Choosing ASL or BSL for a UK-based event: what to consider

For Australian organisers bringing Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants to conferences, public forums or training in Britain, the choice between American Sign Language and British Sign Language is a matter of language access rather than branding. It affects who can communicate freely, follow discussion and participate on equal terms. The right arrangement begins with the people attending, their preferred signed language and the professional interpreting needed for the programme.

Planning is strongest when it combines early consultation with a clear access brief for the venue and production team. Legal interpreting, medical communication, theatre and education each demand different vocabulary, pace and judgement. A booking that works for a general meeting may fail in a workshop or performance. This guide explains how to distinguish ASL from BSL, identify the appropriate interpreter, prepare the delivery and budget for access as a core event service.

Recognise the language before the service

ASL and BSL are separate languages, not regional accents or interchangeable versions of one sign language. ASL developed in the United States; BSL developed in Britain. Although both use the hands and body and share some manual alphabet conventions, their core vocabulary, grammar and ways of constructing meaning differ. A fluent ASL interpreter cannot automatically interpret into BSL, and the reverse is equally true.

For a UK-based event, BSL is usually the starting point when British Deaf attendees are the primary audience. ASL becomes relevant when a speaker or participant regularly communicates in ASL, particularly in an international or US-linked session. The event’s location does not decide the language. The lived language of each person does, and one international plenary may need both.

Australian signers usually require Auslan, which is distinct from both ASL and BSL. Treating Auslan as an interchangeable form of English-based signing can exclude people and produce serious errors in names, technical material or questions. If an Australian delegation includes Deaf presenters or audience members, ask directly whether they use Auslan, another language or more than one, then arrange support in the language they actually choose.

Ask what communication support people actually use

Begin with confidential, individual consultation rather than assumptions based on appearance, education or job title. A Deaf participant may be a native BSL user, an ASL user, an Auslan user or a multilingual interpreter working across languages. Some may prefer lip-reading, writing, speech or a combination with an interpreter. The access plan should record the preferred language and communication direction, including whether support is needed from spoken English into a signed language or the reverse.

Christopher Tester’s classroom guidance on assessing language needs offers a useful principle: assess each person’s language repertoire instead of assigning a label from hearing status alone. That approach translates well to events. Ask what languages are used at home and work, which one feels most natural, and whether the person interprets for themselves. A participant who understands both ASL and BSL may still prefer one for a complex or emotionally important session.

Different participants can have different needs within the same programme. A BSL interpreter may be ideal for a UK policy panel while an international workshop needs ASL support and a bilingual liaison. Be precise about who interprets what, and agree this with the interpreters and participants. Personal interpreters, organisation-provided interpreters and remote access should never be duplicated without clear consent and a defined role.

Match the interpreter and format to the event

Use professionals with qualifications and experience appropriate to both the language and the setting. For BSL, ask about recognised qualifications, registration with the National Registers of Communication Interpreter Professionals and experience in the relevant sector. For ASL, check recognised credentials, residence-based requirements and familiarity with British speakers, institutions and terminology. Subject expertise is essential in legal, medical or technical sessions because fluent signing alone does not guarantee accurate interpretation.

The format must also match. Consecutive interpreting suits a small discussion with clear turn-taking; simultaneous interpreting can support a busy conference stage, but it requires suitable equipment, sound control and concentration. Long sessions generally need two interpreters so breaks do not create an access gap. Remote interpreting may widen access across Australia, but test the platform, audio quality, bandwidth and sightlines with the actual interpreter rather than assuming a video call will work.

Plan the physical environment before speakers arrive. The interpreter needs an unobstructed view of the speaker and audience, with lighting that does not silhouette their hands. Avoid competing music, noisy transitions and overlapping applause. Rehearse any theatre interpretation, including cues, pace, characterisation and how performers and the interpreter enter or leave the stage. Brief presenters to pause, face the interpreter where appropriate and avoid covering their face.

Plan for Australian teams and local access

Australian partners should not be treated as an afterthought to a UK access plan. In Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, the local signed-language market is centred on Auslan, with agencies and independent interpreters offering in-person and remote services. If Australian attendees use Auslan, that support belongs in the Australian segment or participant plan. It cannot be assumed to bridge an ASL or BSL stage, and remote Auslan interpreting should be tested with local connectivity and room acoustics.

Different legal and funding environments also shape expectations. In Great Britain, the Equality Act 2010 may require reasonable adjustments, while the British Sign Language Act 2022 strengthens formal recognition of BSL. Australian planning may engage the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, the Accessibility Standards and relevant state or territory laws. Eligible Australian participants may use an NDIS plan for approved communication supports, subject to plan rules, but an organiser should not make event access conditional on an uncertain funding decision.

Time zones and local conventions deserve a place in the same schedule. London, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide operate on different clocks, and daylight-saving changes do not always occur at the same time; Perth does not observe daylight saving. Confirm the event date and clock time in a written agenda, and spell out the month when using numbers. Australian English, local contact details and an organiser’s preferred payment process should be included in booking confirmations to prevent avoidable misunderstandings.

Budget, document and review the access plan

Budget for the chosen language and the full delivery, not simply an interpreter’s hourly rate. Obtain separate quotes where both ASL and BSL are required, and ask what each includes: travel, accommodation, preparation, rehearsals, taxes, minimum bookings, cancellation terms and a second interpreter for long sessions. A UK event involving an interpreter flying from Australia may also require substantial lead time, local transport, a briefing day and contingency cover. Access costs belong in the initial event estimate, not a discretionary spend approved after registration.

Create a written access plan that identifies languages, interpreter roles, session formats, stage arrangements, breaks, remote links and backup contacts. Share it with the lead producer, venue, presenters, interpreters and access lead, using one current version to avoid conflicting instructions. The plan should also state how speakers will be introduced, how questions will be handled and what happens if a participant’s preferred interpreter becomes unavailable.

After the event, invite feedback specifically about communication access and invite interpreters to debrief with the production team. Review whether participants could ask questions, follow rapid changes and access informal discussion, then retain the successful arrangements for future programmes. A successful UK event with international participation is not one where everyone is forced into a single signing system; it is one where each Deaf participant’s language is respected, professional support is properly resourced and access remains intact from registration through the closing conversation.