Welcome to our webinar: We're going to make you comfortable now
Date: Monday, October 20, 2025
Time: 18:00 CET (Central European StandardTime)
Language: Spoken English & International Sign
Join us online for a thought-provoking discussion about death, interpreted in sign language for accessibility. Our speaker, Paul Belmonte from the United Kingdom will explore various aspects of death and dying, providing a safe space for open conversations and reflections. Whether you're curious about end-of-life topics or looking for comfort in discussing mortality, this event is for you. Let's break the taboo and embrace the topic of death together!
One of the more challenging situations in which we work is when we are interpreting with a patient who is nearing the end of their life. As well as the emotional impact of giving voice to the dying, the interpreter must also carefully manage their relationships with all parties while making some difficult decisions around the language they use to describe death.
This webinar will discuss the conclusions of a cross-disciplinary discussion, where the presenter met with a palliative care consultant and a clinical nurse specialist to review the care given to a deaf patient and the lessons learned as we offered support at the end of his life. It will attempt to answer questions such as:
How impartial or emotionally detached is it appropriate for the interpreter to be in these settings?
How will they walk the tightrope between using language clear enough to be certain the patient understands the imminence of their own death, while at the same time working with the euphemisms used by clinical staff to make their conversations as gentle as possible?
