10 Years of Linguistpd: A Chat With Wendy – Part 2

Welcome to Part 2! In this half, Wendy reflects on milestones, future plans, and the gratitude we feel for our Linguistpd community.

Reflecting on milestones, Wendy looks back on the launch of our new website as one that really stands out. “We work with someone who has been working in the Deaf community and interpreting for many years – so we’ve been able to build something that’s truly useful.

I love the fact that we have so much training right at your fingertips. If you have a medical booking, for instance, you can instantly access relevant training – it’s all there.”

I’ve worked with Wendy for almost a decade, and I’m still amazed by the growth of our webinar selection. “The range of topics is incredible – even our earlier webinars are still relevant and popular today.”
Wendy agrees: “The nuts and bolts of the training haven’t changed much, though we refresh content over time. It’s pretty special that that early training is still so useful.”

So what’s next for Linguistpd? “We’ve actually got something very exciting coming up towards the end of the year – but I’m going to keep that under wraps for now!” Wendy says with a smile.
“In terms of our long-term vision, it’s really about continuing to support interpreters and other professionals who work with Deaf people. We want to help them navigate the challenges they face and help them to serve both Deaf and hearing clients even better than they already do.”

As for what makes our training stand out, Wendy points out that “after 10 years in the industry, we really have our finger on the pulse of what interpreters need and are looking for.” We also have to give credit to our wonderful trainers – we have been able to source training from international professionals, and they have brought their own unique perspectives.
And of course, having recorded training available makes a big difference. If you prefer to access live training, we offer live webinars. But if you want to learn at your own pace, you can access it anytime on our website.

Another aspect of our training that we talk about is bespoke training to meet specific team needs, which, as Wendy puts it, has been “really satisfying – spending time to understand the challenges a team is facing and then sourcing the right training for them.”

Personally, I’ve really enjoyed those training events too – we’ve worked with NHS trusts, universities, and private companies, and we provide training not just for sign language interpreters but for any professionals working with Deaf people.
I asked Wendy what she thinks makes us unique, and she credits the experience she has in the industry as one of the main factors. “I’ve been working in the industry since 1999. So that’s coming up on 26 years now. I feel old!” she laughs. “But seriously, I’d like to think I have a good insight into what’s going on in the industry.”

I also wanted to know what Wendy is most proud of when she looks back over the last 10 years. “I’m really proud of establishing the first company to offer video webinars for British Sign Language interpreters and other professionals. Indeed when I see our training copied elsewhere, it’s quite flattering!”

“I’m also proud that we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary. From a business perspective, many businesses don’t make it past the first few years, but we’ve built something that really meets our learners’ needs. We’ve expanded the range of professionals we train, and I think now’s a really good time to give ourselves a pat on the back for the hard work we’ve put in,” she says.

And of course, we couldn’t have done any of it without our learners. Wendy added that this is our opportunity to say thank you to our customer base: “we do feel like a community, with lots of regular interpreters that return – so it’s a good time to celebrate what we’ve achieved together.”

And we really do want to say a big thank you to our Linguistpd community – to our customers, both Deaf and hearing, who have been with us throughout this 10-year journey, and also to those who’ve joined us along the way.

Without our learners, we wouldn’t have been able to shape the training we’ve created. Referring to them, Wendy says: “I’ve learned a lot from you,” as the interview draws to a close, “as well as from our wonderful trainers – and I want to thank them too, because it takes a lot of work to build a training package. A lot of people have contributed to Linguistpd – and I want to thank everyone. We’re really looking forward to the next 10 years, so yeah, enjoy the journey with us!”