We are looking into organising British Sign Language classes.

If you are interested or know someone who may be interested, please contact us.

Update for Deaf Parents

We know this is a challenging time and we want to ensure you that we aim to assist you the best we can and bring you the most up to date information.

View either BSL or ISL videos at: www.eani.org.uk/covid-19-sign-language-videos

How do you explain concepts like “coronavirus” or “social distancing” to an audience who cannot hear you?

For the past few weeks that has been the job of sign language interpreters Amanda Coogan and Kristina Sinclair.

The pair sign in both British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language at Stormont’s daily coronavirus briefings.

Further read at & source: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-52465003

Action Deaf Youth: This year we have a group of 12 parents of deaf children doing BSL Level 3 with us 😀🧠

We believe this is the FIRST time ever that a group of parents of deaf children have had an opportunity to do a Level 3 BSL course together in NI and possibly the first time ever in the UK! 🙌

We also have three other groups of parents doing BSL Level 1 in Dungannon, Ballymena and Belfast and a very special group of grandparents also doing BSL Level 1. 👍

Next year we hope to offer BSL Level 1 and BSL Level 2 courses again specifically for parents/grandparents/close adult family members of deaf children aged 0-8 years.

These free courses will be taught by our in-house BSL tutor, Michelle Hull, whom many of our regular families already know. Our courses are unique in that they are specially designed to equip parents/grandparents with the signing skills needed to communicate effectively immediately with young deaf children in playful ways.

Between 2018 and 2019, the Employment team has helped six people who are deaf or have hearing loss access full-time work and five people access part-time work.

Many people who take part in the Specialist Employment Programme have not worked for several years, and can find it difficult to get employment. Through the programme, they can benefit from one-to-one mentoring from Employment Advisors, support with job searching, interview practice, help getting work experience and accredited training.

Further read at: www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/about-us/our-work-across-the-uk/northern-ireland/regional-updates/eleven-people-in-work-thanks-to-employment-programme/

Belfast City Council has today become the first Northern Ireland council to sign up to the British/Irish Sign Language Charter, committing to promote better access to public services for Deaf communities.

We are delighted that Belfast City Council has made the historic decision to sign three pledges of the BSL/ISL Charter – especially during Sign Language Week!

Read more: https://bda.org.uk/belfast-city-council-signs-bsl-isl-charter/

I’m doing a PhD at UCL Institute of Education looking at how sign language interpreting support is provided to Deaf students studying at university, and the experiences of Deaf students and interpreters.

The results I’m sharing here are the first part of my study. We all know Deaf students often have a lot of difficulties at university and our research project is looking at their sign language interpreting support.

There’s currently very little information about how interpreting support is provided and how Deaf students feel about their interpreting support. Therefore, the first part of this project was an information-gathering activity and we want to share some of the initial results.

Much of what we’ve found probably won’t surprise you, but we needed to collect the evidence to then move forward.

Further read at: http://www.unapeda.asso.fr/article.php3?id_article=3067

A deaf woman has applied for 1,000 jobs in 18 months – and not landed a single one.

Kellie Wilson, from Middleton Tyas, North Yorkshire, believes she is being snubbed by would-be employers because of her disability.

Every job application she has made since the summer of 2017 has resulted in a series of rejections.

Now, she is so desperate that she is contemplating cochlear implants knowing that they may not even work.

Further read at: www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/deaf-woman-applies-1000-jobs-13985129