people are not yet included in core skills training for NHS and social care staff.
Cultural competence
The ability of professionals or organisations to understand, respect, and effectively respond to the cultural and linguistic needs of the people they serve.
Deaf and Deafblind
A capital ‘D’ is used for Deaf and Deafblind in a cultural sense when referring to individuals who identify as part of the Deaf community, sharing a distinct language (BSL) and culture. ‘Deafblind’ describes people with combined significant hearing and sight loss, who may also use tactile or adapted sign language and have a strong Deafblind identity.
Examples of where we use a capital D include ‘Deaf identity’, ‘Deaf community’, ‘Deaf culture’, ‘Deaf heritage’, Deaf role models’ and ‘Deaf knowledge’.
A capital is not needed for ‘deaf people’, ‘deaf peers’, ‘deaf patients’, ‘deaf individual’, ‘deaf child’, ‘deaf carer’, ‘deaf BSL users’, ‘deaf specialise’, ‘deaf cognition’, ‘deaf training’, ‘deaf signs’, ‘deaf awareness’, ‘deaf expertise’.
Deaf language specialist
A professional who is deaf, fluent in BSL and has expertise in language development, assessment and therapy for deaf or deafblind individuals.
Deaf migrants
People who are deaf and have migrated from another country, often facing additional barriers due to language, culture and lack of tailored services.
Deaf parenting
Parenting by deaf adults, which may involve unique challenges in accessing information, support and services, especially when raising hearing children.
Deaf-centric waiting room
A waiting area designed to be accessible for deaf people, with features such as visual calling systems, appropriate seating arrangements and staff trained in deaf awareness.
Deafblind manual alphabet
A tactile form of fingerspelling, spelling out words letter-by-letter on the deafblind person’s hand.
Deafblindness definition
In England, there is a legal functional definition of deafblindness included in the Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014 (section 6, 3), which accompanies the Care Act 2014. This states that persons are deafblind, “if the individual has combined sight and hearing impairment which causes difficulties with communication, access to information and mobility”. There is a statutory duty to: “identify, assess, and support deafblind individuals, ensuring they receive specialist assessments, appropriate services and accessible information”. This is a functional definition. The Nordic definition is broader, more person-centred and more internationally aligned.
There is no legal definition in Wales, but LAs are expected to work to the functional definition used in England (Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014).
In Scotland there is no legal definition of deafblindness as a unique condition and no register of deafblind people. Stakeholders in Scotland want the Scottish Parliament to adopt the Nordic definition and are exploring workforce development and a national commissioning model for deafblind services in the proposed Scottish Government National Care Service. Please also see ‘Nordic definition on deafblindness’.
Developmental language disorder (DLD)
A condition where children have significant difficulties acquiring language even when they have had adequate opportunities to learn, affecting both spoken and signed language development.
Digital front door (NHS)
The NHS’s digital channels, such as the NHS App and website, which provide access to health information and services.
Direct BSL provision
Services delivered directly in BSL by fluent practitioners, without the need for interpreters, ensuring accurate communication and cultural understanding.
Distantism
Distantism refers to the privileging in society of the distant senses — namely sight and hearing, at the expense of tactile, and modes of communication using touch, close proximity and connection. Distantism is the negative reactions that deafblind people receive about communicating through touch.
Double marginalisation
The experience of being disadvantaged or excluded on 2 or more grounds, such as being both deaf and from another minority group.
Dynamic translation
This involves providing the essence of information (rather than a literal translation) by adapting it culturally to the target audience to ensure that it resonates and is understood.
Dyscalculia
A specific learning difficulty where a person struggles to learn or understand how to deal with numbers and numeracy. It is sometimes referred to as maths dyslexia.
Dyspraxia (also known as developmental coordination disorder)
A neurological condition that affects coordination and movement during development or after a brain injury.
Executive function
Mental skills that help people plan, organise, focus attention and manage tasks.
Forensic units
Specialist mental health or social care facilities for people involved in the criminal justice system, including those who are deaf.
Gender-affirming healthcare
Medical care that supports a person’s gender identity, such as hormone therapy or surgeries, and includes culturally sensitive support for deaf and LGBT+ individuals.
Habilitation/rehabilitation
For deaf and deafblind children and adults, there are huge physical and emotional challenges to everyday living, with constant adaptation, learning and emotional adjustment.
Habilitation focuses on the challenges of personal mobility and navigation, particularly for children and young people; rehabilitation focuses on the adaptions needed to develop or regain independent living, mobility and communication when existing skills are lost or weakened due to sudden or increased disability. Some adults prefer the term habilitation because it implies moving forward with the situation as it is now rather than looking backward at what has been lost.
Hands-on BSL
Another commonly used name for tactile BSL – a form of BSL where the deafblind person places their hands over the hands of the signer to feel the signs.
Link: Sense.org.uk
Heritage signer
A person who grew up using sign language at home, often as a child of deaf adults and has native-level fluency. They may be deaf or hearing.
Heterogeneity
Diversity or variation within a group, such as differences in language development, communication needs or experiences among deaf or deafblind people.
Hub-and-spoke model
A service delivery model where a central specialist service (hub) supports local services (spokes), allowing expertise to be shared and improving access for dispersed populations.
Inpatient units
Residential healthcare facilities where people stay for treatment, such as hospitals or mental health units, including specialist provision for deaf people.
In-reach services
A specialist service that supports mainstream teams by working within their settings (as opposed to outreach, which typically goes out into the community). This dual model is often referred to as ‘outreach and in-reach’ in service design.
International sign
A simplified, visually based sign communication system used in international settings between deaf people who do not share a common national sign language. It draws on features and vocabulary from various sign languages but lacks the full grammatical structure and native community of a natural language.
Interpreter on wheels
A mobile device (tablet or screen on a trolley) used in clinics or hospitals to provide remote video interpreting for deaf patients.
Link: Signsolutions.uk
Interpreting agencies
Organisations that provide qualified interpreters for BSL users, including specialist agencies for health, social care and legal settings.
Intersectionality and intersectional identities
The concept that people’s experiences are shaped by multiple social identities (such as disability, race, gender, class), which interact to create unique forms of discrimination or privilege. See also the term Ableism.
Intralingual relay interpreter
A deaf interpreter who translates between different forms of sign language or adapts BSL for users with additional needs, such as those with language difficulties or deafblind individuals.
Language brokering
The informal translation or interpretation of information by family members or friends, often used when professional interpreters are not available.
Language deprivation
A lack of accessible language exposure and teaching during early childhood, which can lead to lifelong difficulties in communication, learning and mental health.
Linguistic neglect
When families and professionals lack knowledge of BSL or the existence of other languages like tactile BSL or visual-frame BSL, and services are not provided that meet language needs, this leads to deprivation, exclusion and harm for deaf and deafblind people.
Lipreading
The skill of understanding spoken language by watching a speaker’s lip and mouth movements only, often used by deaf or hard of hearing people. Speechreading is the preferred term in academic contexts. Lipreading is used colloquially in the UK.
Looked-after children
Children and young people who are in the care of a LA, such as those in foster care or residential homes, including deaf or deafblind children.
Makaton
A language programme using signs, symbols and speech to help people communicate, often used with children or adults with learning disabilities. Many of the signs are adapted BSL signs but it is not a full sign language like BSL.
Link: Makaton.org
Mobility training
Instruction and support to help people with disabilities, especially those with sight loss or deafblindness, learn to move safely and independently in their environment.
Multisensory impairment (MSI)
A term often used to describe children with both significant hearing and vision loss, and who need specialist educational support for communication and learning.
National centres of excellence (rehabilitation)
Specialist facilities that provide high-quality rehabilitation services, training and support for people with disabilities, such as deafblind individuals. There are none for deafblind people in the UK.
National Registers of Communication Professionals (NRCPD)
The UK regulatory body that registers and monitors qualified sign language interpreters, translators and other communication professionals working with deaf and deafblind people.
Link: nrcpd.org.uk
Neonatal brain injuries
Brain injuries that occur around the time of birth, which can lead to disabilities such as deafness, vision loss or cognitive difficulties.
Neurodevelopmental conditions
Disorders that affect brain development and function, such as autism, ADHD or learning disabilities, which may present differently in deaf or deafblind people.
Neuroplastic effects
Changes in the brain’s structure and function in response to experience, learning or sensory deprivation, such as those seen in people who are deaf from birth.
Nordic definition on deafblindness
Deafblindness is a combined vision and hearing impairment of such severity that it is hard for the impaired senses to compensate for each other.
Link: nordicwelfare.org
Normative performance
This refers to the typical or average level of functioning within a group of people or population, particularly in relation to tests of cognition and language. For deaf and deafblind BSL users, applying normative performance standards without Deaf cultural and communication knowledge, or normative data for signers, can lead to exclusion and inequity.
Ophthalmology
The branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases and disorders.
Optometry
The profession of examining eyes, prescribing glasses or contact lenses, and detecting eye health problems.
Overshadowing
A phenomenon where a person’s disability (such as deafness) leads professionals to overlook or misattribute other health, brain or mental health conditions.
Phonological memory
This refers to the ability to temporarily store and recall sequences of language elements. In spoken languages, this involves maintaining and manipulating speech sounds to support language comprehension and learning. In signed languages, phonological memory involves the temporary storage and recall of sign elements – such as handshape, movement and location – supporting the processing, comprehension and learning of sign language.
Prelingual deafness
Deafness that occurs before a child has acquired spoken language, typically from birth or within the first few years of life.
Protactile (Protactile American Sign Language)
A fully tactile language developed by the Deafblind community in the USA, using touch to convey grammar, emotion and feedback. It is distinct from tactile adaptations of American sign language.
Reablement services
Short-term support to help people find new ways of doing things in their daily lives after illness, injury or hospitalisation. This is often provided by social care teams.
Reasonable adjustments
Changes or accommodations made to remove barriers for disabled people, ensuring equal access to services, employment or education, as required by law.
Relay interpreter
An interpreter who works between 2 languages or forms of sign language, often used when a person with language difficulties or a deafblind person requires adaptation of BSL.
Scaffolding of language development
Support provided to help people build language skills. This is often through a skilled communication partner who provides structured language input and assistance that is reduced as the learner gains independent communication skills.
Social haptic communication
A communication system, rather than a full language, used by deafblind people. It involves conveying information, emotions or instructions through tactile signals or gestures received on the body, usually on the back, arm or hand.
Social value and community benefit
The positive impact that services or contracts have on the wider community, such as improving accessibility, inclusion or wellbeing for BSL users.
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
This term is used when children and young people have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn or access education compared to their peers. Often deaf and deafblind children need to access this additional support.
Link: Children with SEND
Specialist sensory teams
Teams in social services with expertise in supporting people with sensory impairments (deaf, blind, deafblind), providing assessment, intervention and advice.
Specialist social workers
Social workers with additional training and experience in working with deaf, deafblind or disabled people, understanding their unique needs and rights.
Speech and language therapy (SaLT)
Assessment and intervention to support communication, language and swallowing difficulties, including provision for deaf children. SaLT assessment and therapy is mainly focused on spoken language development and professional training does not include BSL language therapy for deaf children or rehabilitation for deaf or deafblind adults.
Speechreading
The skill of understanding spoken language by watching lip, facial, mouth and body movements and facial expressions. It is like lipreading but may include more visual cues. Speechreading is the preferred term in academic contexts. Lipreading is used colloquially in the UK.
Tactile BSL
A form of BSL adapted for deafblind people, where signs are received through touch rather than sight, often by placing hands over the signer’s hands. It is based on understanding visual BSL through touch. It differs from Protactile – a fully tactile language which has emerged in the USA.
Tactile BSL interpreter
A professional interpreter trained to communicate using tactile BSL, enabling deafblind people to access information and participate in conversations.
Talking therapies
Psychological therapies, such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy. In the NHS, this is a programme called IAPT – Improving access to psychological therapies. In England there is a BSL IAPT service.
Text relay service
A telephone service that enables deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired people to communicate with hearing people via a relay assistant who converts speech to text and vice versa.
Theory of mind
The ability to understand that other people have their own thoughts, feelings and perspectives, which may be different from our own. This is important for social interaction and communication.
Tokenism (also known as performative action)
The practice of making only a symbolic effort to include or represent minority groups, such as BSL users, without meaningful change or inclusion.
Tracking (in BSL)
A communication method for people with limited vision, where the deafblind person places their hand on the signer’s wrist or forearm to follow the movement and location of signs.
Usher syndrome
A genetic condition that causes both hearing loss and progressive vision loss (retinitis pigmentosa). It is the leading genetic cause of deafblindness.
Video relay service (VRS)
A service that enables BSL users to make telephone calls to hearing people via a remote interpreter who translates between BSL and spoken English.
Video remote interpreting (VRI)
A service that provides interpreting via video link, allowing BSL users to communicate with hearing people in the same room, when the interpreter is not physically present.
Vision rehabilitation specialist
A professional who helps people with visual impairments develop skills and use tools to live well with sight loss and blindness.
Visual abilities and tactile abilities
Deaf BSL users are strongly visual people and deafblind people often have a highly developed sense of touch. Sensory differences enable them to develop unique skills, insights and perceptions.
Visual frame signing
A method of signing within a restricted visual field, adapted for people with limited vision so they can see the signs more easily.
Visual or tactile calling system
A system in waiting rooms or public spaces that uses visual displays (such as screens, lights or vibrating pagers) to alert deaf or deafblind people when it is their turn, instead of relying on spoken announcements.
Working memory
The ability to temporarily hold and manipulate information needed for thinking, learning and problem solving.