Add Comment

I fully back the case for the recognition of BSL, and urge others to do likewise. In the 21st century people with disabilities should not have to campaign for basic rights. If the writers of this letter feel that an e-petition would help, there are other groups of disabled people and their families who will support such a petition. In turn, we ask that support is given to our own fight for basic rights. Please visit http://www.autismrig hts.org.uk/MainText. html for information on the current human rights situation for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Scotland. www.autismrights.org .uk

I'm sorry but where exactly does the call for taxpayers to subsidise everything stop?

Perhaps Neil 9% Growth (above) would care to explain "where the call for taxpayers to subsidise everything" has actually been made in the first place?

In the letter above [quote]asking Ms Fabiani and the SNP government to give the same consideration to BSL as it does to Gaelic and is considering for the Scots language[/quote] .

Eh ? They are calling for recognition of BSL as a language, which it quite clearly is. What are you on about Neil ?

If you aren't aware that the Scots government subsidises Gaelic with about £25 million a year & is under pressure to do the same for Lallans then you really should find out the facts before you start pontificating.

Whilst I appreciate the comments of these two Deaf people, many [bold]Deaf people find BSL very confusing and to narrow.[/bold] I meet up with many Deaf people, young and old. They have all expressed their frustration at BSL. The older generation do not understand it and the younger generation find it difficult. They both prefer a mixture of finger-spelling and Sigh Language based on English Grammar. [bold]In addition to this Sasli (Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters) are a self interested group of people whose main function is to protect their own very high fees.[/bold] A Chief Executive of a very well known Charity for Deaf people in Glasgow who is also a member of the Sasli Board was made aware of other Sasli member’s anger that the charity used trainee interpreters. Deaf people feel that Sasli members not interested in rights of Deaf people to choose who interprets for them. I understand that there are a few children of Deaf people who lost or gave up their jobs as Trainee Interpreters because of pressure from Sasli. This was despite the fact that these people were very capable and was very welcome by Deaf people in Glasgow.

To Neil, Deaf sign language users are at present "subsidising" Gaelic and possibly in the future, Scots, through their and their children/parents taxes. As it says in the letter, people who speak Gaelic and Scots have an option on whether or not to speak and hear English, Deaf people don't. Should there not be a "celebration" of all indigenous languages and equality of promotion and use? Especially in 21st Century Scotland.

Neil, You are so right. I get fed up with discrimination against Deaf people. No one chooses to be Deaf or Hard of Hearing. I am profundly Deaf but luckily for me I am a good lipreader and have a cochlear implant, therefore I cope well. Deaf Awareness should be mandatory in schools. The Lottery Fund did fund Deaf Connections in Glasgow to run some sign manguage and deaf awareness classes and they were successful.

Great letter. Lets have some active recognition. May Scottish deaf and hearing people leave school with Sign Language qualifications and go on to University in Scotland to undertake full time study of the Language in the same way as those who choose to study other languages.

Yes, my wife agrees and adds "It would be super for deaf people to have a good interpreting service. Even better to have doctors, nurses, lawyers, shop keepers, dentists, pool attendants, posties, neighbours, teachers, friends and MSPs who are proficient Sign Language users. I'm sure Gaelic and Scots speakers have the dream of fluent communication in thier own words. Sign language users have the same hope but the stand-by of listening and speaking English is more difficult."

I would like an opportunity to respond to your comments posted on the Herald website on Sunday 27th January. It is clear from your comments that there must be some history between yourself and SASLI and I am sorry that you feel anger towards the organisation. SASLI Registered Interpreters follow our minimum recommended fee of £25 per hour. We currently have 52 Registered and 10 Associate (trainee) members who work across Scotland to provide full linguistic access to Deaf and hearing people. Most of our members have entered the profession out of respect or interest, or even because of their love of language, and a wish to work with the Deaf community. Many of them have had to work extremely hard to access training and they often have to meet the full costs of gaining qualifications themselves. To describe them as “a self-interested group of people whose main function is to protect their own very high fees” is unacceptable. I was surprised to read your comment that “most Deaf people find BSL confusing and too narrow”. Spelling ‘Deaf’ with a capital ‘D’ is usually done to refer to those who use British Sign Language as their preferred or only language. Perhaps you meant to refer to the wider population of deaf people who are hard of hearing or deafened and who typically use English as their first language? I would like to emphasise that SASLI fully supports deaf organisations or interpreting agencies who appoint trainee interpreters, as long as they work towards full registration with us. This enables trainees to learn on the job; agencies have a huge role in developing the profession of BSL/English interpreting in Scotland. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I would like to point out that the views expressed in the letter from Lilian Lawson and I, which was published in the Herald on Saturday 26th, are not “the views of two Deaf people”, but the views of the national organisations that both of us represent as Directors of SCoD and SASLI respectively. SASLI and SCoD are working together to engage with the Deaf community over the coming year, to raise awareness about interpreters, registration and qualifications. I hope that this will give us an opportunity to address any concerns and misconceptions that may exist within the community and within SASLI too. Helga McGilp Director, SASLI February 1st 2008

[quote][bold]Malcolm[/bold] wrote: Yes, my wife agrees and adds "It would be super for deaf people to have a good interpreting service. Even better to have doctors, nurses, lawyers, shop keepers, dentists, pool attendants, posties, neighbours, teachers, friends and MSPs who are proficient Sign Language users. I'm sure Gaelic and Scots speakers have the dream of fluent communication in thier own words. Sign language users have the same hope but the stand-by of listening and speaking English is more difficult."[/quote] The hearing community are largely unaware of the unique identity, problems, cultural and social issues that make up the Deaf Community.. Deaf people find it hard to get help from health and social services. Even when I tell staff that I am deaf, they forget to make me aware that I am being called!!!! My own GP are an exception because there are quite a few deaf peope go there. Last year I replied to a Clydebank GP who did not believe that his deaf patients would travel to a medical centre which had staff that were able to communicate with Deaf people. I told him that Deaf people have to travel great distances for other services, for example the Deaf Connections building in Glasgow which has social clubs for every age group and is opened every day of the week and includes a church service on Sunday morning. Deaf people from all over te West of Scoltand use the centre. My point to the GP was that deaf people have had to travel great distances to get services anyway. Deaf Connections have been at the forefront of trying to get the Government to set up medical centres so that deaf people would be able could go to and know that people there would be able to communicate with them.