Overview

Call for Expressions of Interest

Sign Language Interpreters and Tactile Interpreters - invitation to join our preferred supplier list - Kenya

Locations: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Machakos (Athi River).

Candidates must have the legal right to provide consultancy services in Kenya.

Contract type: Consultancy

About Sightsavers

Sightsavers is an international development organisation working to prevent avoidable blindness, promote equality for people with disabilities and support inclusive development.Through the Mastercard Foundation Digital Futures Programme, Sightsavers is supporting young women and men with disabilities to access digital skills, entrepreneurship opportunities and pathways into dignified and fulfilling work.

We are therefore issuing an invitation to qualified sign language interpreters and tactile interpreters in Kenya to join our preferred supplier list (PSL). Successful applicants who join our PSL as pre-qualified consultants/consultancies will be contacted for short-term and intermittent assignments as and when the work becomes available. Please know inclusion on our PSL does not guarantee work, a minimum number of assignments, or any minimum level of fees.

Programme: Mastercard Foundation Digital Futures Programme and other Sightsavers programme activities requiring sign language interpretation support.

Scope of work

Consultants or Consultancies on the PSL may be invited to provide professional sign language interpretation for meetings, workshops, training sessions, consultations, recruitment activities, webinars, field visits, partner meetings, community engagement activities or recorded content. Assignments may be delivered in person, remotely or through hybrid arrangements, depending on programme needs.

The interpreter will support effective two-way communication between sign language users and spoken-language users, helping to ensure all participants can engage equitably, safely and with dignity.

Responsibilities

• Provide accurate, impartial and professional interpretation between the relevant signed and spoken languages.
• Prepare for assignments by reviewing agendas, slides, technical terminology, participant information and safeguarding or accessibility notes shared in advance.
• Maintain professional neutrality and avoid speaking on behalf of participants except where clarification is needed to support accurate interpretation.
• Work respectfully with Deaf participants, programme participants, colleagues, partners, facilitators, captioners, note-takers, co-interpreters or other accessibility support providers.
• Advise Sightsavers where additional interpretation or accessibility support may be required, including co-interpreters, Deaf interpreters, relay interpreters, captioning, breaks or rotation arrangements.
• Maintain strict confidentiality before, during and after the assignment.
• Raise any concerns relating to accessibility, interpretation quality, safeguarding, wellbeing, conduct, data protection or logistics promptly through the agreed Sightsavers route.
• Comply with Sightsavers’ safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection, code of conduct and professional behaviour expectations.

Skills and Experience

• Professional experience providing sign language interpretation in Kenyan national sign language and spoken language.
• Strong understanding of Deaf culture, communication preferences and disability inclusion.
• Experience interpreting in professional, development, education, employment, health, community, safeguarding, research or programme settings.
• Can interpret accurately, impartially and confidentially in sensitive or technical contexts.
• Ability to prepare for assignments by reviewing background materials and clarifying terminology in advance.
• Understanding of professional boundaries, safeguarding responsibilities and appropriate conduct when working with children, adults at risk, programme participants or community members.
• Work respectfully with diverse participants, including young people with disabilities, women with disabilities, partners, community representatives and Sightsavers staff.
• Willingness to complete required due diligence checks, safeguarding briefings, references, right-to-work or eligibility checks and any assignment-specific onboarding requirements before starting work.
• Hold a letter of recommendation from a recognised OPD (UDPK or similar)

Safeguarding and conduct

Sightsavers is committed to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion. Consultant engagement is conditional on satisfactory completion of relevant checks and agreement to comply with Sightsavers’ safeguarding standards, Code of Conduct for representatives, confidentiality and data protection requirements. Where assignments involve children, adults at risk, programme participants, community members, personal stories, sensitive data, images or field activity, additional safeguarding controls may apply.

Please read the full ToR that details a suggested scope of work, safeguarding requirements, payment terms, skills, confidentiality and intellectual property provisions. Selection for the PSL does not guarantee work.

• Provide accurate, impartial and professional interpretation between the relevant signed and spoken languages.
• Prepare for assignments by reviewing agendas, slides, technical terminology, participant information and safeguarding or accessibility notes shared in advance.
• Maintain professional neutrality and avoid speaking on behalf of participants except where clarification is needed to support accurate interpretation.
• Work respectfully with Deaf participants, programme participants, colleagues, partners, facilitators, captioners, note-takers, co-interpreters or other accessibility support providers.
• Advise Sightsavers where additional interpretation or accessibility support may be required, including co-interpreters, Deaf interpreters, relay interpreters, captioning, breaks or rotation arrangements.
• Maintain strict confidentiality before, during and after the assignment.
• Raise any concerns relating to accessibility, interpretation quality, safeguarding, wellbeing, conduct, data protection or logistics promptly through the agreed Sightsavers route.
• Comply with Sightsavers’ safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection, code of conduct and professional behaviour expectations.

• Professional experience providing sign language interpretation in Kenyan national sign language and spoken language.
• Strong understanding of Deaf culture, communication preferences and disability inclusion.
• Experience interpreting in professional, development, education, employment, health, community, safeguarding, research or programme settings.
• Can interpret accurately, impartially and confidentially in sensitive or technical contexts.
• Ability to prepare for assignments by reviewing background materials and clarifying terminology in advance.
• Understanding of professional boundaries, safeguarding responsibilities and appropriate conduct when working with children, adults at risk, programme participants or community members.
• Work respectfully with diverse participants, including young people with disabilities, women with disabilities, partners, community representatives and Sightsavers staff.
• Willingness to complete required due diligence checks, safeguarding briefings, references, right-to-work or eligibility checks and any assignment-specific onboarding requirements before starting work.
• Hold a letter of recommendation from a recognised OPD (UDPK or similar)