SCoD News
SCoD Management Committee
The Management Committee met in Edinburgh on 26th November and re-elected Donald Richards and Andy Irvine as Convenor and Vice-Convenor for another year.SCIO
The Management Committee agreed to go ahead with applying to OSCR for SCoD to become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation.Equality and Access for Deaf People
Rosie Rutherford and Derek Todd took up their posts of Project Officers on 11th November. They attended the BSL & Linguistic Access Working Group’s Away Day on 19th November. This gave them the opportunity to meet group members.We interviewed candidates for the part time Project Officer on 26th November and have offered the post subject to references.
Deaf Children and Adolescents Mental Health Service
A delegation consisting of Lilian Lawson (SCoD), Frances Dolan (WSDCS), Dr Nicoletta Gentili (Corner House), Heather Gray and Katie Rafferty (NDCS Scotland) were invited to the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ conference in Edinburgh on 22nd November. Dr Gentili gave an excellent presentation stressing why it was essential to have a dedicated CAMHS for deaf children and adolescents. After the presentation, the delegation had a meeting with NHS National Services Division, NHS Lothian, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and NHS Borders. It was agreed to have a further meeting with NHS Lothian and NHS NSD to outline the commissioning process. Watch this space!BSL Bill
We received the update from Mark Griffin MSP on the BSL Bill (Scotland). No date has been given for the Stage 1 debate because of the backlog due to the Scottish Parliament being taken up with all aspects of the Referendum. However, the Non-Government Bills Unit are confident – after discussions with the Presiding Officer - that the Bill will be ready to be formally introduced before the summer recess, which begins on 28 June 2014. The Bill itself will be drafted before that time and the views of the BSL & Linguistic Access Working Group will be sought and discussions/amendments made if necessary.Lilian Lawson, SCoD Director and Janis McDonald will meet Mark Griffin MSP on 3rd December so that Janis will be fully briefed.
Cross Party Group on Deafness
The CPGD will meet in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 3rd December at 5.30pm. Main agenda items will be: a) Funding Cuts; b) Heriot Watt University and c) NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Needs Assessment. COSLA will have representatives attending this meeting, particularly for the “funding cuts” agenda item. As before, people are welcome to observe the CPGD meeting. If interested, please email Alison CoyleRev Alistair Kelly
We were sad to learn of Rev Alistair Kelly’s passing. He was a member of SCoD Management Committee for several years and represented Albany Deaf Church on the National Council. Donald Richards, SCoD Convenor attended his funeral. SCoD sent a letter of condolences to Alistair’s widow and family.Janis McDonald
Janis McDonald has been busy shadowing Lilian Lawson, attending SCoD and other meetings, meeting key stakeholders and SCoD member organisations. She will take up her post on Monday 6th January 2014. Her email address isPersonal Note – from Lilian Lawson
This is the last contribution I am making for the SCoD Bulletin as SCoD Director! It does not feel like 13 and a half years since I made my first Bulletin contribution! At that time we had no website and relied on the Royal Mail to deliver the bulletins to our members. How times have changed! I certainly believe SCoD’s profile and credentials are much higher now than they were in 2000.It has been very rewarding and congenial working for SCoD. I have been most fortunate to have had a brilliant team of staff at SCoD. I am leaving on Friday 6th December with no regrets and countless happy memories.
The events at the AGM last month took me totally by surprise. I was truly flabbergasted and speechless when the Vice-Convenor told me that I would not be giving my planned presentation but instead there would be a presentation about me! The presentation, the This Is Your Life-styled Red Book and seeing my friends from all over the country – is all something I will never forget.
Many, many thanks to all who contributed to the Red Book. Read more about our AGM in our forthcoming Newsletter due out soon!
At the AGM I was honoured and proud to be asked to be SCoD’s first Honorary President. I shall look forward to attending SCoD’s meetings and events and renewing my many acquaintances.
Finally, my very best wishes to SCoD to continue as Scotland’s leading voice of deaf people.
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Doing your Christmas Shopping with Amazon?
Support SCoD at No Extra Cost to You!
It really is that simple. So if you’re thinking of shopping on Amazon, please help SCoD by visiting: If you are viewing this bulletin online, simply click the Amazon logo on the left.General News
New Subtitling Service Trial in the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament Press Release:The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) is committed to providing a Parliament that is open and accessible to all groups in society and where everyone is treated equally with dignity and respect. We continue to strive to demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that all Parliamentary business is accessible to all groups in society.
With this in mind, a new service aimed at making First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) more accessible has been developed and is now available on the Scottish Parliament’s You Tube channel. Subtitles are now available on the video archive of FMQs footage, the same afternoon it is broadcast, improving accessibility and allowing a wider audience to watch questions being put to the First Minister. This initiative will run for an initial trial period until the end of December 2013. The new service will use the text from the Official Report in conjunction with YouTube footage, and will be available after First Ministers Question Time takes places and will usually be accessible by 4.30 pm.
The new service is the latest addition to the range of services available to those wishing to engage in Parliamentary business. These include providing information about the Scottish Parliament and its work in a range of different formats including Braille, audio, large print and British Sign Language. In addition, where visitors are attending parliamentary business or going on a guided tour, BSL / English interpreters and other forms of communication support are available if booked in advance through Visitor Services.
Speaking about the new service, Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body member David Stewart MSP said:
“Openness and accessibility have always been at the heart of the work of the Scottish Parliament. I am delighted to announce that we will be trialling this new service as a way of bringing First Minister’s Question Time to as wide an audience as possible. Being able to see subtitled archived coverage so quickly is a significant step forward.”
People wishing to make use of the new service can go to the Scottish Parliament’s You Tube channel.
The archived video of FMQs will now include the option to add captions.
Should you require any additional information on the new initiative, please do not hesitate to contact the Scottish Parliament Equalities Manager, Aneela McKenna:
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101 Police single non emergency number: Key Brief
101 is the new number to contact Police Scotland that replaces existing non emergency numbers. This is for the public to call when they want to get through to the police when it is less urgent than 999.When should callers use 101?
Callers should use 101 to report less urgent crime or disorder, to contact the police with a general enquiry or to speak to a local officer.
For example;
•if their car has been stolen;
•if their property has been damaged;
•where they suspect drug use or dealing;
•if they want to report a minor traffic collision;
•if they want to give the police information about crime in their area; or
•simply if they’d like to speak to a local police officer.
What about more general nuisance?
The public should continue to call their local council for things like;
•reporting graffiti;
•abandoned vehicles;
•dumping and fly tipping; or
•vandalism.
Who will the caller get through to?
When the public calls 101 they will get through to their local police force.
How will it work?
101 will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When someone calls 101, the system will determine the caller’s location and connect them to the police force covering that area. They will hear a recorded message announcing which police force they are being connected to. If a caller is on a boundary between two or more forces, the recorded message will give them a choice of which force to be connected to.
Police call handlers in your force control room will then answer the call and respond appropriately. The caller will not be put through to a large national call centre.
If the incident is recognised as an emergency, the operator or police call handler will put them through to 999.
When will 101 be available?
The ACPO project team is working with individual forces to agree a roll out plan. The first forces will be going live in late June with the aim of all forces live by the end of 2011.
How much does a call cost?
Calls from landlines and mobile networks cost 15 pence per call, no matter what time of day or the duration of the call.
Can deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, use 101?
People who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired can textphone 18001 101.
Also please note that existing non-voice methods of contact in your area, such as SMS will still be retained for now, until a national replacement is identified.
In an emergency the advice is to always call 999 - for example, when an immediate response is needed because a crime is happening, someone suspected of a crime is nearby, or someone is injured, being threatened or in danger.
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Breathing Space BSL Service
Please note that the Breathing Space service for Deaf people is still open.click BSL service
Sunday : 6pm – 9.30pm
Thursday 6pm – 10pm
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New website about Access to Work /
Information and Resource sharing for Deaf people about Access to Work (AtW).
AtW is a fantastic resource, with the potential to make work truly accessible to Deaf, Deafblind, deafened and HoH people. It may not be perfect, but for many years it has offered access to work and promotion opportunities by paying for face to face and remote interpreting, communicator guides (for deafblind people) and note taking support.
But now many Deaf people have stories about the difficulties they have with AtW.
Many of those difficulties are made worse because AtW does not always give you the information you need to be able to challenge them.
This website has documents and links to give you that information, to help you get AtW to meet your needs.This new site is for you to share and get information and documents but please note: it cannot offer individual advice. Visit it now:
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We're calling on the government to halt proposals that could push deaf people out of work
Joint letter from leading deaf organisations demands urgent reassessment of policy changesWe're joining with other leading deaf organisations and urgently calling on the government to reassess cost-cutting policy changes to their Access to Work scheme, which are creating barriers to employing deaf people and preventing them from playing a full role in the workplace in the future.
With deaf people already four times more likely to be unemployed, the change in policy will not only restrict their access to communication support but will also increase costs for employers that could force people with hearing loss out of work. Early reports suggest these new measures could cost employers an extra £10,000 per deaf member of staff.
Currently the government-funded initiative provides deaf employees with up to 30 hours of communication support per week, however the scheme is moving deaf people to employ full-time salaried communication support, rather than freelance support, restricting the range of support deaf people need and the flexibility that they rely upon.
Unworkable changes
Our Chief Executive, Paul Breckell, said: "It’s totally unrealistic for the 3.7 million deaf workers in the UK to recruit a full-time communication support worker. The type of support someone needs might vary from day today and there are real problems in terms of the number of qualified professionals available – from little more than 1,000 British Sign Language interpreters to just 25 speech-to-text reporters.
"These unworkable changes will damage the flexibility that deaf people require at work and transfer additional, unsustainable costs to employers. The government is creating a perfect storm by unnecessarily complicating a policy that deaf and disabled people across the UK rely on."
Immediate action needed
David Buxton, Chief Executive of the British Deaf Association, said: "We are very concerned that deaf and hard of hearing Access to Work users were not properly consulted about the new 30 hours a week rule. We know some users who are following this new policy have said it creates more barriers on top of those that they already face. That’s why we have come together to request an urgent meeting to resolve this matter and ensure that no one who is deaf or hard of hearing users struggles in their own jobs and are as equal as their own hearing peers."
In response to concerns from the deaf community, supporters and partners, we've joined with the British Deaf Association, Action Deafness and four other deaf organisations to write to the Head of the Access to Work Programme and Minister for Disabled People demanding immediate action.
Find out more
For general media enquiries contact Gorki Duhra, Senior PR Officer:
Tel: 020 7296 8057 or 07944 038635 Email:
Source: Action on Hearing Loss website
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NHS BSL Service: Festive Opening Times
Christmas and New YearFrom 24th December - 2nd January 2014 the service for BSL users will be extended and will operate during the following times:
Tuesday 24th December – Friday 27th December 09:00-00:00
Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th December 08:00-00:00
Monday 30th December – Thursday 2nd January 2014 09.00-00.00
Events
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SCoD Open Day: Thurs 5th Dec from 1pm – 6pm
Come along and find out about the work of SCoD - there’s food and drink, all we need is your company. No booking required!Scottish Council on Deafness Suite 62, Central Chambers, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 6LD
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ALL Deaf Cruise: October 25th, 2014 until November 1st, 2014
Starts in Puerto Rico, goes to Tortola BVI, St John, Antigua, Aruba, Curacao and then back to Puerto Rico.Featured Deaf Entertainers: John Maucere, Marlee Matlin, Deanne Bray and Troy Kotsur.
ASL Interpreters provided on board!
All entertainment included! Any questions, call Passages Deaf Travel at: VP: 757-389-8833 | Voice/VRS: 757-258-9181Or visit:
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Homecoming Scotland 2014 - a year of brilliant moments
Scotland is getting ready to welcome the world and herald the beginning of a very special year. In 2014 Scotland will not only welcome the world for the 40th Ryder Cup and the XX Commonwealth Games, but we will celebrate all that is great about our country as part of Homecoming Scotland 2014 celebrations.More information from:
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Personal Advocacy Drop-in Sessions
Tuesdays from 11am – 1pmWith Avril Hepner, BDA Community Advocacy and Development Officer
Avril will offer independent, confidential, one-to-one (peer) advocacy services for Deaf BSL users.
Explain what advocacy is and how to use the service
She will find information to help you to make your own decisions and choices, put you in touch with other organisations and sources of support and advice.
Venue: BDA Scotland, Suite 58, 1st Floor, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 6LD
Email: ; SMS: 07814386298; ooVoo: Avril.Hepner.BDA
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Renfrewshire Deaf Group Meeting
6.30pm – 9pmSpinners Gate, Maxwellton Street, Paisley PA1 2UA
All welcome, entry fee £1.00, please note this is not a membership fee.
Tea/coffee/soft drinks available.
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EdSign Lectures
Exploring Polite Language: Interpreting from BSL to EnglishRachel Mapson, University of Bristol
Tues 28th Jan from 6.30pm – 8pm
Venue to be confirmed
iPad Technology as a Bridge to Services and Education
Suzanne Ehrlich, University of Cincinnati
Tues 18th Feb from 6.30pm – 8pm
Venue to be confirmed
Evaluating the use of Technical Science Signs Online with Deaf Young People
Audrey Cameron, University of Edinburgh
Rachel O’Neill, University of Edinburgh
Gary Quinn, University of Edinburgh
Tues 11th March from 6.30pm – 8pm
Room LG34, Paterson’s Land, Moray House, School of Education, University of Edinburgh
Framed by Frames: Deafness Mirrored in Media Discourses on Sign Language Interpreting
Xiao Zhao, Heriot Watt University
Tues 1st April form 6.30pm – 8pm
Venue to be confirmed
Send the Deaf to Orkney – Again?
Jeff McWhinnney, Significan’t / SignVideo
Graham Turner, Heriot Watt University
Tues 15th April from 6.30pm – 8pm
Venue to be confirmed
Special Event! Deaf Edinburgh Heritage Trail
John Hay, British Deaf History Society
Tues 13th May from 6.30pm
Meeting point: Outside Deacon Brodie pub, 435 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, Eh1 2NT
Post-School Transitions for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People in Scotland
Mariela Fordyce, University of Edinburgh
Tues 3rd June from 6.30pm – 8pm
Room LG34, Land, Moray House, School of Education, University of Edinburgh
Exploring Mental Well-being in BSL with Deaf People
Katherine Rogers, University of Manchester
Tues 2nd Sept from 6.30pm – 8pm
Venue to be confirmed
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All events are free
BSL/English interpretation available at all events (unless specified differently)
Check for updates:
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Email:
BSL (British Sign Language) and Deaf Awareness Classes in Scotland
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All Levels of BSL Courses starting in January.