Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS) interpreting and translation

DSGS interpreting matched by region

Telling us the Deaf person's region helps with dialect matching, since signs used in Basel may differ from those in St Gallen or Bern. A DGS interpreter from Germany is not an equivalent substitute in formal settings: the languages differ, and so do the institutions and terminology a Swiss interpreter knows.

We provide DSGS interpreting on site and through video remote interpreting for public administration, hospital and clinic appointments, apprenticeships and vocational training, schools, workplace meetings and conferences. For hospital appointments, court hearings and workplace meetings, a short briefing on the subject and any names or technical terms helps the interpreter prepare, and long assignments are covered by two interpreters.

Liechtenstein's Deaf community also uses DSGS, and Deaf people from there often deal with Swiss institutions for education and healthcare; our interpreters know both settings. For apprentices and trainees, we can arrange regular interpreting with the same DSGS interpreter for the length of a course, which helps with specialist vocabulary.

Written German into DSGS video

Deaf translators from German-speaking Switzerland record DSGS versions of cantonal information, patient leaflets, training material and web content written in German or English, and signed DSGS footage can be written up in German or English. Swiss and Liechtenstein certificates are certified by our German translators.

Swiss organisations with a national audience can commission DSGS, French Swiss and Italian Swiss signed versions in one project, with identical content in all three.

Captions for Swiss audiences

Standard German, French, Italian or English captions and written transcripts can be produced for videos, webinars and recorded meetings, each file proofread by a person.

Because DSGS mouth patterns reflect Swiss German, our Deaf translators and caption writers take care that the written captions, usually in Standard German, match what viewers see on screen as closely as possible. Live events can also combine DSGS interpreters with real-time captions for hard of hearing participants.

Settings for our linguists in DSGS

Our vetted, trained and qualified DSGS interpreters can support public administration, healthcare providers, employers and vocational trainers, schools and conference organisers. A single SILA Linguists® coordinator handles each request, interpreters are vetted, and Swiss Deaf clients' personal information is protected by non-disclosure agreements and UK GDPR.