Sarah Bown

Is the Senior Lecturer for the Interpreting and Deaf Studies (MA/BA) programmes at the University of Wolverhampton and a NRCPD practicing RSLI interpreter.

Her experience in the field of deaf studies and interpreting spans four decades across the public, private and statutory sectors. 

A former manager of services and professional teams in key domains for example; Social Services, Education, Interpreting service/ non-statutory organisations, with a central responsibility for quality service provision, funding applications, cross sector collaboration and public/private sector service level agreements. She has acted as a consultant for interpreting services; service development, quality enhancement, establishment of new services and funding streams.

She has developed a range of collaborative partnerships at UK/EU and regional level (e.g. NHS, Social Services, Lifelong Learning Network). Advisory roles include membership of the Steering Group for the review of the National Occupational Standards in Interpreting (spoken and signed language); NRCPD review and development of trainee interpreter/translator standards; pan- european contribution & co-authorship of Higher Education learning outcomes and assessment guidelines for interpreter education and training. 

She joined the University full time in 1999 as interpreting course leader and led the emerging BA programme across two decades to many important achievements including, professional accreditation by the former CACDP, now NRCPD, at TSLI & later at RSLI level. She has worked extensively with external professional accreditation bodies and as part of her Higher Education remit, has been a driving force within curriculum/assessment design, innovation, modernisation and standards setting of training programmes, in particular in the area of work- based learning.  This has contributed to excellent levels of annual professional graduate employability and requests for consultancy across the sector (national and international).

During her time at the University of Wolverhampton she has worked continuously to build internal/external collaborative opportunities for all of their students including alumni and the wider profession. For example;  the success of the UK wide employer/placement networks; the 2011 establishment of ‘IRIS’ (International Research Interpreting Seminars) providing supportive opportunities for students and alumni, together with external professionals to disseminate research/skills and provide networking opportunities.  At a regional level she established ‘A Day in the Life of’,  with local interpreting service providers for student shadowing experiences.  More recently there have been student opportunities to visit BBC Wales interpreted news in a structured learning event and BSL support roles for local elections. She has built and promoted annual opportunities for alumni with specific skills to return as guest session contributors to share their area of expertise. She has supported and promoted student contributions to written articles.

Sarah is a Registered interpreter, ‘Professional Standards Advisor’ and Senior Practitioner for the NRCPD. A longstanding member of the Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI) and remembers clearly the very early meetings of ASLI’s formation. She has served on the Newsli editorial board.  She is a 'Senior Fellow' and 'Academic Associate' of the Higher Education Academy and has regularly provided trainee teacher mentorship for the University's 'Institute of Learning Enhancement'. She was presented with the Vice Chancellor's Award for ‘Teacher of the Year' for excellence in learning and teaching pedagogy. She has served on the European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters (efsli) 'Committee of Experts' and a contributing/co-author to their seminal pan-European research publications, for the development of Higher Education learning outcomes and assessment guidelines for interpreter training courses across Europe.  

Her research to date has spanned e.g. the pedagogy of interpreter education and training including sight translation, critical reflective practice; reflection and student employability; reflective practice and placement learning; deaf people and access to healthcare.  Most recently her research into barriers and access requirements for deaf people and the menopause resulted in outstanding support from BID Services, My Menopause Centre & Holland and Barrett.

In January 2025 after 30 years of creating and delivering teaching, learning and assessment experiences for students at the University of Wolverhampton, Sarah will be saying farewell to the University and returning to freelance practice as an interpreter, teacher, assessor and researcher.