Making the Law Work for Deaf Clients…
Today’s blog post was submitted by Sarah Bolt, Partner and Head of the Wills and Probate Disputes Team at Culver Law, a Private Client law firm with offices in London and Cambridge, and the founding firm of the ADN.
Below, she reflects on the barriers faced by deaf people when accessing legal services and what her own time working with deaf clients at Culver Law has taught her.
Until I started working at Culver Law and working with Amy Wallhead and Emily Helliwell, I wasn’t aware of the difficulties that so many deaf clients face when they consider and/or look to access legal services.
To my knowledge, Culver Law, is one of the only (if not the only) law firm (and first) in England and Wales that has taken steps to make its firm’s website accessible to deaf clients by partnering with Signly to help break down the communication barriers for members of the community who use sign language, but also has taken the step to ensure the firm’s website can be changed to meet many other accommodations, such as dyslexia or adjustments for people with visual impairments.
Each of our staff takes part in Deaf Awareness training, our meetings are fully accessible in British Sign Language, and many of our staff (and fee earners) are undertaking training and qualifications in sign language, which I find hugely inspiring (with Amy Wallhead currently working towards her Level 6 in BSL). Through a partnership with the British Deaf Association, Culver Law offers the first ever BSL accessible will writing service to the deaf community and are continuing to champion the need for this service and extend it so that the deaf community has access to proper and professional support.
Over the past seven months, I have worked with a number of deaf clients who have felt utterly abandoned and ignored by firms they have approached in the past. Firms requiring initial enquiries to be taken over the phone, emails and letters laced with legal jargon, and a general lack of deaf awareness in the sector often mean that deaf clients are blocked from entering into legal processes before they have even had their potential claims considered. Family fallouts and estate disputes can be exacerbated by family members who cannot and will not communicate with BSL-using siblings, parents, or children, and I have seen clients shut out of their rightful inheritance for years before finding accessible support and advice.
Given that it is estimated that one in three adults are deaf, having hearing loss, or tinnitus (which amounts to around a staggering 18 million people in the UK), I feel very privileged to be a part of a firm that is so dedicated (and passionate) to ensuring that we can support and help members of the deaf community access legal services, and help navigate through the issues they come up against, whether preparing a will, lasting power of attorney, or helping to discuss and/or overcome disputes and/or challenges within their family.
There is still a long way to go to overcome the barriers that the deaf community face every day, whether that is access to NHS services, education, meeting communication needs, employment, or social inclusion. And it seems that the law is taking its time to catch up, when British Sign Language was only legally recognised in England, Wales, and Scotland in 2022. My hope is that the work here at Culver Law can help to empower members of the deaf community and navigate complex issues with access to legal advice that they need.
About Sarah Bolt: Sarah is a Partner and Head of the Wills and Probate Disputes Team at Culver Law, a Private Client law firm with offices in London and Cambridge. She has a national reach, specialising in all types of disputes arising in wills, trusts, probate, and in the Court of Protection. Sarah is a member of the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists and Contentious Trusts Association. She is also an Associate Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and Association of Lifetime Lawyers. Alongside her day job, Sarah is a Council Member of Bristol Law Society, Women in Wills, and is a Trustee of Bristol Animal Rescue Centre and the University of the West of England Students’ Union.
About the ADN: The Advisers for Deaf Network (ADN) is a not-for-profit initiative which exists to increase accessibility for d/Deaf clients accessing Legal and Financial Services. The ADN blog serves as a resource for increasing awareness of the barriers faced by the d/Deaf community in accessing services and for promoting best practice in accessibility.
