Links
As a consortium, we collaborate with a range of partners to improve educational outcomes for our deaf learners. Further information on these can be found through the links below.
Deaf Studies centres and course providers
We are a group of professionals working collaboratively to promote and support bilingual deaf education in the UK, who believe in the use of British Sign Language and English equally from birth, in order to give the best to deaf children throughout their education and at all phases.
This short course is part of the Post Graduate Diploma in Education and locates Deaf Education within the broader framework of Deaf Studies. It enables course participants to explore critically the differing constructions of deafness and offers an introduction to the key notions of Deaf identity, d/Deaf communities and Deaf culture. It also provides an introduction to the range of d/Deaf organisations, including those with a focus on deaf children and/or young people. During this course, participants are introduced to the programme requirements, including the development of BSL skills.
British Sign Language (BSL), sign linguistics and deaf studies at the University of Central Lancashire have long been recognised for world-leading research, continuous top student satisfaction rates and pioneering work on the development of employability skills and training of BSL-English interpreters.
The Language Sciences MSc programme provides an opportunity for in-depth study in one or more areas of language science. It is an umbrella degree with five separate specialised routes. Each route follows a common structure, enabling students to tailor the degree to their own interests. On the Sign Language and Deaf Studies route, students study language, cognition, and the brain from the unique perspective of deafness and deaf communication.
This part-time course is designed for those who work (or want to work) with Deaf people as a Language Service professional or in another capacity. It develops skills and knowledge to prepare students for a career in a range of professional roles.
SIGNS@HWU is a group of deaf and hearing researchers from the UK, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, India, Norway and the US who focus on sign language studies and Deaf Studies. They are based in the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies at Heriot-Watt University.
The BA (Hons) British Sign language (Deaf Studies) is a long established and highly respected course with a team of Deaf and hearing staff from diverse backgrounds. It is one of the few courses of its kind in British Sign Language (Deaf Studies) in the UK. The course provides an opportunity for practical application of learning through a community-based research project in the final year.
This course enables students to learn BSL to an advanced level and explore the history, cultures and experiences of deaf people across the UK. Students can also choose to specialise their studies in preparation for their future careers.
Organisations
ASLI is a professional membership association and support network for British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters in the UK that was established in 1987.
Founded in 1890, the British Deaf Association (BDA) is a national Deaf-led organisation that works directly with Deaf people that use British Sign Language (BSL). They campaign for equal rights on a national and local level empowering Deaf people to achieve access to local public services. They work to ensure BSL is included by public bodies by signing up to the BSL Charter.
Founded in 1976, the British Association of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People (BATOD) is the sole association representing Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People (ToDs) in the UK. BATOD promotes the educational interests of all deaf children, young people and adults and safeguards the interests of ToDs
BSL Sign offers an online Introduction to BSL course and beginners’ course, which
can be studied from home. It also has some BSL resources including downloadable sign graphics of everyday signs and the BSL fingerspelling alphabet.
Founded in 2008, the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT) commissions television programmes made in British Sign Language by Deaf people for Deaf people.
With a renowned deaf education programme, City Lit has a large number of deaf and hard-of-hearing students and staff. It offers specialist access support and advice to its’ deaf students. It also hosts Deaf Day each year in April, a free one-day event to celebrate Deaf culture and community.
CRIDE, Consortium for Research in Deaf Education
CRIDE is a consortium bringing together a range of organisations and individuals with a common interest in using research to improve the educational outcomes achieved by deaf children. CRIDE reports on its annual surveys of local authority specialist educational services for deaf children. Copies of these reports are available on both the BATOD and NDCS websites.
Deaf Action is a Deaf-led organisation that exists to support the diversity of deaf people, including deaf users of British Sign Language (BSL) and those who are deafened, deafblind or hard of hearing. They aim to empower all deaf people to achieve their potential and fully participate in society.
Deaf Parents Deaf Children is a group for deaf parents with deaf children all over the UK. Their aim is to show a positive view of deafness, to highlight what deaf people can achieve and to give deaf parents an equal voice in what happens to their deaf children. Their website offers inspirational videos in BSL and useful tips for deaf parents.
Founded in 2002, Deafinitely Theatre is the first Deaf launched and Deaf led professional theatre company in the UK producing quality bilingual theatre in British Sign Language and spoken English.
The European Union of the Deaf (EUD) was founded in 1985 and is based in Brussels, Belgium. It is a not-for-profit European non-Governmental organisation (ENGO) whose members comprise of National Associations of the Deaf (NADs). It is the only supranational organisation representing Deaf people at European level and is one of the few ENGOs representing associations from all of the 27 EU Member States, in addition to Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) is a charity dedicated to providing support, information and advice to deaf children and young people, their families and professionals working with them.
NatSIP, the National Sensory Impairment Partnership is a partnership of professionals and voluntary organisations working together to improve outcomes for children and young people with sensory needs including those who are deaf and deaf-blind.
Remark is a Deaf-led organisation for British Sign Language Services (BSL) and Training. It offers a BSL interpreters booking service, courses to learn BSL, access to support services at home and facilities to make content accessible to the Deaf community. It’s charity Remark! Community runs children’s playschemes, youth clubs and sport clubs for deaf children and young people plus over 55s lunch clubs.
The RNID is a charity representing deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK. They offer support to help people confronting deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss to live the life they choose and remove barriers in their way.
Founded in 1841, RAD is a Deaf-led charitable organisation, whose mission is to promote the interests and welfare of deaf people in the UK. RAD delivers services that deaf people want and need in their preferred language, usually British Sign Language (BSL).
Founded in 2020, SCOSLI is a professional association providing support to registered or trainee sign language interpreters in Scotland.
The Scottish Register of Language Professionals with the Deaf Community (SRLPDC or The Scottish Register) was established in 2020. It is the registering body that monitors, supports and regulates sign language professionals who work with the BSL community across Scotland.
The Scottish Sensory Centre (SSC) promotes and supports new developments and effective practices in the education of children and young people with sensory needs i.e. visual, deaf and deafblind. Teams of BSL linguists and subject specialists have developed the BSL Glossaries of Curriculum Terms resource supported by signed definitions, laboratory experiments and examples.
See Hear is a monthly BBC TV magazine programme for deaf and hard of hearing people that has been running since October 1981. Produced in sign language, it features topics such as education, technology, deaf people's rights, language and more.
Signature is a national charity and the leading awarding body for deaf communication and British Sign Language qualifications in the UK. All Signature qualifications are nationally recognised and accredited by Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation).
UKCoD is the umbrella body for deaf charities and not for profit organisations working with deaf people in the UK. Their mission is to assist organisations and the sector as a whole to maximise the positive impact they have for deaf people, liaising with government and other organisations to improve services for the deaf community on behalf of their members
UK Deaf Sports works in partnership with key organisations to ensure that deaf children, young people and adults have equal opportunities to participate and excel in sport and physical activity as their hearing counterparts from grassroots to elite level. It is also responsible for the selection and management of the Deaflympics GB team, the official team that represents Great Britain in the Summer and Winter Deaflympics.
Founded in 1951, the World Federation of the Deaf (WFC) is a global organisation working to ensure equal rights for 70 million Deaf people around the world. It is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation of deaf associations from 133 countries, based in Helsinki, Finland. It runs the World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf every four years.