Last week, I was in Leicester to see a signed theatre performance. While there, I got talking (in sign language) with a local elderly Deaf man. We happened to talk about food on cruises, when he signed “cigarette” and “fish” (for smoked salmon). This amusing use of sign got me thinking about the better signers from my BSL classes.
I feel sad because hearing people are learning to sign correctly in BSL classes, whereas Deaf people have not had an opportunity to learn BSL correctly at mainstream schools. This is also true of the younger generation of mainstreamed Deaf youngsters who only have Teaching Assistants & Communication Support Workers (CSW) some who only have a Level 2 qualification.
Deaf people who want to learn BSL properly have to pay for the courses, which are not cheap. This seems wrong to me, because Sign Language is our natural language. Why do Deaf adults/children who had/have no opportunity to learn BSL in schools have to pay after they leave school to improve their signing skills and to gain qualifications which are now compulsory in some jobs for deaf people? My partner teaches BSL in a hearing College for 6th form pupils and they only pay for their assessments!
I had to pay a few thousand pounds to gain my BSL teaching qualifications, even though I was born into a Deaf family and grew up in a strong London Deaf community. Even worse, I ended up teaching potential future interpreters in a level 6 class some commonly used signs which they did not know because they had not mixed with the Deaf community!
I would love to go on a BSL Linguistics course but it costs over £1,000 and with my Deaf background, I probably already know many of the aspects linking to language, so as the Hearies would get more benefit more from this course than me. Deaf people should pay a lower price because we have less to learn from these classes.
It’s not only Deaf people who feel restricted. I met a hard up hearing couple who have a Deaf young son and they are frustrated with paying for their Level 3 course –they felt that they should not pay the full amount because they have a Deaf son and they want to be able to communicate properly with him and his friends when he grows up.
This can’t be right because there is a difference between the financial rewards that people who take BSL courses to gain qualifications in their professions will get, (as they become teachers / CSW / notetakers / interpreters) compared to this couple who are taking this BSL course simply because they love their son and want the best for him.
It would be interesting to hear other comments from Deaf people who have had to pay full price for their BSL course because they do not have an opportunity to learn in schools like they do with compulsory subjects like English, Maths & Science etc. Hearing children who speak English take English GCSE exams to prove they have a good standard of English. Deaf people should be able to take BSL in the same way.
Lana is a BSL level 1 and 2 tutor working in Lewisham and Tower Hamlets – she loves London and her Shih Tzu dog. She enjoys reading books but sadly reads less now because she watches subtitled TV programmes. She always tries to avoid going out in the rain and her favourite food is calf liver with onions!
The Limping Chicken is supported by Deaf media company Remark!, training and consultancy Deafworks, and provider of sign language services Deaf Umbrella.
Alex
May 9, 2012
I agree. Just as the state pays for Deaf people to have access to interpreters or lip speakers so that they can communicate the state should also pay for the Deaf people and their families to learn BSL. BSL should be given the same status as other minority languages like Welsh and bilingual education should be available for those that need or want it.
barakta
May 9, 2012
I agree with this. I am not a native signer and I’m the only deaf person in my family. As a child I desperately wanted to learn sign language but it was looked down on (not by my parents so much as in my home city in general) and not encouraged. I found a fingerspelling RNID poster which I memorised and learned – and was punished at school for using because the other children assumed my best friend and I were swearing…
I had to pay for my BSL levels 1 and some of level 2, I got the second half of Level 2 free because I was claiming welfare benefits at the time, not because I am deaf. Sign has been the best thing I ever did but I do feel deterred from doing more of it cos of the cost and the commitment/difficulty level jumps up too much. There isn’t really any scope for providing ongoing support in sign except for deaf clubs which only work if you already have contacts and deaf friends/family.
In Sweden I believe deaf children and their families are entitled to 200+ hours of free tuition in Swedish Sign Language from the state which I think we should have here. It would reduce the difficulty of hearing parents learning their child’s language as 2x adults doing a BSL class is now hundreds of pounds a year and is worse since the government subsidy for some courses stopped. It’s another huge barrier that hearing parents don’t need and I think it says a lot about our society’s attitude to sign, it’s not important enough to offer and fund and provide for those who need it most.
Nichole Vinyard
May 9, 2012
As a late deadened adult. I understand. I’m having trouble learning how to sign. I’m not a wealthy person. So it’s hard to come up with he money to take the classes that I would need to take. Luckily I was lead in an amazing direction. There is a place that I can take beginner classes but still don’t feel I could hold a very good conversation with the deaf. You should all check in to deaf Inc. Its an amazing place. Its located in Missouri but they are focused around helping people learn the beautiful language of sign. Reading.org thanks for taking the time to ready my input.
Nichole Vinyard
May 9, 2012
Deafinc.org
Zoe Stead
May 9, 2012
I’m hoping Nichole Vinyard is deafened and not deadened!
ipsofacto
May 9, 2012
I am a mainstreamed Deaf- currently taking Level 3 (and wincing at the sight of my bank statement) It is immensely frustrating as I’m the only Deaf (whats new there?!) and the other students are all eagerly planning their careers “working with deaf people”- I’m never going to be a position to earn back the money I’ve paid.
Yet signing is crucial to integrate with the deaf community, particularly as a young person wishing to socialise. The cost is just one more deterrent not to fit in to either deaf or hearing world.
Carole Humphrys
May 9, 2012
There are slowly more [but still very limited] opportunities for Deaf people to reach the similar earning potential especially with the introduction of the Deaf Translators Course, but I agree, its very expensive and should be free for Deaf people.
I think money is part of the reason that BSL has not been given legal status in the UK yet, despite the Govt. ‘recognising’ it as a minority language: its down to cost. If they give BSL legal status it would have to be on the curriculum for anyone who wanted to learn it, and would be free as it would be part of mainstream education.
When I first started to re-train due to husbands ill health doing what I wanted to do 30 years ago [but was told I couldnt] I asked the jobcentre why I couldnt get help with BSL classess despite us claiming benefits. I was told if I wanted to learn German, French or Spanish or any language on the National Curriculum then it would be free, but as BSL is not on the National Curriculum I would have to pay! So there you have it!
Ann Jillings
May 9, 2012
I am a parent of a profoundly Deaf boy and we communicate in BSL. I am currently studying BSL level 3 as I want to have full communication with him and also to help his langauge development. For all the courses I have done so far there has been no discount for parents of Deaf children. Up to now I have spent almost £2000 in fees, travel etc just to have a common language with my child.
I consider this essential, as in mainstream schools there are not enough staff with a high standard of BSL. I am very worried about how he can reach his full potential within mainstream school, it is a constant struggle to get the right level of signed support for him.
Signature may develop a GCSE qualification in BSL in the future which will be brilliant if there is the resources available to ensure that Deaf people have the opportunity to do it.
I am fully behind the BDA campaign to get legal status for BSL and for Deaf children to have bilingual education.
Terry Ruane
May 10, 2012
“In mainstream schools there are not enough staff with a high standard of BSL” – exactly!!
Lana Senchal
May 10, 2012
To Ann Jillings.. You are a good Mum wanting to have full understanding BSL communication your son..He will be proud to introduce you to his mates who don’t have parents signing. Yes, I heard some information concerning GCSE for BSL – hopefully it will include concession prices for deserving people (family of deaf and deaf people wanting to improve their signing skills)
David Spayne
May 10, 2012
We used to have a reduced fee for people who were deaf, but that was withdrawn because there were so many “deaf” people, and it was difficult to know if they were entitled to the reduction.
sandrap
May 10, 2012
Its a bizarre thought that hearing people could end up ‘better signers’ than deaf!
Lana Senchal
May 11, 2012
Sandrap, Robert Adam from DCAL discovered through researches that Deaf from Deaf family are not always better signers !! That’s why some Deaf have to do the BSL courses to understand and become better signers.
Lana Senchal
June 6, 2012
A BIG THANK YOU TO REMARK! THEY NOW OFFER PARENTS OF DEAF CHILDREN 50% REDUCTION ON BSL LEVEL 1 & 2 COURSES
Lana
June 18, 2012
I met Clark Denmark at Remark Jubliee Street.. and he promised that he would nudge at BDA to encourage the same for parents of Deaf children.
Jess Barnett
November 7, 2014
I am hard of hearing that is progressing towards losing all of my hearing before too much longer and although I have adapted to living in a hearing world I do want to learn to sign before I lose my hearing completely but I just can’t afford it and it does seem unfair that us hearingimpaired folk have to pay to learn our own language.