Timothy Syndrome Alliance (TSA) is a Registered charity (No.1185523) that supports families affected by CACNA1C-Related Disorders (which include Timothy Syndrome and Long QT type 8). These are hard-to-diagnose, ultra-rare conditions that affect how calcium moves in and out of cells. Every two years, the TSA brings together the global CACNA1C community (including those living with a CACNA1C variant, researchers, clinicians, advocates, and parents/carers) for a two-day conference.
How it started
Delegates travel to the Connect CACNA1C Global Network Conference from all over the world. For the July 2026 conference in Cardiff, TSA’s Chair of Trustees, Sophie, and her team wanted to secure interpreting support early on in the process, and so they approached Atlas Translations for help.
What we did
Rhys Stevenson was appointed as the charity’s dedicated project manager, so they had one point of contact throughout the run-up to the conference and the event itself. Rhys brought together eight experienced conference interpreters who, between them, were fluent in four languages – Italian, Romanian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish.
Because CACNA1C-Related Disorders are complex, our interpreters needed a strong grasp of highly technical, specialist vocabulary before the event, so Sophie and her team shared glossaries and researchers’ presentation slides in advance.
On the first day of the conference, our interpreters worked in booths providing simultaneous conference interpreting for the researchers’ presentations. Then, during the evening meal, seminars, and more informal sessions on the second day, they switched to liaison interpreting, supporting more personal conversations between attendees.
From a project management perspective, we were so impressed by how Timothy Syndrome Alliance treated interpreting, and accessibility in general, as key to the conference’s success from the very first planning stages, rather than as an afterthought.
Conference interpreting services for the charity and nonprofit sector
Following the event, our interpreters said that they found learning more about real-life experiences of living with these conditions very moving and quite emotional. Learn more about the conference in a subsequent LinkedIn post by Dr Amy Houseman, Research & Public Engagement Officer, TSA.
Embedding interpreters at a conference with an international delegate list is a great way to make sure nobody gets left out, and we’d love to help. Get in touch with us today to discuss how we can support your next event.
