The Never Ending Story

British Sign Language & hearing loss

Well, if TV can bring back Dallas I feel I can return to the saga of learning British Sign Language (BSL). For the back story scan down the blogs. What follows in no way intended as criticism of any particular college though, it’s nothing more than my rambling thoughts.

Short version – this morning Sue and I went to enrol her in the non-voice British Sign Language (BSL) course at a local college. Due to lack of interest the course, quite understandably, had been cancelled. The lack of student interest was a regular problem and the course didn’t run very often, despite the fact that it was better suited for deaf students than any other on offer.

Obviously cost could be a major problem for prospective students, but there are assisted fees for those receiving support, but we think the lack of take up is more likely due to lack of awareness.

In our experience (hopefully not representative of all counties) when someone is told they are now deaf the consultant makes no suggestion about how to live in a silent world, just what clinical changes to expect. Which, to be generous, is fair enough as clinicians treat the ‘illness’ rather than the problems the ‘illness’ will cause. As I’ve said before, the Hearing Therapist is the wonderful person who provides that (often, quite literally) life saving care.

But, speaking with folks from other counties, it seems that not everyone has access to a Hearing Therapist and some of the people with the biggest problems are left on their own. That leaves the option of asking at the Doctor’s surgery where knowledge can be varied and time to help too often limited. Search online and the first thing to catch attention could be the cost, rather than the lesser fee, which is off putting to say the least.

So, what’s left? Local deaf associations where cost will definitely be a problem as those associations won’t receive support. It has been suggested to me that part of the problem is that those born deaf will have BSL as their first language, whereas the deafened will be regarded as having speech as their first language, which affects the categorisation. But if a deafened person can’t hear enough to understand what’s being said then speech can’t be their first language and BSL would be a major help.

Now to be provocative – if, as we’ve been told, BSL courses are not run for the deaf and deafened but as language courses for the hearing then who will all the students go on to sign with, each other? I know for a fact that some businesses pay for employees to learn BSL to provide deaf communication at the place of work, very laudable, but the likes of Sue and Cyril (see comments below left) will be excluded.

BSL won’t allow deafened folk to communicate with everyone as most people don’t know BSL, but the ability to sign would boost morale and include, rather than exclude, a lot of folk who already have enough to cope with. And the signs learned could be taught to family members and (interested) friends thereby making communications easier. Yes, cost cutting is a major issue at present, but how do deafened people learn BSL if they can’t afford the financial outlay?