To coincide with Deaf Awareness Week (6th – 12th May), Robert Buckland has spoken out on Government plans to introduce a British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE starting this September in a move to break down communication barriers and promote inclusivity for individuals with hearing impairments across England, Scotland, and Wales.
This announcement comes as a continuation of the Conservative Government’s commitment to recognising BSL as a formal language, as enshrined in the British Sign Language Act passed on 28th April 2022.
The Act marked a historic milestone by officially acknowledging BSL as a language and mandated regular updates from the Secretary of State for Education on efforts to enhance access to BSL.
With an estimated ten million individuals in the UK affected by deafness, hearing loss, or tinnitus, Deaf Awareness Week serves as a vital platform to highlight the daily challenges faced by the deaf community. From mental health concerns to feelings of exclusion, the week-long event aims to raise awareness and foster support for those with hearing impairments.
Robert Buckland extended his gratitude to the dedicated professionals at the Hearing Support Team, the Ear, Nose, and Throat Department, and the Audiology Teams at Great Western Hospital. These teams play integral roles in providing support, guidance, and medical assistance to individuals with hearing needs within the Swindon community and beyond.
The Hearing Support Team work hard to support deaf children and young people from birth to the age of twenty-five, their families, and educational settings within the borough of Swindon. This includes supporting children and young people with the use of hearing aids or cochlear implants, as well as offering support and advice on hearing effectively for learning for all schools and education settings.
The wonderful team at the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Department at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust supports thousands of patients here in Swindon and beyond each year. They work closely with other ENT departments in the region, as well as the excellent Audiology team, who also act as a teaching and training centre for undergraduate and post graduate audiology students from Great Western Hospital. The Audiology team now support me too, as I now have hearing aids.
Swindon Hearing Support Team have put together the below list of tips, which might help support children and young people.
- Use simple gestures to communicate where possible.
- Try not to cover your mouth – seeing lip patterns is important
- Face the person so your face is not in shadow /is not facing away when talking
- Reduce background noise
- Gain their attention
- Speak one at a time (in a group it is hard to follow when you talk over each other)
- Learn British Sign Language
- Write it down to try to use speech-to-text software such as Google Live Transcribe.
As preparations commence for the introduction of the BSL GCSE, communities nationwide eagerly anticipate the positive impact this educational initiative will have on promoting accessibility and inclusion for individuals with hearing impairments.
