British Sign Language and Linguistic Access Working Group
Minutes of Meeting 17 June 2009
Present
Catriona Crosby – Scottish Course to Train Tutors of Lip-reading (SCTTL)
Linda Sharkey – Hearing Concern/Link
Lilian Lawson - Scottish Council on Deafness (SCoD)
Catherine Phipps – RNID
Avril Hepner – British Deaf Association (Scotland)
Tessa Padden – Heriot-Watt University (Uptake Project)
Jan Savage – National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)
Doug Bradley – Signature
Jacqueline Rae – Scottish Government Analytical Services
Helen Raftopoulos – Scottish Funding Council (SFC)
Chris Ogden – Scottish Government (PhD internship)
Graham Turner – Heriot-Watt University
Liz Scott-Gibson – Forum of Providers of Social Work Services (FPSWS)
correct title
Bob Duncan – Heriot-Watt University (Uptake Project)
Rachel O’Neill – Edinburgh University
Drena O’Malley – Deafblind Scotland
Ruth Dickinson – Scottish Government Equality Unit
Lynne Hawcroft – Scottish Government Equality Unit (BSL &LA Project
Manager)
Hilary Third – Scottish Government Equality Unit (Chair)
Apologies
Marion Fletcher – Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI)
Welcome and Update
1. The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and gave a brief update
about recent developments.
a. BSL Statement of Recognition – we hope this will happen by
the end of 2009.
b. Roadmap – is in press and will be published on the Scottish
Government website shortly. We will prepare a short statement
of welcome which organisations will be able to use and quote
from to publicise the roadmap. Once it is published Lynne will
continue to work with officials to look at addressing some of the
issues raised. There will be a BSL version also on the Scottish
Government website, but this will not be available until after the
English version.
Scottish Funding Council Presentation
2. Helen Raftopoulos Assistant Director Scottish Funding Council gave a
presentation about the role of the funding council in providing money
for college and university courses. (See slide PowerPoint presentation
for more detail.)
3. There was opportunity for questions and discussion with Helen. One of
the main points raised was the lack of linguistic knowledge within the
social work (and other) workforces, and that it was difficult to access
this type of training because of a shortage of courses. Helen
explained that the SFC might be able to help, but that there would need
to be a bid with a strong evidence base to prove the course was
needed by the workforce and that there was in fact a shortage of
courses. SFC would also question that if there was demand for the
course, then why is it not already being provided by colleges. Helen
mentioned there had been some work on Gaelic for professionals and
she would send information to the group.
4. Drena made the point that for some subjects and training courses,
such as in the deafblind field, there would never be the numbers to
provide a good business case for funding a course. Helen suggested
that it might be a case of looking at what is common between the
various different low number courses in this area and see if working
together would give a critical mass.
5. The other issue to consider is what level of course is needed – does it
really need to be at post graduate level or would a HND or similar be
more appropriate, and be more likely to attract students. Other
initiatives being funded include rural and remote and work-based
learning.
6. The issue of integration between colleges and universities was also
raised and Helen informed the group that articulation funding is
available from SFC to facilitate better working between colleges and
universities. Hubs for ‘articulation’ funding are being developed and
SFC can act as a catalyst by bringing together parties but would need
sound evidence of uptake.
7. Helen suggested that what the group would need to do is produce a
side or two of A4 setting out what is wanted and how it should be
delivered. Evidence would also need to come from the government to
see how the proposal fits in with Scottish Government objectives.
Training of Trainers 2 – Update
8. Graeme gave an update of the ToTs 2 project. The main aims of the
project are to:
a. Train people to train others
b. Train people to teach BSL at higher levels
c. Train people to produce teaching materials in BSL
The second course is now up and running with 8 students.
Recently a lot of work has been done around virtual learning, and now
a lot of the course material is available in BSL. One of the issues the
BSL and LAWG now needs to address is that of cascading the skills
learnt by the students.
PhD Internship Presentation
9. Chris Ogden gave a presentation about the research he has been
undertaking on his placement in the Scottish Government. Chris is
undertaking a PhD at Edinburgh University, but is at the Scottish
Government for 3 months looking at the issue of BSL on the curriculum
for both deaf and hearing students.
10. Chris said he had been talking to deaf organisations and looking at the
situation in other countries. So far he has not found much literature on
the subject. He has found that looking at the issue of BSL from a
minority language perspective rather then a disability perspective is
more productive. He has also been looking at parallels with the Gaelic
language and at the international situation.
11. Internationally, there are differing levels of recognition and access to
sign languages, and there are not many countries where sign language
is on the curriculum. New Zealand is one country close to launching an
integrated curriculum in all schools.
12. Preliminary conclusions suggest that placing BSL on the curriculum
would be a long process and very rule driven. There is need for
discussion and agreement between organisations and all organisations
need to present a united front on this issue.
BSL and Linguistic Access Project Manager Update
13. It was suggested that there needed to be more in depth discussion
about next steps for the roadmap, and that this could be done at an
away day for the group in September. The group felt that there needed
to be an integrated and consolidated follow up to the roadmap and that
a collective approach is needed. Action: Project Manger to find a
date in September for an away day.
14. The Project Manager had received a request from a deaf literacy
group for their area of work to be included in the roadmap. Although it
was now too late to be included in the roadmap, a link to the project
could be put on the BSL and LAWG website. This was agreed. The
Project Manager will also look at how this area of works fits in with the
roadmap recommendations. Action: Equality Unit to ask the
literacies project if they wish us to put link to deaf literacy project
on Scottish Government website.
BSL UPTAKE Project
15. The BSL UPTAKE project is designed to improve the flow of
communication on academic and policy topics between universities
and government. The project is establishing a web based resource to
channel information between interested parties who want to know
about BSL issues.
16. A large part of the project will be translating information into BSL to
develop a library of BSL material. There will also be a video blog
facility and a comments facility on the website to try and get the
community to share knowledge and views. It’s important to the project
that a lot of content is generated by the community. There will be
facilities such as RSS feed, and the option to recommend material from
the website to a friend. Also looking at taking the Amazon “star rating”
approach so users can rate material according to how useful it is.
17. The project should be launched in the autumn during learn to sign
week, and it is hoped that the BSL and LAWG will be able to help to
put out information about the site through their networks.
18. The project is currently only funded until January 2010 but if it is
successful there may be the potential to apply for additional funding.
AOB
19. SQA – the Project Manager intends to follow up issues with SQA and
has gathered views from members but hasn’t had a chance to take this
forward, she will try to do this over the coming months.
20. Education Scoping Study – moving forward there needs to be
discussion about how to approach this which can be part of the
planning for the follow up to the roadmap.
Equality Unit June 2009