Help shape the future of provincial medical Sign language interpreting services in B.C.

ASL Community Advisory Group Announcement

Apply for a seat on our Provincial Community  Advisory Group (CAG).

We heard your input: developing an efficient and successful model for the delivery of a provincial medical Sign language interpreting service begins with input from the community it is meant to serve. To make that happen, we now need your help! We need your insights and suggestions to ensure that our future services are informed by patients, family members and caregivers' experiences.

What does a CAG member do?

As a community advisor you will provide input on:

• a provincial model of medical Sign language interpreting services;
• service coordinator job description competencies;
• service components to be included in the Request for Proposal for provincial medical Sign language interpreting services;
• and other components that will help ensure appropriate access for the community.

 Who should apply?

We are looking for people with a passion for service improvement, familiarity with community engagement and lived experience or knowledge in medical Sign language interpreting services. We are seeking members who represent the Deaf, Deaf- blind and Hard of Hearing community and will consider demographic and regional diversity in our selection process.

 Sounds interesting? Apply now!

An Expression of Interest can be submitted by interested community member:

1. Via an online application form- Please Click Here

2. By email at: plsgeneral@phsa.ca (addressing all questions in the application); or 

3. By a vlog submission at: plsgeneral@phsa.ca (addressing all questions in the application).

Expression Of Interest Community Advisory Group.pdf

The deadline for submission is July 31, 2019.

Our commitment to the deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing community 

The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) is committed to providing top-quality interpreting services for deaf, hard-of-hearing and deaf-blind people who are accessing health care across BC.

We believe the Deaf community should be integrally involved in the delivery of interpreting services to improve equitable access, and we have been actively engaging with community members to better understand their current needs. Engagement work with the community is focused on future planning for a medical sign language service. We are seeking input about opportunities to innovate, redesign and improve this service within existing available resources.

In 2016 PHSA began reviewing interpreting services for the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind people. Through the review process, we learned there is confusion around what medical services are covered and how these decisions are made. We also learned that the community wants to provide regular input so the service remains current, and we need to utilize a comprehensive approach to the model to ensure the service is delivered consistently across BC.