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Interpretation for daily interactions – 5 tips for using interpreter services for persons with disabilities

Published 17/3/2024

Do you use Kela’s interpreter services for persons with disabilities? Whether you are an experienced user of the services or only just learning about them, here are five important things to keep in mind.

Kaksi henkilöä keskustelee, toinen viittoo. Kolmas henkilö kuuntelee.
 

  1. The interpreter services for persons with disabilities are available for interactive situations where a customer with a disability needs interpreter assistance to communicate with another person. An example of such a situation is a conversation that a person with impaired hearing cannot follow with the help of a hearing aid or cochlear implant.
    • Customers can use the interpreter services if they are able to communicate with the aid of interpretation and use at least one communication method.
  2. Interpretation always involves at least three parties: the customer, the person that the customer is communicating with and the interpreter.
  3. Interpretation is also available for some shorter informative texts. For example, interpreters can assist customers by interpreting forms or media texts, such as digital media articles or newspaper articles.
  4. We are unable to provide interpretation of audio or video recordings, such as podcasts, movies or TV and radio programmes. There is no interaction to interpret and no third party involved between the customer and a technical recording. Interpretation of recorded media does not fall into the category of shorter informative texts either.
  5. The interpreter services are regulated by the Act on Interpreter Services for Persons with Disabilities, which limits the services to interactive situations and interpretation of shorter informative texts. We cannot exceed the statutory limitations to Kela’s authority in our service provision. However, we process each interpreter booking individually and according to the information provided by the customer at the time of booking.

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Learn more about the interpreter services for persons with disabilities | Our services | Kela

Act on Interpreter Services for Persons with Disabilities 133/2010 – Original statutes – FINLEX® (available in Finnish and Swedish)

Last modified 2/5/2024