In September 2011, students across the country started studying for the Signature Level 6 Diploma in Sign Language Translation and are now reaping the rewards. This brand new qualification is the first of its kind in the UK. It is intended for people who are fluent in British Sign Language and who have strong English language skills. It qualifies people to translate written English into British Sign Language via video recording for use on the internet, television and other media. It can also be used in the workplace to improve accessibility for deaf people. People who achieve this qualification can register with the National Register for Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD).
The first 14 people have now passed this qualification and are now fully qualified translators.
This was the first translation programme run in the UK developed by Signature and was run by Action on Hearing Loss, supported by funding from the Nominet Trust and in partnership with Signamic.