Medical Interpreting Services of British Columbia

On October 9, 1997, the Supreme Court of Canada declared that Deaf citizens of British Columbia are entitled to the services of a sign language interpreter in medical settings at no additional cost to the Deaf person(s). All of this is to the thanks of three of British Columbia's Deaf community members, Robin Eldridge, Linda Schultze, and John Warren who struggled for seven years to have their fight for their right to interpreters in medical settings heard by and approved by the Supreme Court of Canada.

The government of British Columbia has now begun to implement its obligation to provide interpreting services to all Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind citizens of the province. The service currently operated out of The Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at 2125 W.7th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6K 1X9. Services are available 24 hours/day.

As a parent of a d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing child, you are entitled to make use of these interpreting services when you visit the doctor with your child. By making use of an interpreter for your child's medical appointments, you can free yourself from having to interpret for your child. You are able to function clearly in your role as a parent without having to cloud the lines of parent/interpreter. You'll be able to have free and open discussion that your child will be able to participate in without having to rely on you, as the parent, for interpretation. You can also feel comfortable in knowing that the person providing the interpreting services has been screened for their skill set and is qualified to meet the demands of interpreting in the medical world.You may also want to instill, in your child, his or her right to have the services of a medical interpreter for visits to the doctor, the hospital, or the emergency ward.

The interpreters contracted by the Medical Interpreting Services of British Columbia are required to pass a screening tool. The tool is two-tiered with a generalist level and a more advanced, emergency level. You can be assured that the interpreters who attend medical appointments have been screened, are professional, and adhere to the interpreters' Code of Ethics.

Medical Interpreting Services available at:

Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing