Awareness raising for library staff. 6th June 2007 and 28th March 2008
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Many deaf people see themselves not as suffering from a disability but as part of a linguistic minority with its own culture. See here and here. One deaf couple described how they celebrated when they found out that their baby was deaf.

So, why? The answer, Lichy argues, lies in language. "Being deaf is not about being disabled, or medically incomplete - it's about being part of a linguistic minority. We're proud, not of the medical aspect of deafness, but of the language we use and the community we live in. We're delighted that that is something our daughter can share as she grows up."

Delivered by Richard Stacey, Deaf Awareness Consultant, this course will raise awareness of effective communication with deaf adults and appreciating the way in which they live in a deaf world and how this may affect their interaction with others. The course will cover:

• General communication Tactics
• Deaf Culture
• Basic sign language
• Use of sign language interpreters
• Etiquette surrounding conversation in different contexts i.e. formal meetings, informal meetings

The event will be of value to staff who are developing social inclusion policies for their libraries as well as staff delivering the service in libraries and in the community. At the end of the course participants will have a better understanding of Deaf culture and greater confidence in communicating with Deaf people.

STOP PRESS. There are some useful BSL videos on You Tube. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pwRDT71YCA

See the entry and comments in the SINTO Blog.


For more information, see Hearing Impairment under the Social Inclusion Information pages.
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