Grumpy Old Deafies

The film stars John Smith, Matt Kirby, Jonathan Reid and Ilan Dwek, and was made with the support of Remark! Production. It has been entered for the Deaffest Film Festival, so hopefully it'll be seen first on the weekend of 29/30th November in Wolverhampton, UK. The whole film will be released on YouTube on Monday 1st December.

You can join the Four Deaf Yorkshiremen mailing list, mail: fourdeafyorkshiremen@gmail.com

See also:
New British Deaf film coming soon!
Four Deaf Yorkshiremen: the whole film!
Photo Friday: Four Deaf Yorkshiremen, Make Up
Four Deaf Yorkshiremen, A Trailer
Coming Out, Charlie Swinbourne
BBC Access 2.0: Interview with Charlie Swinbourne

Elsewhere:
Facebook Group: Four Deaf Yorkshiremen

Posted by alison at 12:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hooray, another BSL film in the pipeline... click here to see photos from the filming.

Know of any more British Deaf films being made? Please tell us - we like to know these things!

Further info:
The first Four Deaf Yorkshiremen film

Posted by j at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

As seen on Sign-tube (if you can't get the below video to work, click here), the new BDA Chief Exec took to the stage at the BDA's recent conference in Cardiff...

... it seems he has been learning BSL. As he should indeed!

We at GOD didn't make it to the conference this year - did you? Any thoughts?

See also:

New BDA CEO: Simon Wilkinson-Blake

Posted by j at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Charlie Swinbourne has penned an article for BBC Ouch around his forthcoming fatherhood.

When we passed the magic three-month mark, we decided to tell everyone the news. It was then that I noticed something interesting. As happy as my hearing friends were for us, I kept being asked the same question in response - and it wasn't whether our forthcoming arrival was a boy or a girl.

"Do you think the baby will be deaf or hearing?"

The question didn't offend me, but I can honestly say that until then I had never thought about it. I'd just been thinking, simplistically perhaps, that we were going to have a baby, and preparing myself for all the responsibilities that come with looking after a newborn.

You can read the rest on Ouch. Deaf people's suspicion of medics and their agenda aside; at a random observation Charlie's comments around he could not care less whether the baby was deaf or hearing; perhaps offers some clues on the low take up of genetic counselling services by deaf people. Medicine might like pushing an agenda, but is it really an issue? If your baby is deaf or hearing, unless you're going for an abortion route on the grounds of deafness, can you actually do anything about it? What does knowing any earlier achieve? Does it actually alter planning for parenthood in any way?

Ask the Readers:
Do you think asking the deaf/hearing question is offensive? Does it say more about hearing people's ingrained attitudes, perhaps in a negative sense? Or, could it be treated in the same way as boy/girl differentiation? In other words, deaf/hearing is such a big thing? What about deaf/hearing testing in pregnancy, what would it achieve?

Posted by alison at 5:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

GOD was quoted in The News Guardian last week, around the closure of Monkhouse Deaf Support Centre, Tyneside. The decline is down to:

More and more parents of deaf children are choosing normal schools causing a drop in the number of people using the centre, the council claims.

The use of labelling such as "normal schools", is derogatory and can be standard terminology in education. In fact, much of education terminology is littered with terms that really need to be thrown in the bin yesterday, but that's a post for another day.

For instance, I attended a mainstream school for my entire schooling, but it doesn't give me or anyone else the green light to label this as normal. Take a parallel, Welsh language schools in Wales are not called "special schools" and their English counterparts "normal". It starts to place a value judgment on modes of education, and with it stigamises certain classes of people. When you apply such standards, and a lack of acceptance for difference then it can creep in and influence choices. Perhaps these might be correct choices, but ultimately the welfare of the deaf child always has to be paramount.

The article quoted from this post:

Authors of the Grumpy Old Deafies blog, Alison Bryan and Jen Dodds said: "It ultimately could lead to damage for some deaf children's education.

"With the closure of such resources we enter a spectrum of a lack of choice and this ultimately has implications on children.

"Inclusion is a policy that has been driven by disabled people and ultimately led to a be all and end all approach within education policy.

"What disabled people have failed to understand is that deaf people do not share the same history education wise."

Ask the Readers:
What do you think of this decision?

See also:
North Tyneside Council are delighted at closure of deaf support centre

Posted by alison at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Cheryl Gillan (Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Wales; Chesham & Amersham, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces have procedures in place to provide British sign language interpreters and lipspeakers on a 24-hour basis for deaf people requiring assistance at police stations; and what steps her Department has taken to facilitate police force compliance with the requirements of the National Agreement on Arrangements for the use of Interpreters, Translators and Language Service Professionals in Investigations and Proceedings within the Criminal Justice System, as revised in 2007.

Tony McNulty (Minister of State (Security, Counter-terrorism, Crime and Policing), Home Office; Harrow East, Labour)

This information is not currently held centrally.

All chief officers of police have been issued with guidance on the use of the National Agreement.

ACPO is aiming shortly to write further reminding forces of interpreting requirements for those requiring lip speakers and British Sign Language services. This is being done in partnership with the Office of Criminal Justice Reform, who are preparing an additional leaflet of guidance in respect of deaf people in the criminal justice system.

Source:
Hansard
They Work For You

Posted by alison at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what facilities jobcentres offer to deaf people who arrive to make enquiries (a) with and (b) without an appointment; and how many front line jobcentre staff have qualifications in British Sign Language.

Stephen Timms (Minister of State (Employment and Welfare Reform), Department for Work and Pensions; East Ham, Labour)

The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.

Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 22 July 2008:

The Secretary of State has asked Lesley Strathie to reply to your question asking what facilities Jobcentres offer to deaf people who arrive to make enquiries (a) with and (b) without an appointment; and how many front line jobcentre staff have qualifications in British Sign Language. I am replying on behalf of Lesley Strathie as acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.

Within Jobcentre Plus we recognise the diverse range of customers we serve and we are fully committed to providing equally accessible and available services to all customers.

Customers who are hearing impaired can obtain support from Jobcentre Plus in the following ways:

if a customer is able to use a hearing loop, we provide integrated and portable hearing loop facilities in each Jobcentre;

where customers prefer to have a qualified British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter present, the Jobcentre will arrange for an external interpreter to be present at the interview. We currently have four contracted providers that provide BSL interpreters nationally, or staff can use local qualified interpreters, lip speakers, or deaf blind interpreters; or

alternatively, customers can choose to bring friends, relatives or intermediaries to act as interpreting agents for them. If a customer provides their own professional qualified interpreter they can be reimbursed with reasonable costs.

We do not hold a central national database of staff who are qualified in BSL and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Jobcentre Plus is committed to providing a first class service and ensuring we fully support all our customers.

Source:
Hansard
They Work For You

Posted by alison at 5:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Maria Miller (Shadow Minister, Children, Schools and Families; Basingstoke, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons the Disability Discrimination (General Qualifications Bodies) (Relevant Qualifications, Reasonable Steps and Physical Features) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 have not been the subject of a disability equality impact assessment.

Jim Knight (Minister of State (Schools and Learners), Department for Children, Schools and Families; South Dorset, Labour)

We have consulted with the interested disability organisations about laying the draft regulations (dated 19 June 2008) without carrying out an equality impact assessment. A consortium covering Scope, the Royal National Institute for the Blind, Skill, the British Association of the Teachers of the Deaf, the British Dyslexia Association and the National Deaf Children's Society has told us it is reluctantly prepared to accept this approach. This is in order to avoid delays which could disadvantage disabled candidates or those considering whether or not to undertake a course.

When I took the DDA General Qualifications regulations through the House last summer I made it clear that the practice of exemptions from parts of an assessment, and therefore the resulting enhancements, will continue to be lawful after September 2007. This absolutely remains the Government position.

Source:
Hansard
They Work For You

Posted by alison at 7:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Michael Gove (Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Children, Schools and Families; Surrey Heath, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

(1) what arrangements are in place to ensure that the teaching of literacy is accessible to deaf children, with particular regard to the use of phonics;

(2) what arrangements are in place to ensure deaf children who fail to attain level 3 at key stage 2 English are receiving catch-up support tailored to their needs;

Simon Hughes (Shadow Leader of the House of Commons; North Southwark & Bermondsey, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what steps he is planning to implement to reduce the gap in attainment between deaf children and their hearing peers; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Children, Schools and Families; Cardiff West, Labour)

Our key priority is to personalise learning by focusing on each pupil's progression so that every child achieves their potential. Our renewed literacy strategy builds on Sir Jim Rose's independent review of the teaching of early reading by putting phonics at the heart of 'teaching reading in order to help to raise attainment levels amongst all pupils.

The review found that there was a wide range of expert support and guidance available to help schools match provision to need regarding the teaching of literacy.

Through the national strategies we will continue to encourage teachers to apply inclusive principles to address issues of accessibility, including the needs of children with severe sensory impairment such as deafness.

The primary national strategy and other partners provide a range of intervention programmes to help those children who struggle most in reading and writing. These include the Every Child a Reader and Every Child a Writer programmes. The former provides intensive one to one support in reading for five and six year olds, the latter is a new pilot currently under development but will include one-to-one intervention in years three and four in the areas of writing that children find hardest to master.

Extra help is available for those children who need it to prevent them from falling behind: we provide early literacy support (ELS—year 1), Y3 literacy support (Y3LS) and further literacy support (FLS—year 5). These three packages are designed to help those children who, without additional help would not reach level 4 at the end of year 6.

Source:
Hansard
They Work For You

See also:
Parliament: Deaf Education, No Official Statistics

Posted by alison at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

It appears that the Hearing Aid Council is being abolished next year, and its work merged with the Health Professions Council.

The Hearing Aid Council describes itself as:

We are the Government body that regulates the private hearing aid market. To sell a hearing aid in the UK you must be registered with us and meet our standards of education, training and conduct. You can complain to us if you are worried someone may not meet our standards or is selling hearing aids illegally.

With the HPC describing itself as:

We are a regulator, and we were set up to protect the public. To do this, we keep a register of health professionals who meet our standards for their training, professional skills, behaviour and health. We currently register over 180,000 professionals from 13 professions.

We only know all this, because it has appeared in Hansard.

Ben Bradshaw (Minister of State, Department of Health; Exeter, Labour)

[snip]

I accept that it is not ideal that this House did not have the opportunity to consider this provision in its deliberations in Committee. I hope, however, that hon. Members will forgive the fact that this is a late addition to the Bill in recognition of the very real benefits that this measure will bring for patients and consumers. First, this will provide improved protection for the hearing impaired and simplify the regulatory framework for hearing aid dispensers. Although the council has done a fantastic job over the past 40 years, it is operating under legislation that is increasingly outdated with gaps in consumer protection. The Health Professions Council, established in 2001, has modern and comprehensive legislation that will provide for a much more complete service to patients and consumers. As a multi-professional statutory regulator, it can provide greater resources while charging considerably smaller fees to the profession. Secondly, and importantly, the Hearing Aid Council itself, the Health Professions Council, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People and the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists are all fully supportive of this move, and are working together to ensure that the transition will be as smooth as possible.

[snip]

A question. Did anyone actually bother to ask deaf people, since they are the ultimate consumers (and who's interests are supposedly been protected)? Has a single deaf person been involved in this consultation, and more to the point do they even know its happening, nevermind the pros and cons? Biggest deaf organisation bullshit being involved doesn't automatically wash at GOD, no-one pulls the wool over our eyes here. Personally, private hearing aid dispensing doesn't interest me, however structures / power does.

The proposed idea might even be a good idea, but are deaf people even in a position to even judge that? If there is a move away from specialist services, will there be enough recognition of getting deaf people involved in the profession? I'm talking role model argument here ....

Ask the Readers:
What do you think (that's if you even care)? Did you even know this was happening?

Source:
Hansard
They Work For You

Posted by alison at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Deaf children's education or rather the standards, has been a subject that has been buried under the carpet by consecutive governments. Its a subject that plays like a broken record, and the same mistakes made decade after decade, with no-one actually listening. There was a question in parliament around educational attainment:

Stewart Jackson (Whip, Whips; Peterborough, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

(1) what proportion of deaf and hard of hearing children gained five or more GCSEs at grade C and above in the Peterborough City Council area in the last year for which figures are available;

(2) what proportion of children gained at least two A-levels in the Peterborough City Council area in the last year for which figures are available;

(3) what proportion of deaf and hard of hearing children gained at least two A-levels in the Peterborough City Council area in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight (Minister of State (Schools and Learners), Department for Children, Schools and Families; South Dorset, Labour)

94.6 per cent. of candidates at the end of A/AS level (or equivalent) study achieved at least two A-levels in Peterborough local authority by the end of 2006/07.

Figures for deaf and hard of hearing children are available only at disproportionate cost.

There really cannot be no disproportionate cost here, it would just require an additional box on some already produced form. The real cost, the government doesn't want to acknowledge its failure. To do so, it would perhaps mean that it would have to fix it. Statistics aren't so easily buried. Conrad (1979)*, puts the reading age for deaf school leavers being less than 9 years.

In 1998, Powers and Gregory** concluded, that there has been no overall improvement in the achievement of deaf and hearing-impaired students since Conrad’s 1979 survey.

Whilst the collection of statistics might be a cost, acknowledgment of the issue from a public body, and more to the point addressing the underlying problems longer term is going to be much cheaper. A literate and educated deaf population is preferred, over and above one that is confined to a lifetime of relying on the welfare state. Of course, the cynic in me governments are only interested in short term targets, i.e. 5 years and under. They're just concerned with winning the next election.

Source:
Hansard
They Work For You

* Conrad R. (1979) The Deaf Schoolchild (London: Harper and Row)
** Powers, S. and Gregory, S. "The educational achievement of deaf children: A literature review" Deafness and Education International, 1999, 1(1): 1-10

Posted by alison at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Great to see a letter from the new BDA CEO here. Seems quite an interesting bloke, so I guess all we can do now is cross our fingers and hope for the best for the BDA..

We've been doing that for years, anyway, as well as nagging suggesting that they get a blog. I've forgotten how many times I've suggested that now, and I know quite a few other Deafies have done too, including Alison.

So how about it, BDA? The world needs more UK Deaf blogs, and I'm quite sure that the UK Deaf community would love to read/watch what's going on with you all.

Again, we nice people at grumpyoldeafies.com offer our help if you need it.

Have a nice day!

j

Posted by j at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many British Sign Language users worked in each prison at the latest date for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Ministry of Justice; Liverpool, Garston, Labour)

Information on the number of prison staff or official visitors who are able to use British Sign Language is not collated centrally nor required to be recorded locally.

A number of staff based at prison establishments have chosen to learn British Sign Language (BSL), however there is no requirement for them to disclose or record this either locally or nationally. There are also organisations such as the Birmingham Institute for the Deaf (BID), the Royal Association of Deaf People, and the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) who will put prisoners in touch with qualified signers who will visit the prisoner. Not all prisoners who have hearing difficulties will use BSL.

When a prisoner is identified as needing either an interpreter for BSL, or would benefit from receiving visits from someone who speaks BSL, the prison will arrange for an interpreter or suitable visitor through local or national support agencies.

Comment:
1. Relying on volunteers to go and visit say, once a month, is not the same as fulfilling your statutory duties;
2. RNID putting prisoners in touch with qualified signers(!), please leave comments to let us know what service this is, as we've not heard of it;
3. The government makes note of physical adjustments in respect of say ramps, and possibly notes this via maps and general accessibility when say housing wheelchair users. This would be part of a nationwide audit, in being able to identify services that are accessible and DDA compliant. Why are BSL users right at the bottom of the pile, and yes there is a requirement. You have a requirement to make adjustments, and part of this adjustment should be anticipatory in order to meet this need. What about the Disability Equality Scheme here?
4. "Not all prisoners who have hearing difficulties will use BSL". What's this got to do with the question, is the government trying to play down the fact it doesn't have the figures here? The use of terminology here, "hearing difficulties" and the association of a medical issue goes right in the face of a BSL recognition statement that Maria Eagle made herself in 2003 (as Minister for Disabled People)!
5. Do you see an underlying trend here? Avoid any collection of statistics when it comes to deaf people.

Source:
Hansard
They Work For You

Posted by alison at 9:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

David Laws (Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Children, Schools and Families; Yeovil, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department issues on assessing the ability of deaf children in examination in subjects where a listening component is generally required; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight (Minister of State (Schools and Learners), Department for Children, Schools and Families; South Dorset, Labour)

The Department does not issue guidance on detailed issues relating to examinations: it is for the qualifications regulators and the awarding bodies to ensure that appropriate arrangements are made, in the light of their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act. The Joint Council for Qualifications prepares issues advice on access arrangements on behalf of awarding bodies.

The Government have made clear that the content and curriculum of qualifications should offer all candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding and display their strengths. When other reasonable adjustments have been considered but cannot be made we would therefore expect that the practice of exemptions from parts of an assessment, and the resulting enhancements of grades will continue.

Source:
Hansard
They Work For You

Posted by alison at 8:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bob Spink (Castle Point, UKIP)

I know that the Leader of the House cares about the 9 million people in the UK who are deaf or hard of hearing, for whom lip-reading is an absolutely essential life skill. Could we have a debate on the Government's guidance to local authorities on the cost of lip-reading classes? Uncaring councils such as Conservative-controlled Essex county council are pricing vulnerable groups out of lip-reading classes, and I am sure that no one in this House wants to see that practice.

Harriet Harman (Lord Privy Seal, House of Commons; Camberwell & Peckham, Labour)

The hon. Gentleman raises a very important point, and this is one of the reasons why we have placed a specific duty on all organisations in the public sector, including local authorities, not to discriminate against people on grounds of disability, and to promote equality of opportunity and inclusion. The kind of services that he has described as being put at risk by Essex county council are exactly those that allow people to play a full part in the economy, by going out to work, and in the life of the community. I will raise this issue with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and see what it has to say about it.

Source:
Hansard
They Work For You

Posted by alison at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)