Colette Forrest is a Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) consultant, assessor, and advocate with over 20 years of experience across linguistics, HR, Deaf community leadership, and inclusive policy.
A former Human Resources expert for the UK Ministry of Defence, Colette specialised in Overseas Operations in the Middle East, managed Business Appointments for No.10 Downing Street, and handled harassment and hospitality compliance cases, including the management of gifts and overseas protocols for civil servants.
She has held senior roles in policy and advocacy, including work within the British Deaf Association’s Policy Team, where she coordinated interpreter teams, Access to Work frameworks, and national Deaf policy initiatives.
Earlier in her career, Colette spent several years as a housing support worker and later as a housing specialist supporting Deaf people with mental health challenges — strengthening her commitment to person-centred advocacy and social inclusion.
A qualified Advocate (Level 4), Counsellor (Level 3), CTLLS-qualified trainer, and BSL Assessor, Colette combines professional expertise with lived experience to deliver training, assessment, and consultancy that empower both Deaf and hearing professionals.
She successfully secured a significant grant in National Lottery funding for a Deaf-led project in London under Community ID CIC, and was one of the first to develop telephone interpreting training — an approach now widely used across the interpreting profession.
Colette is currently pursuing a Master’s by Research at the University of Lancashire, titled “Deaf Signers’ Arrest Experiences in the UK,” exploring access to justice through a BSL-led, community-based framework.
Today, Colette offers consultancy, training, advocacy, and assessment services to public bodies, education providers, and businesses. Her specialism includes facilitating communication between Deaf employees and employers, embedding inclusion strategies, and aligning practice with the Equality Act 2010 and BSL Act 2022.
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