SCoD News Issue 28 by Scottish Council on Deafness

Scottish Council on Deafness

Registered charity: SC016957

issue

SCoDNEWS scod.org.uk

Summer/Autumn 2013

Windsor Park School

Yarn Bombing

CABs and Deaf People

Hughes News

Making History with the BSL Bill

Welcome... In this issue celebrate Windsor Park School achieving a rating of “excellent” during its recent inspection; applaud the efforts at CABs in Roxburgh and Berwickshire in making their service accessible to Deaf people; read about the success of the NHS24 BSL service; learn about our new Back to School: Lessons to Learn project and be enthralled reading about Gerry Hughes and his nine month voyage around the world.

Lilian Lawson OBE SCoD Director

In this issue 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

We are a history making bunch here in Scotland! Regular readers will be aware of the fantastic support the BSL Bill consultation had - in spite of the fact that it was its second time out. 57 organisations alone responded to the consultation, along with 937 separate signatures. This is entirely without precedent and is the largest response to a proposed member’s bill in the history of the parliament! Go Scotland! Due to this high volume of responses, it took the Non-Executive Bills Unit (NEBU) a little longer to analyse the responses and prepare its report. 97% of responses agreed with the general principles of the Bill and 89% supported the need for legislation. A strong mandate indeed to take the BSL Bill forward. The summary of responses on the BSL Bill consultation has now been published and translated into BSL. Individual and organisation responses are available on Mark’s website.

Mark Griffin MSP

A Template for Success National Council Meeting Got a Deaf Wish? The DHS Spring Gathering CABs in Roxburgh & Berwickshire The Helping Hand Campaign Employment Research Deaf School of Excellence! Yarn Bombing at Deaf Connections Gerry Hughes: Sea Fever Back to School Project Welfare Reform Donate, Newsletter Signup, DVD Orders

EDITORIAL NOTE

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this newsletter, SCoD disclaims any liability for inaccuracy or omission. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of SCoD. No endorsement of services, events or products is intended or implied. This newsletter is prepared in-house by SCoD staff, with contributions from permanent staff, project staff and other interested parties. Articles for future issues are always welcomed and considered. Please contact the editor: Email: editor@scod.org.uk Voice/textphone: 0141 248 2477 Visit the offices: Central Chambers Suite 62, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 6LD SCoD is a registered Scottish charity: SC016957 Printed on paper from well managed forests, where trees are farmed as crops.

Page 2 Scottish Council on Deafness

Visit: www.markgriffinmsp.org.uk/ content/bsl-bill/. The responses BSL version (with captions) can be viewed on Mark’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/ MarkGriffinMSP. Mark lodged his Final Proposal with the Parliamentary authorities - it can be seen here: www.scottish.parliament. uk/parliamentarybusiness/ BusinessBulletin/64440.aspx. All that’s needed now is the support of 18 fellow MSPs from across the parties represented in Parliament. Assuming all goes well, Mark Griffin MSP will secure the right to introduce a Bill to give effect to the proposal. This will hopefully happen in September. Once introduced, a Member’s Bill is subject to the same three-stage scrutiny process as other public Bills. A BSL guide to Members’ Bills (with captions and voiceover) is available on the Scottish Parliament website: www.scottish.parliament.uk/ newsandmediacentre/49853.aspx

Information in BSL on DVD

NHS inform has produced a number of informative DVDs in BSL recently: • The Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities, Your Health, Your Rights factsheets • When someone has died information for you • Health care in Scotland for UK passport holders • Health care for UK Pensioners visiting Scotland • Health care for former UK residents now working abroad Contact ask@hris.org.uk to request copies.

Photo thanks Scott Campbell Deaf Connections Citizens Advice Bureau Windsor Park School Other images by Alison Coyle and Nicola Noon

Age-related hearing loss, if left without treatment, can lead to profound human isolation which is not only debilitating, but can speed up dementia and other age related illnesses. That is why Stephen Lloyd - MP for Eastbourne & Willingdon and Hearing Link patron is calling for hearing screening to be introduced for everybody in the UK at the age of 65. Stephen, who is himself hard of hearing, fears an unenthusiastic response from the Department of Health which has expressed concern about the cost implications of a sudden increase in demand for hearing aids. Stephen’s report demonstrates however, that this proactive approach, far from being prohibitively expensive, offers significant long term savings. While 62% of people aged 65 or older have some form of hearing loss, only a tiny proportion of these people have hearing aids and it is this very issue that Stephen wishes to see addressed. The campaign was launched in the UK Parliament in June. Follow its progress and read the report by visiting www.stephenlloyd.org.uk 2013: Over 10million people across the UK have a hearing loss. By 2031 this figure is expected to have grown to 14.5million.

Free Course on Self-Directed Support ‘Foundations of self-directed support in Scotland’, is a short Open University course that explores the development and impact of personalisation in health and social care in Scotland. The course will help provide understanding about the origins of the Self-directed Support Act (2013) and the principles that it is based on. It will also explore some of the potential tensions and challenges of personalisation. The course aims to provide a broad grounding in personalisation and is intended to be studied by a wide range of people: service users, carers and people who are employed in health and social care, including personal assistants, social care workers, nurses, social workers and doctors. This course is divided into six sections which can be studied at times to suit each individual student. Each section includes video resources and interactive tools organised as learning activities. Visit the Open University website to find out more and register for the course: www.open.edu

Improving job prospects for deaf school leavers in Scotland A new resource aimed at improving the post-school transition for deaf young people as they take their first steps into the world of work has been launched. A Template for Success has been developed by NDCS in partnership with Donaldson’s School and Skills Development Scotland (SDS). It promotes good practice for professionals, highlighting the rights of deaf young people and professionals’ responsibilities towards them during post-school transition. It is important that young deaf people are supported and able to benefit from opportunities in further education, training and work throughout Scotland. In turn it is hoped this will also help narrow the gap in career prospects between deaf young people and their hearing peers. Danny Logue, Operations Director at SDS said: “This new template sets out good practice and will help professionals think about and understand exactly how they fit into the wider transitions process to ensure that deaf young people have the best transitional outcomes possible.” Janice MacNeill, Principal of Donaldson’s School, added: ‘Young deaf adults deserve the best support available to help them transition into meaningful employment, further education or training. I hope this resource will help professionals signpost young people to the right agencies and support.” Welcoming the launch of the template, Angela Constance, Minister for Youth Employment said: “I recognise that young deaf people face unique challenges that may complicate their educational achievements as well as their plans for future learning, training and work. It is important the right support is in place for young deaf people when they need it. This template is a welcome resource that will help to improve the transition planning process for deaf young people as they move towards the world of work.” The template is an invaluable tool for professionals working with deaf young people and is structured according to different types or stages of transition. It provides guidance for communicating effectively with deaf young people and helps agencies consider how they work in partnership with each other. A copy of A Template for Success is available to download: www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/ media/812447/template_for_success.pdf

SCoDNEWS Issue 28 Summer 2013 Page 3

A Full Agenda @Our Membe There was a full programme for our Information Day at Donaldson’s on 28th March with four guest speakers following the lunchtime exhibitions. As well as ourselves, the organisations listed below each had a table to display information about their work and we all enjoyed mingling and getting to know one other better over a light buffet lunch. Exhibitors: Commtacs, Deaf Action, Deaf Links, Deafblind Scotland, Hearing Link, Heriot Watt University, NHS 24, Portable Sign Language Translator, Roxburgh Citizens Advice Bureau, SASLI, Sign Language Interactions, Sign Video After lunch and with the usual business of the meeting finished, it was time for the presentations. Carole Lyons, the newly appointed Director of Operations at Deaf Connections, presented an overview of Deaf Connections’ plans for the future. She explained that the current working arrangement with the Royal Association for the Deaf would

end this year. Deaf Connections would be working on research; equality (including the continuation of Ishara); communications and welfare reform. Natalie Brodie-Clark talked about the “We Hear You” Project at Roxburgh CAB after giving a brief history of the Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABs). The bureaux were set up after the second world war to provide information to the public. They give advice on issues such as employment, discrimination, tax, health care, housing and law as well as providing statistics for social equality. The “We Hear You” project provides access for deaf people. CAB staff and volunteers receive awareness sessions on the needs of lipreaders and sign language users and video relay interpreting is used at the Borders CAB who will also provide communication support when necessary. After a 2-year pilot in the Borders, it is hoped staff at CABs all over Scotland will undergo similar

training and changes so as to become more accessible to deaf people. The funding for the project came from Citizens Advice Scotland. More about this project on page 7.

Diane Livingstone of National Police Reform spoke about the new 101 non-emergency phone number. 101 was introduced in time for the new National Police Force in Scotland coming into being. 101 can locate where you are when you call from a landline or a mobile. 999 should still be used for emergency calls. 101 does not support text messaging but the police are looking at other ways to provide a text service. Text relay is available on 101 by dialling 18001 then 101. Some areas previously had a text messaging service for those who pre-registered. Diane Livingstone explained that although the police already have information for 999 for some deaf people, the 999 data belongs to BT and not to the police which means there is a data protection issue.

SCoD AGM: 31st October at Touchbase in Glasgow Our AGM in October will be the last for Lilian Lawson as Director of SCoD. Lilian is retiring at the end of this year after 13 years of dedicated service. The AGM will celebrate Lilian’s many achievements at the helm and looks set to be an event you can’t afford to miss! As always, the meeting is free to attend and open to all. It will mark the end of an era for Page 4 Scottish Council on Deafness

SCoD and anyone wishing to share in the celebrations is welcome to attend. Of course you must let us know you are coming! If you or your friends plan to attend, please email events@scod.org.uk and let us know. The AGM starts at 2pm. We are holding this event in Glasgow. The full address for the venue is: Touchbase, Middlesex St, Glasgow G41 1EE.

We trialled the monthly Bulletin BSL News service on our YouTube channel DeafScotland for ten months. Unfortunately viewing figures fell off after the initial flurry of use and we decided to cancel this service. Our channel remains active as it is used for other BSL translations (such as the recent Employment survey) and for other news items - such as the launch of the Helping Hands campaign and the recent announcement about our Back to School project. Visit our channel directly: www.youtube.com/deafscotland or click through from our website: www.scod.org.uk

ers Meeting Dr Ernesto Compatangelo’s company, PSLT, which stands for Portable Sign Language Translator and is affiliated to Aberdeen University, has been working on a portable sign language translation computer. Dr Compatangelo described the functions of the PSLT - translation from “gesture” to text and vice versa. He thought it would be useful for situations where a lot of jargon is used as well as for everyday situations where there are no BSL/English interpreters spontaneously available – such as at the airport, or in the supermarket. He also suggested that BSL learners could use it to check that they have a sign correct. PSLT has developed “composable sign language” so that people can create their own new signs and load them into the PSLT. Dr Compatangelo said he did not know sign language but was aware of the problems with word ordering etc. so as to generate an accurate grammatical translation. However, he said, the PSLT can pick up on the context where a word or sign can have different meanings. They hope to develop voice to sign and sign to voice translation soon. They will be testing the product with stakeholders before the summer when the product should be ready. The project is UK Government funded and the government has stipulated that the PSLT should be sold to corporations and organisations who must make it available free of charge to their customers. A discussion followed during which members of the audience expressed some concerns. How would the PSLT cope with facial expression in BSL; simultaneous use of more than one sign; the human element of communication and the general problems of translating natural languages through computer which are well-known to those who are familiar with previous attempts such as Google translation? Dr Compatangelo acknowledged that these problems existed however, he wanted to stay positive and develop the PSLT as well as possible and he hoped that it would in future be of use to some people although he conceded that it would not appeal to some.

Just before Christmas we asked you to tell us your wish for deaf people in Scotland. We wanted to know what folk really wanted in their hearts – without having to think about how to achieve it. That is... if you had a genie in a lamp to grant your wish. The results were interesting and although we know you know we don’t have a genie, we will do our best to work towards making as many of these wishes come true as we can. You all know how much we have done here at SCoD in connection with the BSL Bill so it’s encouraging to have it confirmed that we’re working towards what you want. Here are some examples of what you said... Better communication between hearing & Deaf people. By that I mean at hospitals/doctors/ police/shops etc. Full access through BSL, by Act of the Scottish Parliament. Full equality with every other citizen of Scotland. Full inclusion in the political, civic and cultural life of Scotland. Rich cultural development in every area of Deaf life. To have BSL in schools. Scotland passes a BSL Act which has real impact in preserving and promoting British Sign Language for future generations of Deaf people My Wish would be that the BSL Bill was passed and that a definite action plan was enforced enabling Deaf BSL Children to have access to equal education opportunities. People also wished that: everyone in Scotland could use BSL every person they met could sign Deaf people be given access to full sport coaching to become stars like our hearing peers. and there were captions on everything From these responses, you can see how much passion there is for BSL. If I had a genie in a lamp I’d wish that everyone in Scotland could share that passion.

SCoDNEWS Issue 28 Summer 2013 Page 5

With a Spring in their Step by Ella Leith Deaf History Scotland’s Spring Gathering took place on Saturday 11th May at the Dumfries & Galloway Deaf Society. The cosy room in Rae Street was packed with interested members ready to enjoy three presentations. The first was from John Denerley, Chair of Dumfries & Galloway Deaf Society, who gave an interesting account of the Society from its establishment as the Dumfries & Kirkcudbrightshire Mission for the Deaf and Dumb in September 1893 to its development into the present day. We learned about the first meeting in 1889 in the house of a local Deaf man, John Harkness, and how the first official premises were found in 1893: two rooms at 109 the High Street. 60 to 70 people attended every week – amazing for a rural community with limited transport at the time! Local fundraising in the 1950s enabled the Society to purchase the current building at Rae Street in 1960 – an attractive and spacious headquarters for the local Deaf community. The old building on the High Street is now a charity shop and a snooker hall, but unfortunately there is no plaque commemorating the connection with the Deaf community… yet! Using photographs and paintings, John Denerley introduced us to some of the people, deaf and hearing, who have been important in the 120 years of the Society, including the Society’s supporter Sir Robert Reid QC (1846-1923), an MP and later Lord Chancellor, who was also known as Lord Loreburn. The Deaf man who hosted the first meetings, John Harkness (1853-1906), was a key figure; his hearing daughter, Miss Harkness (1883-1954), continued to work with the local Deaf community throughout her life. More recent photographs showed familiar local faces enjoying trips and social events, and the presentation ended with fascinating reminiscences from Myra Dalgleish, the oldest member of the Society. Next up was Jack Giffen, who gave an engaging overview of the history of the Glasgow Deaf Drama Club (1951-2004), illustrated with photographs of some of the productions: hilarious pantomimes like Babes in the Wood and Robinson Crusoe, and more serious dramas often with historical settings. Many of these plays were written by Jack Giffen himself! One highlight was the Millennium Cast of 2000 AD, which was devised as part of the campaign to get BSL officially recognised. The campaign succeeded in 2003. The Club competed in BDA drama tournaments, and won its first trophy in 1960; over the years it won several times, both the BDA National Trophy and the Scottish National Trophy. The photographs were very evocative and there were many familiar faces! Page 6 Scottish Council on Deafness

Last, but by no means least, Tony Boyce presented a taster of his research about Joseph Turner (17981872), the first Deaf teacher of the Deaf in Scotland, the subject of his forthcoming book. Turner was born near Dumfries, educated in Edinburgh, and began teaching there in 1817 before moving to Henderson Row School in 1824. He resigned in 1830, and until now no more was known about him; however, Tony Boyce managed to trace his life afterwards and told us of his marriage, his emigration to New York, his return to Scotland in 1841, and the creation of his own private school, the Dumfries and Galloway Deaf and Dumb Institution, in 1842. Turner and his wife taught 13 pupils before the school’s closure in 1850. He continued to teach privately until 1865, and his gravestone at St Mary’s Church is inscribed with the word ‘teacher’. Tony Boyce’s carefully researched and heartfelt presentation gave a rich insight into the unsung local hero. He showed an early – possibly the earliest – recorded example of discrimination against Deaf people in employment, when Joseph Turner was refused an interview for a teaching post in Aberdeen, but he also showed the strong connections between people within and on the periphery of the Deaf community: how Turner’s father’s previous employer, the Duke of Buccleuch, financially supported Turner’s school in Dumfries; how a committee of missioners and local supporters fundraised to enable deprived children to be taught by him; how one of Turner’s extended family criticised oral teaching methods in 1869; and how, as a young man, Turner’s friendship with Jane Welsh in Haddington led to his meeting her husband Thomas Carlyle, the famous philosopher and essayist, many years later. The Spring Gathering ended with a wonderful symmetry: the first female president of the Dumfries & Galloway Deaf Society, Margaret Carlyle Aitken, was related to Thomas Carlyle, who had met Joseph Turner, the first Deaf teacher, in Dumfries. These three excellent presentations gave much food for thought, and there was much to discuss after they were over.

DHS

AGM

Deaf History Scotland is holding its 5th AGM on Sat 26th October from 11am - 3pm at Forth Valley Sensory Centre, Redbrae Road, Camelon, Falkirk, FK1 4DD. Sisters Roba Drewry and Morag Rosie will make a presentation about their deaf father, professional footballer James MacLean. Visit www.deafhistoryscotland.org.uk to find out more.

Citizens Advice Bureaux: Roxburgh and Berwickshire the way BSL users access advice. It not only means We Hear You is the innovative new project run that free advice is available on demand but that by the Citizens Advice Bureau for Roxburgh and the BSL users in our community have the choice of Berwickshire. The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) dropping into the Hawick Bureau where we would provides free confidential and impartial advice on use this online video relay service, using the video a wide range of things from neighbour disputes to relay service from their own homes or by asking us benefits to discrimination issues. to book an interpreter and arrange an appointment The We Hear You project aims to give people who for them. Hawick CAB is the first to offer this service are hard of hearing, deafened or deaf equal access and over the next few months we will be rolling to this free advice. Until the project began there was the service out to Kelso, Duns and no funding available to provide British Eyemouth. Sign Language (BSL) interpreters for For hard of hearing people we have clients. If a BSL user wanted to access updated all of our loop systems and the service they would have to bring a reorganised our offices to make them family member to interpret for them. more deaf friendly. All of our staff and Now the Roxburgh and Berwickshire volunteers have undergone intense CAB can not only offer BSL interpreters deaf awareness training to ensure on request but a remote access service that they not only understand the using video relay services too. This communication needs of our hard means that BSL users can access of hearing clients but that they can CAB advice from the comfort of their accommodate them. own homes if they have a computer After a visit to the bureau all hard of internet connection and webcam. The hearing, deafened and deaf clients service works by using a third party Natalie Brodie-Clarke will receive a letter from their advisor interpreting agency Sign on Screen. The outlining the content of the advice session and client downloads the free software and is then able the next steps to ensure that they have a point of to communicate with the interpreter. The client tells reference after their interview. Our advisors can the interpreter they want to call the CAB. When the also provide information about local services for the CAB answers the phone a normal client consultation hard of hearing, deafened and deaf members of our can take place. community. This revolutionary technology could really change The project is now 6 months old and is being managed by Natalie Brodie-Clarke - herself a CAB adviser who is hard of hearing who is keen to see it replicated and rolled out to other CABs across the country. The scheme is already making waves in the deaf community - both locally and across Scotland. Natalie recently attended the Cross Party Group on Deafness at the Scottish Parliament to tell them about it, and a supportive motion at Holyrood is receiving backing from all parties. “This project is about making the

CAB service open and available to everyone,” says Natalie. “Admittedly, some of the steps we are taking are quite advanced and expensive, like training some of our advisers in sign language. And there are lots of exciting technological tools that are open to us now that simply weren’t around a few years ago; things like hearing ‘loop systems’ that channel sound better in a room, and online interpreters whose services you can hire by the minute. “But other changes are quite simple things that any CAB can do, like

changing the decor. For example, many people don’t realise that lipreaders prefer to communicate in a room with plain walls - because posters in the background can be distracting. So we have taken all the signs and posters down in one room, to make a clear wall-space. “That’s such a simple thing, but once you know about it, it can really make a difference to the service you offer the next time you are faced with a client who lip-reads. And there are so many things like that, which are really quite easy and don’t cost much, but make a big difference.”

If you would like to access this service you can: email: enquiries@roxburghcab.casonline.org.uk or Nataliebrodie-clarke@roxburghcab.casonline.org.uk SMS: 07815629570 tel: 01450 374266 Use Sign on Screen: www.deafconnections.co.uk/Sign-On-Screen/ SCoDNEWS Issue 28 Summer 2013 Page 7

BSL Service Helps Young Mum Get Help Any parent of young children knows how worrying it can be when they are taken ill, and how quickly you want reassurance and help. But for parents with any form of hearing impairment getting that help is not always straightforward. Lisa Johnston lives in Linlithgow with her four children who are aged from 4 months to 6 years. Lisa also has a hearing impairment and, because her first language is British Sign language (BSL) rather than English, she finds it difficult to access healthcare for unscheduled care needs. Lisa explains: “If one of my kids is ill and I need to see a GP quickly I find that the appointments are invariably filled at 8 in the morning via telephone bookings. It means that I have to go to hospital but they are often very busy and that means we can have a long wait – plus when I do get seen it means there are sometimes issues with finding a BSL interpreter.” But now, thanks to the BSL interpreting service offered

by NHS 24 Lisa can access health care and advice quickly, easily and confidentially. As the national telecare provider, NHS 24 is committed to making its services accessible to people and introduced the BSL service last year. Lisa explains how it works: “I’ve used NHS 24 quite a lot in the last few months as my kids have had lots of viral illnesses - typical kids stuff really. The service is superb and it’s very good knowing I can access medical advice better with an interpreter via webcam! Recently I had to contact NHS 24 because my daughter who was only a baby - less than 3 months old - was coughing all the time. I wasn’t happy with her condition so I contacted NHS 24 who then connected me with an interpreter who signed brilliantly. We talked about her coughing and they got me an appointment at hospital. If it wasn’t for the interpreter through NHS 24 I probably would have just turned up at A&E and had to wait for ages!”

NHS 24 operates the BSL video relay service with InterpreterNow from 12:00 till midnight Monday to Friday and from 8:00 in the morning till midnight at the weekend.

The Helping Hand Campaign In partnership with Deaf Action, West of Scotland Deaf Children’s Society and National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), SCoD launched the “Helping Hand” campaign report in the Garden Lobby, Scottish Parliament in February. For three days we had a stand in the Garden Lobby and over 40 MSPs and their staff came and spoke to Lilian Lawson (SCoD Director) and Katie Rafferty (NDCS) about the campaign which raised concerns about the mental health of Scotland’s

deaf children and young people and the need for a dedicated Deaf Children and Adolescents Mental Health Service (DCAMHS). SCoD produced BSL video clips explaining the campaign and translating the campaign booklet, both of which can be viewed on our You Tube channel: www.youtube.com/deafscotland

Jenny Marra MSP, Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Deafness, gave support to this campaign by tabling a motion for debate in the Scottish Parliament in April. 14 MSPs from different parties supported it, thus achieving cross party support. Since the launch of the

campaign, members of SCoD’s DCAMHS Campaign Group gave presentations at the British Society of Mental Health and Deafness at their recent conference in Edinburgh and the Scottish Government’s CAMHS Stakeholder Reference Group. We also approached the Cross Party Group on Mental Health and the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) with a request to speak to their members. We are delighted that RCP has agreed to invite the DCAMHS Campaign Group to speak at their annual conference in November 2013.

NDCS has set up a web page for this campaign www.ndcs.org.uk/about_us/campaign_with_us/scotland/campaign_news/helping_hand_deaf.html Type carefully! Alternatively, go to www.ndcs.org.uk and enter ‘Helping Hand’ in the search box. Page 8

Scottish Council on Deafness

Employment Research Our Big Lottery funded Employment Research project came to an end on 31st March. Central to this pilot was the desire to gain some insight into the current employment status and experiences of D/deaf, deafened, deafblind and hard of hearing people over 25 years of age living in Scotland. Younger deaf people have access to specialist employment support services to help them find work but very few such dedicated services exist for those over 25 years of age. The project began in September 2012 and 180 deaf* people participated either by completing a questionnaire (online or in hard copy) or by attending one of the group meetings held at key locations throughout Scotland. The full questionnaire was also translated into BSL and appeared on our website for the duration of the survey. 115 of the participants were of working age (25 – 65 years), but 65 retired individuals also shared their employment experiences which offered the research a valuable historical perspective. Comparing our results with the Scottish Government’s Labour Market Statistics for May 2013 presented a startling finding. While employment rates for deaf people and the wider population were broadly similar, the unemployment rate in the deaf sample was three times the national average – at 21.7%. That result alone made this research worthwhile and will give us further data to pursue a larger project addressing the complex issue of employment and unemployment in the deaf community. We also asked about specific barriers faced at work and those faced when looking for work. The following were cited over and over again:

Finding Work Lack of access to information from Jobcentre Plus Lack of confidence in interviews Need for assistance with filling in application forms or creating a CV Lack of work experience Lack of suitable jobs Lack of suitable qualifications

In Work Lack of training opportunities Lack of deaf awareness Lack of equipment Attitude from colleagues Attitude from management Difficulty in participating in meetings Difficulty in getting promotion

If you would like further information, please contact Lilian Lawson, SCoD Director. Audrey Cameron wishes to thank everyone who took part in or supported the survey. *deaf: when we use this tem we mean it to include all the groups of deafness - Deaf sign language users, deafened, hard of hearing and deafblind people

Policy & Research Mandy Reid Policy work has continued to be busy with more and more consultations coming from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Scottish Government, as well as from Police Scotland and the Scottish Parliament. For example, SCoD has submitted responses to the Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill, Scotland’s National Action Plan for Human Rights, Taxi and Private Hire Car Licensing and the Fire Framework for Scotland. We also submitted evidence to the Scottish Parliament on “the underemployment of deaf people in Scotland”. One of the most topical consultations to come from the Scottish Government this spring has been the “See Hear: A strategic framework for meeting the needs of people with sensory impairment in Scotland” consultation paper. While SCoD agrees with the principles of the framework, our main criticism is that it appears to be mere repetition. The recommendations made in the 2013 paper are almost the same as the ones that were in the 2004 Action Plan and deaf people wanted their needs to be considered separately to people with a sight loss then as now. One woman put it like this “The Scottish Government has been speaking to Dr Who. Why? They have gone back in time by nine years. Our needs were not the same as people with a sight loss then, so why do they think we will support this now?” A deafened man said “Has the government not learned anything? My needs are different to someone who cannot see, just as their needs are different to mine. I cannot hear but I can see fine. I don’t even need glasses to read. So why are we all being considered as though we are one group of people with the same needs?” Our other criticism is that all other Scottish Government strategic frameworks have been produced in co-production with the people who are affected, whereas deaf people, their families and carers have not been involved from the start in this piece of work. You can get involved in Mandy’s work: mandy@scod.org.uk tel/text 0141 248 1854 SCoDNEWS Issue 28 Summer 2013 Page 9

: k r a P r o s d n Wi hool c S f a e D ! e c n e l l e c x E f o

by Headteacher

Catherine Finestone

Windsor Park School in Falkirk was rated EXCELLENT in ‘Meeting Learning Needs’…. what an achievement! We were delighted to be awarded this in the recent inspection of our school and sensory service. In addition this covered three areas – Meeting Children’s Needs, Partnership with Parents and Liaison with other Agencies. We were particularly thrilled to attain excellence in these areas since they are at the heart of everything we do and we are the first school in our authority to achieve this. Windsor Park is a purposebuilt school for the deaf, in west central Falkirk. We provide services for pupils who have a significant hearing loss at nursery, primary and secondary stages. Pupils from other authorities, who require a high level of support, may also request a place at Windsor Park. As one of only five schools for the deaf in Scotland, we are uniquely placed on the campus of a mainstream primary and secondary school with our senior department sited within the mainstream secondary. This maximises and ensures opportunities for inclusion at all stages. We follow the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence and national qualification courses which are delivered using a range of communication methods

Page 10 Scottish Council on Deafness

appropriate to the needs of individual pupils. All staff have an additional specialist qualification and work co-operatively with colleagues, parents and pupils to provide a supportive, relaxed and happy teaching and learning environment. We also have a deaf Sign Language Tutor who provides classes for all staff, pupils and families. Visiting Teachers of the Deaf and Teachers of the Visually Impaired are based in Windsor Park and support children and families from diagnosis to school leaving age. The key strengths which the inspectors identified were as follows:• The exemplary conduct and enthusiasm of children and young people for learning. • Inclusive learning environments which support the development of children’s and young people’s communication. • Highly skilled, responsive staff who are sensitive to the changing needs of children and young people. • Effective partnership-working with parents, other schools and agencies to support and enhance learning and achievement. • The leadership of senior managers and their commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for children with sensory impairments. Dr. Bill Maxwell, chief executive of Education Scotland said, “Our inspection shows it is a notably high performing school and service which has fully embraced

the opportunities which the new curriculum presents. During the inspection, we identified aspects of innovative practice which we will share with others.” Councillor Alan Nimmo, Falkirk’s Education Convener said, “Windsor Park offers a unique service and its impact on children and their families is massive. It’s great to see the hard work of the head teacher and her team achieve such a positive report.” We work closely with all our parents and mum, Kirsty Ross, said, “As a parent of a child that attends Windsor Park School I am very proud of their Education Inspection Report. All the staff put in a lot of work to ensure the children’s individual needs are seen to. My son has come a long way since starting Windsor Park and I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff for their hard work.” When I heard we were being inspected I was confident that we were providing a quality service for families and children affected by a sensory impairment but to have it endorsed by Her Majesty’s Inspectors is the icing on the cake. We are especially proud to achieve excellence in this particular category because ‘Meeting Learning Needs’ is what education is all about and we work hard to provide this.

Yarn Bombing

at Deaf Connections

For the craft bombing event, as well as their own work, they received donations of wool as well as knitting and crochet from individuals and also from the lipreading class. Yarn bombing takes a lot of wool The Arts and Crafts class at Deaf and the group told me it was hard Connections participated in Voluntary work sewing it all to the railings – Arts Week this May by “yarn (or something the non-knitters also got craft) bombing” their building at 100 involved in. It was worth it. The Norfolk Street. result was a riot of colour and as Yarn bombing started in 2004 in the Janice McCusker said, it cheered Netherlands and the USA and is a everyone up on the way to work. growing phenomenon in the UK. Many passersby stopped to Outdoor places such as buildings, comment and ask more about the trees and lamp posts are festooned display. What a great way to make with items of colourful knitted and a connection with people some of crocheted shapes turning urban whom didn’t know much landscapes into works of art. about Deaf Connections or Deaf Connections arts and crafts what happens there. tutor, Christine, suggested that the The group members all class join in and I went to meet have different levels of them recently to find out skill but yarn bombing is what they thought of something they could all get yarn bombing and also involved with in some way. to ask a bit more about The Guardian’s article on the art class. It was Voluntary Arts Week “Craft a beautiful sunny day I can’t really talk right now, Sylvia. bombing – the Power of and it was Richard’s I’m having a violent disagreement the Pompom” pointed out birthday so there was with a ball of pink angora. that “according to the NHS, cake. A good start! the five steps to mental wellbeing are to connect, be active, I felt really welcome when I arrived keep learning, give to others and and the group members willingly take notice”. responded to my questions and I think they achieved all of those allowed me to take photos of their things with their art: Making art work. makes you take more notice of the Grace was stitching a cross-stitch things around you – colour, shape birthday card, Richard was making what pleases your eye and what a thank you card for his sister, Jack doesn’t. The group members are was adding the finishing touches very supportive of one another to his painting, Varda was making although they are all working on beaded jewellery and Ros was different projects and the yarn knitting. Audrey, Mary and Johan bombing also helped connect with couldn’t be there that week. other residents and workers in the Norfolk Street area. They learn new skills and doing craft work keeps them active. As Ros told me, some of

them have arthritis and the needlework and art keeps their hands moving. This class is important as a place to meet, make new friends and create as this quote from one participant shows “I joined the art class to learn new things from Christine our tutor. I enjoy being in the class because it is fun and I have made new friends. If I didn’t come to the class I would find myself getting bored at home and would probably start talking in sign language to the walls.” I asked if there were any plans for more craft bombing in the future. I hope there will be but in the meantime, the group is hoping to get involved in the Luminate Festival for older people in October.

If you are involved in an activity at your deaf club, we’d like to hear about it. SCoDNEWS Issue 28 Summer 2013 Page 11

Sea Fever

by Alison Coyle

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by John Masefield

Deaf sailor Gerry Hughes completed his solo voyage around the world in May this year. Some of you followed the first deaf person to complete this epic journey but we had some questions we wanted to ask him. Here’s what he told us. It was really difficult to leave my wife and two daughters. We all felt very emotional and I almost turned back. But this was something I had always wanted to do and they supported me. Alone on my small boat in the middle of the massive ocean, I fell asleep by the stars – vast constellations of millions of stars, unlike anything you can see from the city. I looked forward to waking up to the sun rising on the horizon. I watched the changing cloud formations. I felt free – no walls to block out the sea and the sky. But when I had to sail through gale force winds I was terrified. Even with layers of clothes on (3 pairs of trousers, 3 layers of shirts and oilskins on top) the water still got in. It was impossible to get them dry so I kept them on and

Ten Years Ago in SCoD...

they dried with my body heat. At times it was freezing and my soup wouldn’t even heat up – I just drank it straight from the pot. I ate a good diet cooking with fresh ingredients like fruit, vegetables, pasta and cheese but I dreamed of steak and chips with salt. That’s what I had when I came back. For two weeks I ate steak and chips. When the weather was calm I spent a lot of time cleaning the boat, doing necessary repairs and keeping everything ship shape. I took 3 books about round the world voyages by Sir Robin Knox Johnston, Sir Alec Rose and Sir Francis Chichester. I used to sign to myself and say “hi” to the birds that flew by. I relaxed with a wee glass of wine in the evening. Birds flew around the boat all the time but the one that impressed me most was the albatross with its nine foot wing span. Other giants were the whales which came right up to the boat. One even swam right underneath. At Cape Town I had to delay leaving for a day as a school of 50 whales had arrived. The best part of the trip was coming back round Cape Horn

by Alison Coyle and sailing north towards the equator with the trade winds behind me. For 2 weeks it stayed warm for 12 hours each day and in the evening the moon and stars lit the sky after the sun had gone down casting beautiful reflections on the sea with its setting rays. It was wonderful. Going round the Cape of Good Hope sailing against the Roaring Forties wind the boat capsized. I thought I was going to die. Luckily I was below deck with the hatch locked down. I had gone below for a coffee and the next thing I knew I was standing on the ceiling. The equipment was thrown about the boat. I looked out of the window at the sea and thought of my family... After only seconds, the boat righted itself and I went out to check the mast. It was fine. Sailing north from the equator towards the Azores, I began to think of home and when I got to Ireland I couldn’t wait to get back. When I arrived at Gourock, I was astounded to see the crowd waiting for me waving flags and the BBC were there to film me for the evening’s news.

Last issue we celebrated the ten amazing years of SCoD Administrator Alison Coyle’s employment. Now it’s the turn of our Information Officer - whose decade of service will be reached later this year. Nicola Noon (or Nick, as she likes to be called) joined SCoD in October 2003 and still can’t quite believe that ten years have passed so quickly! So, what does a decade mean to an Information Officer? Well, amongst many other gruelling(!) tasks it means 118 monthly bulletins, 22 newsletters like this one, 9 annual reports, 117 team meetings. “Working at SCoD is definitely the best job I’ve ever had. I have a lot of creative freedom in this role and work with a great team of people...” said Nick. Page 12 Scottish Council on Deafness

Could You be a Lipreading tutor? A qualified lipreading tutor has the ability to help improve the confidence and quality of life of deafened and hard of hearing adults of all ages. In September 2012 part of the £200,000 funding received from the Scottish Government to promote lipreading as part of a person’s rehabilitation allowed the Scottish Course to Train Tutors of Lipreading (SCTTL) to recommence. 14 students were accepted on to the course and attended for their first weekend. In April 2013 we completed the fifth of six weekends. 13 students remain on the course. One had to drop out due to ill health but will return in September 2013. A huge amount of work has been put in by students and lecturers on the course over the past year to achieve a high standard of tutor training.

At SCTTL’s AGM in Edinburgh we will welcome those students as newly qualified tutors. Some interviews for the 2013/2014 course have already taken place but there are still spaces for more students. We are particularly looking for prospective tutors from the West of Scotland and the Highlands and Islands. If this is something that interests you and you are thinking about applying, please contact the course administrator Catriona Crosby: cclipreading@gmail.com as soon as possible.

Back to School: Lessons to Learn Many of you will be aware of our Deaf History in Scotland project. So far, three DVDs have been produced using Lottery Heritage funds: Deaf People at Work, Deaf People at War and Deaf People on the Road. These titles have been very popular and we have already exhausted our stock of Deaf People at Work. In our Back to School project we turn our attention to Education and more specifically to the experiences of those schooled in the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, where the educational system was quite different to what we know today. With the wealth of material collected, our project will culminate in a triple DVD set. For hearing people with little knowledge of the educational experience of deaf people, some of the content of these DVDs will come as a shock. Did you know, for example, that many deaf children were sent away to boarding school at the age of three? Some only saw their parents at Easter, Christmas and in the summer holidays. It’s hard to imagine that happening nowadays.

The DVDs will undoubtedly be of interest to members of the Deaf community, Scottish local history centres, teachers of history and teachers of deaf children, young deaf people, students of BSL - in fact, basically anyone with an interest in Deaf history. DVDs will be accessible to all, they are presented in BSL but will have English captions. To date we have been: reviewing all of the footage (no small task, given that each of the 57 people interviewed had some school experiences to share); transcribing all interviews (the transcript runs to around 120 pages); identifying and deciding on themes for the three DVDs and then finally tackling the daunting task of editing together the footage. It is a slow and challenging process. Our aim is to complete the set by the end of the year. We also issued an appeal for photographs and two are reproduced here to whet your appetite! Once completed, a series of intergenerational workshops will be held across Scotland aimed at deaf school aged children. Workshops, run in partnership with Deaf History Scotland, will take place between January and March 2014. A booklet featuring further background information will also accompany the set.

This project is made possible thanks to generous support from: Heritage Lottery Fund, Hugh Fraser Foundation, Martin Connell Charitable Trust, JTH Charitable Trust SCoDNEWS Issue 28 Summer 2013 Page 13

E Are You Affected? R A F L E W REFORM

Five years ago, we ran a Big Lottery funded project to support deaf people struggling with the impact of the recession. Sadly, the financial climate has not improved, and we now feel there is need for another one.

Through our new project, we will support deaf people in need of help with their financial management, or who are worried about going into debt. In particular, we will address the impact of changes taking place as a result of welfare reforms (such as the move from DLA to Personal Independent Payments). We will work with deaf people on a one-to-one basis, as well as running workshops across Scotland. To move forward with this project, however, we need to prove there is a need for it. This is where you can help us. Please take just a few minutes of your time to answer these questions.

YES NO

Are you worried about falling into debt?

2 3

Do you know what benefits are available to you and how to apply for them?

Did you know that DLA (Disability Living Allowance) is being replaced by Personal Independent Payments (PIP)? Do you know what this change will mean for you? (for example, a new application and face to face assessment with a medical professional).

5 6

Are you concerned about these changes?

Do you think there is a lack of accessible information and advice on finance for deaf people in Scotland? Do you need information and advice to help you avoid financial crisis and debt?

Do you feel it would be helpful to talk to someone about what the changes will mean for you?

If SCoD ran a service offering accessible information and advice on your financial situation, would you consider using it?

Do you think there is a need for such a service in Scotland?

And finally, please tick the box which best describes you. Deaf

Hard of Hearing

Deafened

Deafblind

Hearing

Please complete this form and send it by post to the SCoD office (address on back page). Feel free to photocopy this page if your friends wish to take part. The more responses we get the better placed we will be to justify the project. If you prefer you can fax the page to our office (the fax number is on the back page). You can also complete the questionnaire online, please follow the link on our website www.scod.org.uk or visit the survey directly: www.surveymonkey.com/s/SCoDWelfareReform

Thank you for taking time to support us with our vital work Page 14 Scottish Council on Deafness

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