To mark the International Day of Sign Languages, HM Revenue and Customs highlighted the important work of the Royal Association for Deaf people (RAD) in helping the deaf community manage their tax affairs.
HMRC had supported voluntary, community, and charitable organizations through its Voluntary and Community Sector Grant Funding programme. This initiative enabled these groups to provide tailored assistance to individuals facing challenges in meeting their tax obligations or accessing benefits, particularly those who:
- Struggled to understand their tax responsibilities
- Had complex needs
- Were digitally excluded from using HMRC’s online services
RAD used HMRC’s grant funding to establish the HMRC Advice Team, which provided tax assistance to deaf clients, ensuring they received support in their first or preferred language, typically British Sign Language (BSL).
Sarah Watson, Operations Manager from Essex, led the team. Partially deaf herself, Sarah had joined RAD eight years ago as an Advice and Information Officer. After obtaining qualifications in Sign Language and Advice & Guidance, she was promoted to Operations Manager. Sarah, fully qualified in Leadership and Sign Language (Level 5), played a key role in offering both tax and translation services to deaf clients, either in person at the Colchester office or via video calls.
Clients commonly experienced issues such as:
- Difficulty understanding tax terminology like PAYE, P60, or tax codes, which the team explained in BSL
- Translating HMRC letters into BSL
- Assistance with online form-filling via video screen sharing
The RAD team worked closely with HMRC’s Extra Support Team to address clients’ needs internally and externally across various HMRC departments.
In addition to client support, Sarah also engaged with stakeholders to identify communication barriers and provided training to improve access for deaf individuals. She used her personal experiences to highlight everyday challenges, including:
- Missing tannoy announcements for train delays or cancellations
- Struggling to communicate with breakdown services when her car broke down
- Difficulty understanding medical staff when their mouths were obscured during important moments, like labor
Sarah, who held a BA Honours in Fine Art and had worked in various roles supporting people with hearing loss, said:
“BSL was my passion. I aimed to support and encourage deaf people in embracing their culture and helping them succeed. While RAD offered a range of services, I particularly enjoyed assisting people with their tax-related issues.”
Outside of work, Sarah lived with her husband and two children, aged 12 and 18, who were hearing. At home, they communicated through lip-reading or BSL. In her spare time, Sarah enjoyed walking, sketching, painting, listening to music via digital hearing aids, playing board games with her family, and socializing with friends at deaf clubs and on ladies’ days out.