Language is often used to navigate concepts of equality between deaf and hearing people. This article looks in depth at a particular interpreted language event at the dedication service of a newly purchased church building, examining how power relations between deaf and hearing people are represented differently in the source and interpreted texts. The analysis focuses on the use of indexing and labelling to position deaf and hearing people in relation to each other and examines what may happen when the interpreter and the speaker have conflicting goals for the delivered message, or conflicting ideologies about key concepts such as equality. In order to fully understand the deaf construction of equality found in the source text, a detailed analysis of the signed source text is presented, looking at rhetorical constructions, indexing and labelling. When examining the interpreted (target) text, possible motivations for shifts in meaning, rooted in the interpreter's own ideologies of equality and inclusivity, are explored. The study reveals how interpreters' personal and cultural values may influence their linguistic choices and ultimately change the potential impact of a delivered message to an audience.