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Listen
Appendix two: Questions used in
Interview
Open Questions -
BSL Access to Services in Scotland
This section to be used by the Interviewer
only
Use only one question in each section - use the second
question only if the interviewee does not give much
information from the first.
Explain the purpose of the questions - to "find out
about your experiences of using public services and
receiving information. We want to know what happened and
how you managed to get around the problems if there were
any. We especially need to know if you used other ways to
communicate - not
BSL. Also tell us about your experiences
in using
BSL either with hearing friends or
family or interpreters."
After the warm up, you can vary the order of the
questions according to what the people say and you can add
new examples if it makes it easier for them to describe
their experiences. However, you should mark the order you
used for the questions, in the margin.
Warm Up questions
(a) Can you remember any situations where you went
somewhere and were surprised to find the person at the desk
or in a shop could sign to you? Tell us what happened
(b) Are there any other situations where you went and
you found that the people at the desk or in the service,
could not understand you and you had to give up in
frustration? What did you feel at the time and then
afterwards, did you do anything to complain? Did you ever
go back to that place?
Automated Service (self-service
facilities)
1) Now there are paying machine for buying train tickets
at station…
- Have you used these machines? Any problems?
- Do you think this is a positive for deaf people?
Please explain.
- If you have the choice between the till cashier or
the paying machine…and why?
- Did you have problems with paying machines? Or
similar elsewhere?
Use this question if the first one does not work
well:
2) There are new public toilets in the street? The one
with digital buttons, to flush, wash hands, close &
open the door.
- Have you used it yourself? Or you refusing it and
use another?
- How would you improve it for Deaf people?
- Do you ever have problems at the public toilets? Or
your friends?
Automated services with speech
interfaces
3) If I invited you over to my home for a cup of tea,
and I have this voice intercom/doorbell,
- How would you let me know that you are outside on
the doorstep?
- If they answer "texting/sms", ask them for another
way to get my attention
- Any other experiences similar to this kind of
machines? At council offices? Businesses?
- Is there a better way to reach the other Deaf
person with
BSL?
Automated services with text or picture
interfaces
4) There is a new computerised information kiosk in the
public area library or shop for example
- Where was it? In the high street?
- Was it easy to use?
- Why did you use this machine? What kind of info
were you looking for? Or just have a look?
- Why haven't you tried these machines?
- Would these machines be better with
BSL?
Staffed services
5) Most council offices (like council tax,
DHS for benefits, planning permission,
etc) have a full window reception desk (or louver
window).
- How do you communicate with the receptionist? Can
you tell us about your experiences?
- Did you take a friend or interpreter - how did this
work out?
Use this question if the first one does not work
well
6) You want to buy a brand new car/used car at a
garage…
- How do you communicate with the car dealers?
- Asking specify questions?
- Do you feel comfortable to test drive with a
stranger next to you? Not communicating with you with
any enquiries while you test drive the car?
- Do you think interpreters would help in this
situation?
Service visitors to the home
7) You have a leak coming from the bathroom that is
coming through to the ceiling lounge (or similar if you
live in a flat - toilet leaking in your bathroom). You have
asked a plumber to come round and fix the problem. And you
can't get someone hearing to help you communicating and you
are alone…
- How do you feel about a stranger in your own
home?
- How do you communicate with them?
- Do they explain to you about the quoting before
doing the job or will you ask?
One to one brief transactions
8) Most people say that Deaf people dislike going to the
doctor.
- Can you explain some of your experiences of
visiting the doctor?
- Are you receiving full access information?
- Are you satisfied?
- After visiting the doctor you don't understand the
information, what would you do?
- Is it helpful to take a friend or member of the
family or even an interpreter?
One to one longer transactions
9) If you want to go for a job interview…
- How do you communicate with the
interviewer(s)?
- Do you prefer to use a family member or
professional interpreter?
- Why choose a family member instead of a
professional interpreter? Or vice versa
- Do you feel comfortable if the interview panel use
sign and no interpreter present? Why is that?
Waiting areas for service
10) At the Emergency & Accident hospital, you have
to wait your turn…
- Explain your experiences in the Accident &
Emergency dept waiting room in the hospital.
- Do you feel comfortable waiting not knowing if they
call your name already?
- How would you improve facilities for the deaf
people in the waiting rooms?
- Any other similar views about waiting areas for
service (not just hospitals).
Deaf People in hearing environments
11) From your experience on college courses, or at work
meetings…
- How would you feel if you were the only deaf person
on your college course or workplace?
- What is the situation like with an interpreter
there? Do you feel that you are part of the group? If
not, why?
- If you are alone in these situations, what was it
like?
- If you have another deaf person with you in this
situation? Would it be different with an interpreter
and a deaf person with you at the same time rather
being with an interpreter alone or deaf person
alone?
Staffed service in general
12) Have you ever been involved with the police? -
either to give evidence or make a report?.
- Did anyone sign to you? How do you communicate with
them?
- Did you feel you were able to understand what your
rights were and why the police asked certain
questions?
- Have you used an interpreter when at the police? Or
even a hearing friend or member of the family? What was
the result?
- Did you ever need to use a solicitor?
- Was an interpreter provided and what was your
experience?
- Do you think interpreters can provide for the needs
of Deaf people in these situations?
Telephone
13) Supposing you have an emergency…
- Deaf people do not have phone access to emergency
services we normally have to ask a hearing person to
phone on our behalf. Who would you ask?
- Do you have any experiences you would like to share
with us?
- Have you used Typetalk to call an emergency
service?
- What about interpreters?
- How would you like it to be improved in the near
future?
Telephone and automatic services
14) Now there is a new automated telephone answering
machine for many companies and offices eg the electricity,
or companies… (press 1 for brochure, press 2 for service …
and so on (all in speech)… If you use an interpreter or
typetalk, this can be complicated to get through
- Have you tried the new automated response recording
messages and to press numbers from the main menu to the
right person?
- How did you cope with this new system with either
through Typetalk or through an interpreter?
- How would you improve this for deaf people?
Fax or faxback
14) You have problems with your council tax and you want
to fax to the council tax office to sort out…
- Have you faxed the council?
- How do you feel about writing in English?
- How often do you use fax machine?
- What do you prefer to use fax or minicom? And
why?
Mobile Text messaging
15) Most deaf people have mobile phones and can text
each other!
- How do you feel about it?
- If public services were to start using the
SMS system, would it be beneficial
to deaf people.
- What other things would you like to see in future
with texting/
SMSing?
Internet
16) Nearly every household has access to internet…
- Do you have internet?
- Do you use it at work as well as at home?
- What kind of information do you look for on the
Internet?
- Have you purchased anything through the Internet?
For example??
- Do you feel this is a good way for Deaf people to
obtain services? Is it easy to use?
Live media: Television
17) Now we have signing and subtitles on
TV…
- Do you understand fully what the
TV is about even though you read
subtitles? Why is that?
- Signing programmes…you prefer deaf people or
hearing person to sign? Why is that?
Fixed media: newsletters, leaflets,
video
18) Now Deaf organisations made information videos with
signing…
- Have you seen any signed videos?
- Were they any good?
- What have you learnt from these videos?
- If the content is complicated,
i.e. politics. Which do you prefer signing
or subtitles? Why?
Videophone
19) Imagine if everyone had a videophone!..
- How would you feel?
- Would it improve access to information?
- Consider having a access to a videophone relay
interpreter?
Video-server - streaming on the
internet
20) Imagine there are video clips of signing advice from
the internet instead of English…
- Would you choose to read English or look at the
video clip of signing the information and advice from
CAB for example?
- Supposing the council webpage give you choice of
signing or English…would you look at the webpage more
often? If you know about it?
- What kind of information would you like to see on
video clips through internet?
Video streaming to mobile handsets
21) Imagine if all deaf people had
BSL video in their mobile phone!
- Imagine you receive emergency newsflash from the
council in
sign language about a terrorist
attack.
- How do you feel about that?
- What other emergency news would be beneficial?
- How would you use a mobile information service in
BSL?
(To the Interviewer ) remember to say Thank you
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