sl first spring 2013

M A G A Z I N E

Spring 2013 Priceless

Gerry Hughes Sailing Adventures

Punk ChefInterview & Recipe

John Harris Sporting Star

Lifestyle & Culture with Equality

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Hello,

Spring’13

Contents & Editor’s Letter Page

Food . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Travel . . . . . . . . . 6-7

Money . . . . . . . . . 8

Puzzles . . . . . . . 10-11

Photography . . . . 12-13

Technology . . . . . 14-15

Sports . . . . . . . 16-19

Problem Pages . . . 20-21

World Adventures . 22-29

What’s On . . . . . . . 30

South Wales Police. . . . . . . . 32-33

Language & Communication . . 34-37

Deaf Stories & News / Info . . . . . 39-41

Public Services. . . 42-47

ContributorsLinda Day & Tessa Padden Signworld

Scott Garthwaite The Punk Chef

Kate Evans Photography

Kay Hughes Gerry Hughes Quest III wife Cover image Simon Deacy OBE

Designed by Little Birdie Studio

Contact SL FirstEmail: sarah@slfi rst.co.uk

Telephone: 02920 695185

Mobile: 07786 704223

Text (SMS): 077 8670 4223Please remember to include your name and organisation in the text.

Address: Tredomen Business & Technology CentreTredomen Business ParkYstrad Mynach, Caerphilly, CF82 7FN

Sarah LawrenceEditor SL First

It has arrived. SL First’s new, enlarged, and much improved, Deaf Friendly Magazine is here. This edition has more than doubled in size, and we hope we have packed the pages with articles that you fi nd useful, informative and interesting.

In making this step to a national publication, we have continued to receive some fantastic support from advertisers, agencies, and Deaf Friendly organisations. Without that support, things would have been signifi cantly more diffi cult.

In this edition, we have been given access to some exclusive interviews, and we hope you get as much enjoyment out of reading these stories, as we had covering them. If you have a story you would like us to cover in the next edition, drop us a line and we will see what we can do.

We received some great feedback from our reader survey, and we have used that information to set the content. You will fi nd stories on a wide range of topics including the exploits of Gerry Hughes an intrepid yachtsman, a policeman learning BSL so that he can talk to the Deaf community, a visit to the zoo, a What’s On in the Deaf entertainment world, our introduction to the Punk Chef, and much more.

SarahSL First editor

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SL First Spring Edition4

I take great heart when I learn about Deaf people who are aspiring to reach the pinnacle of their career. When I learned of Scott Garthwaite, I just had to try and interview him, and I am delighted he was prepared to do so.

This is the first half of that interview, and you can read more about Scott in the next issue. Managed and promoted by Remark! Scott is more readily known as the ‘Punk Chef’. He appears on various TV channels and he is a chef on the up. The first question I had to ask was about the name. Scott told me that it is from way back, “I was always called Punk Boy due to my crazy hairstyles, and when I started to study to become a professional chef I just decided to change it to ‘Punk Chef’. It’s stuck ever since.”

Scott is really excited about the opportunity Remark have given him and he believes they are a great company with some great

ideas to help him develop his public profile. Scott’s programmes are all done in British Sign Language, and his ambition is to reach into family homes and help them prepare more healthy dishes. I asked Scott how he got into food, “I was always around food when I was growing up and with my mum I used to watch James Martin, Gary Rhodes and others. My mum used to cook some great dishes, and my grandparents actually, so I suppose it must run in the family”.

After finishing school and taking a gap year, Scott tried to get a place at Westminster Kingsway in London, where Jamie Oliver went. Scott was advised to attend local colleges and did so, subsequently achieving a 2:1 in ‘Professional Culinary Art and Patisserie’, in partnership with Leeds Metropolis University.

Scott has since gained experience in different restaurants, and is now excited about the opportunity he has been given by Remark to film some cooking programmes aimed at Deaf families. “I’m looking forward to sharing some of my recipes with my Deaf audience as I feel the cooking programmes will be of great benefit. I want to promote good cooking and recipes”.

As a chef, I was interested to know what Scott’s favourite foods are. He told me that he loved Indian dishes, “the hotter the better,” he explained. Scott enjoys using spices in his recipes, but like other chefs he said he doesn’t usually take his food home with him. Times are changing though, as he now has a little boy, and he is keen to ensure he learns all the family secrets that Scott uses in his dishes.

Keen to get some tips for my own kitchen, I asked Scott for his top three tips.

1. Always buy a full chicken. Never attempt to buy breast or chicken thighs on its own, as it works out expensive once you learn to use the full chicken. You can get 4 or 5 meals out of a full chicken.

2. Always remember to take your meat out and defrost it slowly or do it the night before in a fridge in an air tight container. This is

interview by Sarah Lawrence

The Punk Chef

Twitter @slfirstltd www.slfirst.co.uk 5

the safest method for all food. If you do use a microwave to defrost food, you should cook it immediately.

3. Always use seasoning in your cooking as it gives another dimension to your food. It is also good to use acidic things like lemons, limes, oranges and vinegars. A favourite of mine is also using Worcester Sauce with a roast joint.

Like most of us, Scott admits to making loads of mistakes in the kitchen, but mostly through trying to be inventive and experimenting with new food combinations. Scott told me that his attitude is always to learn from his mistakes, so he always

spends time looking in books or searching the web to find out why things went wrong. He recalls having difficulty in the early days when a dome at the top of a cake collapsed. Scott researched the various reasons why that might occur, and now he says, “I have been baking cakes for 2 years, and now every single cake comes out perfect”.

Scott’s advice is not to give up after a disaster in the kitchen.

Scott’s exploits in the kitchen can be viewed on Community Channel, Film 4, Freeview and Sky. You can find exact details and time slots at www.bslzone.co.uk

Shopping List

200gm dark chocolate

150ml double cream

2 eggs, yolks and whites

are separated

30ml orange liquer

1 tspn vanilla extract

50gm caster sugar

150gm raspberries

To serve

180ml double cream,

whipped to soft peaks

50gm raspberries

1 orange, zested

2 Tbsp grated dark

chocolate

Method

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. It will take around 5 minutes on a gentle heat to melt completely. Stir well and set aside.

In another bowl add the egg yolks, orange liquer, vanilla extract and 30ml of hot water. Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and whisk continuosly until the mixture thickens and becomes pale and fluffy. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and continue whisking until it comes to room temperature.

Whip the double cream to soft peaks and set aside.

Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form, then gradually begin to add the sugar whilst whisking until firm peaks form.

Mix the chocolate into the egg yolk mixture until completely combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream along with half of the egg whites. Then fold in the remaining egg whites very gently.

Divide the raspberries between the 6 glasses and top with the chocolate mousse. Allow to set in the fridge for a couple of hours.

When the mousse has set top with a dollop of whipped cream, a few raspberries, a little orange zest and a sprinkle of grated chocolate.

Recipe

Chocolate mousse with Raspberries

6 SL First Winter Edition

by Sarah Lawrence

Spoil Yourself

Every now and again there comes a time when you need a change of scenery. A time to relax and perhaps to have a bit of pampering. Actually, sometimes all you need is some ‘me’ or ‘us’ time. What better way to do that, than by spoiling yourself with a short hotel break.

Finding a Deaf Friendly Hotel can be difficult, but they are out there, and hotels are increasingly looking to make sure their staff are Deaf aware.

Finding the right hotel, with good facilities, excellent food, and wonderful staff, can make all the difference, so it’s worthwhile doing your research and shopping around beforehand.

When you’re trying to find the right place, it is very easy to get deterred and to lose heart, but a little bit of spoiling goes a long way.

The benefits of a luxurious break, away from the daily grindstone that sometimes consumes us, can be hugely beneficial and energising. If you’ve found a little gem that you would like us to share with our readers, let us know at [email protected]


A few tips to help our readers save some money.

1. Want to get cash back when you shop on line. Check out www.topcashback.co.uk or similar company, and just by entering the website you want to go to through the topcashback site you can get cash repayments.

There’s no catch and the price you pay up front is exactly the same. This includes items such as car insurance, holidays and flights, so the cash back can be significant. It can take 3 months for the cash to become available, but we find this is a great saving scheme and through the year can raise £100s.

2. If you live in England you currently pay £7.65 for a prescription. If you have a regular prescription you can buy an annual Prescription Prepayment Certificate for £104, so if you need more than 13 prescriptions a year, you will save money.

3. Many current bank accounts pay minimal interest, or in the case of HSBC for example, none at all. If you always have a healthy credit in your account, you could keep that in an easy access savings account such as Virgin’s on-line saver and get at least 2%. It’s not much, but a lot of saving rates have been non-existent for some time now, and banks aren’t rushing to re-instate interest rates.

4. If you have a mobile phone contract, it pays to know your data allowance. If you’re in danger of ever going over your allowance, you can usually order additional data bundles. The good thing is that you only pay for the bundles if you use them, so they act as an excellent safety net, and can save you a lot of money.

5. Sign up to the moneysavingexpert.com weekly newsletter email to find out lots of the latest deals. Some of these deals are so good, they only last hours, so it’s worthwhile finding out about them very quickly. It’s a free service that can save you £££s

SL First Money Saving Tips

Directory

Own a cherished photograph of your family or pets crystalised forever or give as a gift for Mothers day, birthdays,

anniversary or just that special occasion. Each one is made to order, created by you. These crystals with not fade or discolour.

WEB AND GRAPHIC DESIGNWeb www.littlebirdiestudio.co.uk Email [email protected]


Down

1. N. Pacific Island2. Top notch3. Construct a musical piece5. Need to work that out6. Sitting below nobility7. Trusting or easily persuaded11. Criminal deception14. Too many spoil the broth

Across

4. Containing instruments8. Coins and bank notes9. Maintaining order10. Turn upside down12. Aid to communication13. Place to play and buy a round15. Manor House16. An honour fit for officers

If you get stuck, you can fi nd the answers on page 38

SL First Crossword


If you get stuck, you can fi nd the answers on page 38

Brain Training

1. Insert the correct mathematical signs to make the following calculations work:

a 16 4 3 6 = 24

b 25 2 8 7 = 6

c 19 21 8 9 = 45

d 3 12 30 6 = 11

2. Name these Paralympic Gold Medallists from London 2012

a) awivddrei b) oneburkramlco c) milesmilesdon

3. A woman gave a beggar some change, the woman is the beggar’s sister, but the beggar is not the woman’s brother. How are they related?

4. What number comes next in the sequence?

4 6 10 16 26 42 ___

5. A train that is half a mile long goes through a tunnel at 30mph. The tunnel is 3.5 miles long. For how long is any part of the train in the tunnel?

6. Who were these composers before vowels were removed?

a strss b chpn c bthvn d bch e hndl


Photography is a popular hobby for many people in the UK and it is no different for Deaf people. While most of us enjoy taking family photos, or holiday snaps, some people wish they could capture what their eyes see, and are invariably disappointed when the photo they see didn’t match their vision.

Access to photography tuition for Deaf people is fraught with difficulties. Some Deaf photographers have been to college, only to give up after a few weeks for the following reasons:

• The quality of communication support workers was too poor to allow the Deaf person to engage.

• The teaching style, with the tutor giving a lecture at the front with limited ‘hands on’ opportunities.

As an example, commenting on her experience in college, Hannah Waters said, “Unfortunately, as a deaf person I found it very, very hard to grasp what was being taught in the photography BTEC Level 2

course. The lecturer was not deaf sensitive and the support worker was not able to sign what was being taught. It was very hard. I did not really learn much.”

Kate Evans, Deaf Photographer, has been meeting Mark Cleghorn from phototraining4u to discuss Deaf people gaining access to his workshops. He is committed to ensuring that everyone has the same access and that’s the same for Deaf people.

There are subtitles on Mark’s training video tutorials on www.phototraining4u.co.uk where it tells you how to use software such as Lightroom and Photoshop, how to use lights, portraits, weddings, events, landscape, and equipment. There are also videos from other photographers as well.

There have been two workshops in 2012 with RSLI interpreters present and they were successful. Two attendees, Paul Pycroft and Elwyn Jones, remarked that they learned far more in one day with Mark Cleghorn than they ever learned in college.

After the first workshop, Mark and his phototraining4u team, have been attending BSL classes and have passed level 1. Attendees noticed the difference in the second workshop and were able to communicate more.

Kate is planning to set up photography workshops for Deaf people in Wales. In future, she hopes to expand to the rest of the UK, to teach people how to use a camera, how to take photos, angles, using different medium such as the iphone, and smart-phones, to capture a good picture.

by Kate Evans

Deaf Photographers

Photography by Kate Evans


This is where you can learn basic photography before attending workshops like Mark Cleghorn’s.

Kate wants to ensure that everyone who has a passion for photography are able to maintain that and are helped in understanding what photography is all about.

The Deaf photographers have now set up a club which welcomes any Deaf or Hard of Hearing person and any non-deaf person who is proficient in BSL and has an interest in photography. All that is required is a camera. It could be the camera on your phone, a small compact camera or a digital SLR. The only thing needed is enthusiasm for photography. If you are interested in finding out where and when the next one is, please contact Kate Evans.

One thing that is common amongst all the photographers, is the amazing feeling you get when you see what picture you want, control the camera settings, and capture

what you wanted to achieve. While the principles of photography are simple, learning how to use those principles requires a lot of hard work and practice.

Whatever you do with the photography, the most important point to remember is that it is a form of capturing memories. It doesn’t have to be a good photo, but the photo itself is a memory that is precious to the person that took it, whether it is of a location on holidays or a picture of a loved one. The bottom line is, photography is about capturing memories that you can treasure for years to come.

LinksKate Evans: www.kevansphotography.co.uk

Dafydd Eveleigh: www.evejam.co.uk

PhotoTraining4u: www.phototraining4u.co.uk

Mark Cleghorn: www.markcleghorn.co.uk

Phototraining4u: http://www.pt4ublog.com

14 SL First Spring Edition

Karl Jenkins is a registered BSL/English Interpreter based in South Wales and also has a degree in Computer Science. In this month’s Deaf Tech Spot, Karl gives us a brief overview of some of the technologies and services that may be useful for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people.

Modern Communication Technology

Technology is improving constantly, becoming faster, smaller and most of the time, better. Here, SL First has a quick look at some of the modern technologies that have changed the way we communicate.

SMS & Email

In recent times, email has become fully integrated into the business world and even in people’s personal lives. The ability to send messages and pictures instantly to people all over the world, without having to be online at the same time, is a fantastic method of communication, albeit not without its problems.

Text messages (SMS) on mobiles phones have been around for just over 20 years and last year around 150 billion text messages were sent. That is around 300,000 messages each minute of every day – and that’s just in the UK! Text messaging has been a revolution for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people, allowing everyone to stay in touch with family and friends. It’s just a shame that so few businesses have realised the potential of SMS. With the popularity of text messaging still on the rise, and becoming more popular than phone calls (even amongst the hearing population), it seems strange that most companies still don’t allow their customers to get in touch via text message. It’s a small change that would hugely increase convenience for a lot of people.

Video Chat

Video chat (or Video Conferencing) is not a new technology. It has been around in some form since the invention of television. However, it has taken a lot longer for data networks to catch up and

by Karl Jenkins BSc (Hons)

Modern Communication Technology

15Twitter @slfirstltd www.slfirst.co.uk

be able to provide smooth video services. Since the 2000’s video chat has become much more popular due to free services like Skype (www.skype.com) and iChat being introduced.

Since then, many more video chatting services have appeared like ooVoo (www.oovoo.com), FaceTime (www.apple.com/uk/mac/facetime) and Google Talk (www.google.co.uk/talk). For Deaf BSL users, video chatting has been a big and welcome development. It is no longer necessary for people to trek across the country to be able to chat to friends and family in their preferred language. They can simply call them via the nearest computer or Smartphone and share their latest news.

It is not just sign language users that can benefit from video calling though – anyone with difficulties using a telephone might be better served with a video call. It means you are able to see the conversational and body language cues usually missing from an audio-only phone call. It also means that those who use lip-reading are able to continue to do so as they can see the other person’s face. With the introduction of ‘4G’ services (broadband on mobile phones) now underway in the UK, providing people with a much clearer and smoother video experience, it is expected that more people will start to use video calling facilities.

Vine

Twitter has become extremely popular over the last year or two. People can use it for direct access to companies and organisations, and similarly for those same organisations it is an excellent advertising tool. Vine is the new service from Twitter (launched January 2013 - www.vine.co). Much like Twitter it requires users to be to-the-point and keep

their messages to 140 characters or less. The Vine service allows people to upload short video clips that must be 6 seconds or less. Six seconds doesn’t seem like much time, but it would probably be possible to squeeze a few sentences in BSL into that clip. So, will this become a popular method of communication for Deaf people? Will it one day replace text messaging? Doubtful, but time will tell.

Video Interpreting

Another new service to rise out of the video calling revolution is Video Relay Services (VRS) and Video Remote Interpreting (VRI). VRS allows sign language users to make ‘phone calls’ in real time to any non-Deaf person via a sign language interpreter, and of course the system also allows any hearing person or organisation to call a deaf person too. It works in a similar way to the older Type Talk service but allows sign language users to communicate via their preferred language rather than force them to communicate via written English (their second language in many cases). VRI works in a similar way, in that conversation happens via a real time interpreter, however, in this situation the Deaf and hearing person are sat together and the interpreter is accessed remotely.

One current service trying to provide an all-encompassing service is myFriend (www.myfriendcentral.com). This service can be used for direct video calls between sign language users, interpreted calls (VRS/VRI), real time text chat – direct or via ‘Talk by Text’. It also has speech-to-text translation. The speech-to-text translation is ideal for people who would like to speak themselves during a call, but have difficulties hearing the other person – using this technology, they will be able to see live (automatic) subtitles appear.


Created in 1924 and run every four years since, the Summer Deaflympics are due to be held in Sofia, Bulgaria between July 26th and August 4th, 2013. Described as the Silent Games when it was first launched, organisers have done a fantastic job in keeping the Games going ever since.

Attracting significantly less attention from the media, sponsors, and advertisers, than the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Deaflympics are often thought of as a minor event. They were the first ever International sporting event for athletes with a disability, pre-dating the Paralympic Games by 24 years. By the time the Paralympics were born, plans were well in place for the introduction of the Winter Deaflympics.

When the Summer Games were held in Chinese Tapei in 2009, the Games attracted 2493 competitors from 77 different nations, and the forthcoming Games are expected to be even bigger than that. Together with coaches, management and officials, more than 4,000 people took part. From a humble beginning, both the Summer and Winter

Deaflympics have grown into some of the biggest sporting events in the world.

The first Games were held in Paris, France when 148 athletes from nine different European nations took part. It was not until 1949 that the first Winter Deaflympics were held, attracting 33 athletes from just five nations. In1935, the Deaflympics became a truly international event when the USA entered a team for the first time. The team, consisting of two athletes, competed in London, and the Games have continued to grow ever since. The Deaflympics have gone on to be hosted by 36 cities in 21 different countries, although it has only been held outside Europe on five occasions.

In 2013, the Games were to be held in Athens, Greece, but they withdrew their agreement to host the competition because of their financial problems. With the 2011 Winter Deaflympics already cancelled, it was so important that someone picked up the baton, and Sofia has done just that.

The Deaflympics are sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee, and the Games have been organised by the Comité International des Sports des Sounds (CISS) ever since they first began. Unlike the Paralympic Games, events usually run according to the standard Olympic rules, the main difference being the means by which officials communicate with the athletes to start a race or officiate at a match.

by Sarah Lawrence

Deaflympics


The Deaflympics remain a wonderful cultural event, where elite athletes gather to compete against each other, but where Deaf culture is celebrated, and Deaf people socialise. This cultural ethos stems from the Games being set up by Deaf people for Deaf people, under the motto, Per Ludos Aequalitas (Equality through Sport), although the Games also follow the Olympic Ideal.

To qualify for the Deaflympics, athletes must have a hearing loss of at least 55 db in their “better ear”. During competition,

hearing aids such as cochlear implants, are not allowed to be used, so that athletes compete on level terms. The Games offer twenty sporting disciplines in the Summer, and five in the Winter, providing a high level of international competition and recognition for a wide range of sports people.

This will be the second time the Deaflympics have been help in Sofia. The officials responsible for offering Sofia as an emergency venue for the 2013 Games, deserve great applause, and we wish everyone involved the greatest success.

The athletes who take part in the Deaflympics greatly value the opportunity, as mainstream competition is often closed to them because of the determination to maintain oral instructions and sounds to officiate. Of course, some Deaf athletes have competed in the Olympic Games but it is a shame that light starting is not introduced to open up more opportunities to Deaf athletes.

We hope the 2013 Deaflympics in Sofia are the best ever, and we hope that in due course, the Games capture the

imagination of the media around the world, and thereby pull in greater sponsorship opportunities.

Photos courtesy of Deaf Sports Personality of the Year (DSPY).

Described as the Silent Games when it was first launched, organisers have done a fantastic job in keeping the Games going ever since.

Sarah Lawrence


At 67 years of age, (I dare not say years old) and having been in a wheelchair for nearly 49 of them, John Harris should be slowing down, he’s not. “Life’s too short to sit idly twiddling your thumbs,” explains John, “you never know what’s just around the corner, so make the most of the good times.”

A gold, silver and bronze medalist from the 1984 and 1988 Paralympic Games, John Harris took part in five Paralympics and has maintained an active interest in all things disabled sport ever since. Many of the people who know John, regard him as a super star in Paralympic Sport, not just for his achievements, but because he was instrumental in bringing wheelchair

sport to the fore. In respect of wheelchair athletic success in the UK ever since, the rest so they say, is history.

At 67, John puts most of us to shame. “I treat my body as a temple,” he says with an impish grin, but John still goes to the gym three times a week, and he trains with the intensity of a man half his age. One of life’s true rocks, John is as reliable as they come, warm, friendly and highly dependable, everyone would benefit from having a John Harris in their lives.

Since hanging up his competition wheelchair, John has made a huge impact at schools, colleges and business events throughout the UK and wider afield, as an inspirational speaker. Funny and impressively articulate, John impresses everyone with his honest, no nonsense reflections on his life, and his time as an elite athlete. His grit, determination and mental fortitude, mesmerise many of the people who listen to him, and it is easy to see why John has been so successful over so many years.

So at 67 he is finally going to slow down, right? “Not a chance”, he says, “I’ve just started a new business to promote and look after Paralympic athletes.” Initially called Motivational Paralympians, John has had to change the name to PJS Speakers Ltd, to avoid running into conflict with those behind the 2012 Games. “It has been fantastic to get up in the morning and get straight into making

Life’s too short to sit idly twiddling your thumbs, you never know what’s just around the corner, so make the most of the good times.

John Harris

by Simon Deacy OBE

John Harris Paralympian


a difference for some of these bright up-coming stars. Because I was disabled, a lot of the work I did speaking in schools, colleges, and at business events, was for free. I felt that because I was in a chair, no one put a ‘value’ on my time and effort. That was wrong, and I intend to work tirelessly to make sure the legacy of the 2012 Paralympics, is that disabled stars get the monetary recognition they deserve”.

John is delighted with the progress of the business, already managing 21 sports people, and not just Paralympians. “PJS speakers also has 2 Olympians, a disabled car racer, a coach, adventurer and an actress on our books,” explains John. With John’s reputation and desire to succeed, it would be a brave man that bets against him succeeding in this venture, but at least this will give him something else to talk about during his inspirational presentations for the next 20 years!

With his background and pedigree, SL First was interested to find out John’s reflections on the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. “All in all, I thought it was fantastic”, John said. “London did us proud, the athletes were phenomenal, and the TV coverage, simply outstanding”.

John talked excitedly about some of the performances, and being a field athlete, John delighted in the success of his fellow Welshman Aled Davies, “that’s the way to celebrate”, chortled John. “Aled announced his arrival into the Paralympics in the best way possible, and he’s certainly one to watch out for in Rio. And I’m not just saying that because he’s signed up to PJS Speakers either.”

John felt there were a series of remarkable performances, but he holds one athlete up as a super star, and that is David Weir. “To win all four, when everyone else in the field is trying to block you, and spoil your race, is just incredible,” John explained, “so I just don’t get how David wasn’t in the top 3 for BBC Sports Personality. It’s clear that some of the public just don’t get the Paralympics.”

Things have improved no end since John’s competitive days, when he was allocated a top bunk, or had to sleep in building sites because the organisers were dismantling the Olympic village, but John still feels there is a long way to go. “I’m delighted that there is going to be a legacy programme to make sure we take forward the momentum of 2012”, enthused John, “but it’s important that we don’t kid ourselves. Life is what we make it, but people’s attitude to disability, either helps or hinders, and sadly, I still see prejudice and discrimination every day.”

“Through PJS Speakers, I’m going to continue to do my best to inform the debate and make a difference,” John offered determinedly. If you would like to know more about John’s new venture, PJS Speakers Ltd, you can find details at www.pjs-speakers.co.uk

John Harris - PJS SpeakersWebsite: www.pjs-speakers.co.uk


The Iranian driver laughed when I shrieked, as we whizzed about among the mad motorists of Tehran! I’ve been a nervous car passenger ever since a collision with a bull in New Zealand thirty years ago, but I’ve never seen drivers anywhere who seemed more determined to frighten me out of my wits than last year in Iran.

Anyway, my driver took it in good humour – it was all right for him! And I suppose anything that brings laughter is one way of helping to overcome communication barriers.

It’s often said that women are better communicators than men. I’m sure that’s not always true, but there have been some outstanding examples of women who have made an impact at international level in areas that may have been more difficult for men.

One example was Princess Diana’s campaign against land mines twenty years ago. It’s hard to imagine a man getting the message across in quite the way she did.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel to many countries in connection with my work in the Deaf community, and I must say I’ve met lots of Deaf men who were just as open-minded and easy to communicate with as women. One of these was a young man from Iran, whom I met at the WFD conference in South Africa in 2011. His name was Ardavan Guity – or Ardy to his friends.

The Iranian Deaf Association later invited me to go and deliver some training to Deaf people and sign language interpreters in Iran last year, and it proved one of the most eye-opening and interesting trips I’ve ever had.

I was met at the airport by Ardy and his family and spent the next few days in the Tehran flat shared by Ardy, his Deaf

by Tessa Padden, Director, Signworld

Women & Deaf People – Breaking Down International Barriers


parents and sister Katayoon (Katy). What a lovely family, and how welcome they made me feel.

I didn’t know any Iranian Sign Language before I went, and they knew no BSL. But like Deaf people everywhere, we were soon able to communicate about most things. Deaf people in Iran face the same kind of barriers as others around the world. But above all, they have the same joy in sharing the company of other Deaf people that we all do.

I loved watching the banter between Ardy, Katy and their Dad, about Katy’s new cat. Her Dad started off not liking it, but when it got lost in the park two days later, he was the most distraught of all, running all over the place looking for it. Some things are the same all over the world!

But some things vary widely. One of them is food. I loved the fresh meat and vegetables that they bought daily from the market, especially the delicious pomegranate seeds and flower petals they mixed with everything.

Another big difference are the dress customs. As a woman, I had to keep my head covered in public, which could be punishing, as the temperature was often about 40 degrees Centigrade!

Wherever I went in Iran, I visited Deaf people. And the welcome was always the same – warm, friendly and joyful. Whatever the differences in culture, I learned yet again how much people have in common, regardless of where they are from.

In April, my partner Linda Day and I, have been invited to deliver a presentation in another Islamic country – Saudi Arabia. Politically, it’s very different from Iran, but probably just as little understood in the West. I hope our visit there can do a little to improve understanding between our cultures.

I do hope the drivers in Riyadh are just a bit less mad than in Tehran!

Deaf people in Iran face the same kind of barriers as others around the world. But above all, they have the same joy in sharing the company of other Deaf people that we all do.

Tessa Padden


Setting sale on Quest III at noon, on Saturday 1st September 2012 from Troon Marina, Gerry is seeking to become the first Deaf man to sail single handedly, non-stop around the world. SL First Magazine has been following Gerry’s progress and was given the privilege of interviewing Gerry’s lovely wife Kay about his exploits.

A born adventurer, Gerry was introduced to sailing very early in his life, and sailing around the world has been a life long ambition. The fact that Gerry is even able to attempt it, is the culmination of a huge amount of effort. Gerry has grown up with people telling him what he could not achieve because he is Deaf, and he hopes that his circumnavigation of the globe, will serve as a message to others who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, that anything is possible.

As a boy, Gerry was sent back and fore two separate Deaf Schools in an attempt to find a place that suited him. Neither did, but with determined teaching and fathering, along with Gerry’s own ambitions, he did subsequently blossom in school.

Gerry used to get excited about going home each Easter, summer and Christmas break. During one holiday Gerry saw a copy of his father’s sailing newspaper, ‘Salute to Sir Francis’ in May 1967, which can be found at www.tilleysvintagemagazines.com/gallery/IMG_6228.JPG and Gerry wrote on the paper: “One day I will go to Sir Francis”.

Interview by Sarah Lawrence

Gerry Hughes is quite a remarkable man!


Gerry met his wife Kay at St Vincent’s Deaf School in Glasgow. He told Kay that he wanted to achieve two things, his qualifications and sailing around the world just as Sir Francis Chichester had done. Against all the odds, his achievements in school were far better that his father thought possible, and they have gone on to inform Gerry’s life choices ever since.

Gerry went on to further his education at Norfolk House College for the Deaf in Surrey, Glasgow College and then the Open University. Suitably qualified he then sought to enter teaching. Starting out as a Deaf Instructor at St Vincent School, Gerry sought to become a teacher. It was not until 20 years later, after seeking legal advice, that Gerry was given the opportunity to undertake his teacher training course. One year later, in 1995, he became the first Deaf teacher in Scotland since 1880.

Having successfully attained his qualifications, Gerry retained his ambition to sail around the world. In 1981, he sailed around Great Britain with Matthew Jackson in Quest I and in 2005 he then sailed from Plymouth to Newport in Quest II, USA. Gerry then tried to sail around the world in 2007 and again in 2009 but did not have the financial support he needed.

Sadly, St Vincent school closed in 2010 forcing Gerry and Kay to work in a local mainstream school. Kay said she struggled with the change from a Deaf environment to a hearing one, but Gerry adapted to it all very well. In 2012, the school had a staff meeting with an interpreter present, and Gerry took that opportunity to arrange a 1:1 meeting with the head-teacher to discuss his ambition to sail around the world. Gerry told the head all about his childhood, and his life-long ambition, and Gerry was delighted to get all the support he could have wished for to embark on his adventure.

Highly motivated by this level of support, Gerry began working in earnest on a boat he had bought for the challenge, and did some

training in rough seas at all hours. Ultimately, it led to Gerry setting sail on what is regarded as one of the toughest challenges known to man. It is a surprising fact that less people have sailed around the world past all five Capes, than have reached the summit of Mount Everest or travelled into space.

The level of support and interest in Gerry’s progress has been fantastic and they have received messages of support from all over the world.

Gerry has already achieved a number of firsts is his life, and in this epic journey, he has achieved some more, including being the first Deaf man to sail around Cape Horn, notorious for being the most dangerous sea in the world. Through the wonders of today’s modern technology, Kay has been sending Gerry messages of support on a daily basis to keep his spirits up and it has been reassuring for her to get a daily reply. The other vital Deaf messenger has been the weatherman, Jim Colhoun, whose information really is the difference between life and death.

Despite all of the challenges and rough seas around him, Gerry has already been sending Kay messages about his next challenge, “there’s never a dull moment with Gerry. He is always up for challenges and nothing stops him,” she explained.

Currently just past Cape Horn and approaching the final parts of his challenge, we wish Gerry and Kay all the very best, and we salute a quite remarkable man!


Looking for a fun day out with friends or family? Well why not go to the zoo? Manor House Wildlife Park caters for a range of ages, has good disabled access, and staff who make your visit very special. Children under the age of 3 get free entry, and wheelchair hire is also free.

Owned and run by the very lovely TV star Anna Richardson, the wildlife park not only offers visitors animals galore, Anna has also put in place some special features.

For Deaf or Hard of Hearing visitors it is good to know that you can book easily on-line to take away any pressure at the entrance. The zoo offers a range of options for organised parties and you can even hire a zookeeper to accompany you. If you have someone who loves animals, you can arrange to shadow a zookeeper, which sounds like great fun.

There are some great walkthroughs to add to the excitement, giving children the opportunity to get close up and personal with some of the animals. This was something that my family really enjoyed and gave an opportunity they had not had at other zoos they had been to.

With carefully thought through programmes, Anna is obviously keen to promote animal welfare. Manor House is full of opportunities and the zoo also offers educational activities. On their informative and engaging website, there is information for teachers who might be thinking of arranging a school trip to the zoo.

The zoo also makes provision for parties, and we saw one group having a whale of a time.

Manor House is keen to attract interest from adults and children who are really interested in conservation and animal welfare. You can join the zoo’s club for free, and as well as getting access to information, you also get invited to club events at the zoo. At these events, there is a chance to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes.

by Sarah Lawrence

Manor House Wildlife Park


There are also special events run at the zoo, which are really worth going to. In addition to the zoo’s attractions, children also get the opportunity to learn about activities such as Bush Craft, Incense Making, Meditation, and Arts in Therapy. You can also arrange to get photographic lessons whilst at the zoo. With the fantastic range of subjects to capture, the results from just one day can be highly impressive. Even the amateurish photographs I took look impressive!

I love what Anna is trying to do with their focus on education and engagement of young children. She is really trying to inspire children to care for our planet, and get them to understand why animals are becoming endangered. The Double Bubble ticket, paying double the entry when you first go to the zoo, makes sure that families can attend as often as they like in the same year, without having to pay again. Not only does that give families the chance

to have a great day out for free throughout the year, but regular visits allow children to really get in tune with the animals that are there.

To add to the experience, knowledge, and understanding, Manor House run a programme when you can sponsor an animal, giving children lots of additional information and allowing them to play their part in looking after the animals.

As a Deaf woman, I particularly liked the signage programme they have put in place. This gave me practical and factual information about the animals in a visually engaging style and added to my enjoyment on the day. Food, café and picnic areas were also excellent.

I’m a big kid at heart anyway, but I had a fantastic time, and I can’t wait to go back. Anna and her team should be really proud of what they have put in place for our enjoyment.


Sitting here on the luxurious seats of Nice’s Lido Plage, taking in the sights, sounds and smells, you could mistakenly believe that the South of France is the exclusive domain of the rich and famous. Nice is a magical place, vibrant and highly cosmopolitan, it attracts people from all over the world, at all times of the year, and it can be reassuringly expensive. However, it doesn’t have to be. It is a place of contrasts, fashion, of exuberance and tradition. It has loads to offer and if you can go for the Battle of the Flowers in February, you get to see the wonderful French eccentricity.

We decided to use our February break to do a little research, to enjoy some of the beachside luxury we hanker after during the cold, wet winter nights, and to look at some affordable options to stay here. Even sitting here in the abject luxury of wicker chairs on the beach at the top class Lido Plage, you have choices. Enjoy a coffee for €3 or a glass of bubbly for

€15, the experience and the ambience are the same. With the warm wintry sunshine exposing the glorious colours that attracted hordes of the world’s best artists, a €6 experience can be worth hundreds if the sun serves to re-charge your batteries, as it does for me.

Strolling along the 5 miles of Nice’s infamous promenade the Palais De Anglais, you quickly see why living in Nice is so good for your health. The promenade is teaming with people of all shapes, sizes and ages, all playing their part in promenade life. Power walkers, joggers, and serious runners mingle seamlessly with the cyclists and roller bladers hurtling along the dedicated cycle track. 80-year old power walkers, craggy on the outside but lithe and energetic, stride along determinedly, slowing down, and in some cases even turning back the ageing process. Stop to look at a restaurant menu and you are faced with a wide range of healthy eating options. It is so much easier to eat out, and eat healthy, here in the South of France.

The flower market in old Nice is a must, even if it’s just to take in the hustle and bustle. I delight at the fruit stalls which brim with the brightest coloured produce, wonderfully fresh as though it has just been picked. There’s no need to test for freshness here, each piece looks like a product of a labour of love. Smells and aromas seem to change every step, as you move from a flower stall, to spices, peppers, oils, bread and soaps. The French

by Simon Deacy OBE

My trip to Nice


residents shop here, so you know it’s good value, and the market is central to Nice life. The flowers look wonderful, and the surrounding streets are dotted with residents carrying bouquets back to loved ones.

Shopping in Nice rivals the best shopping locations anywhere in the world. From Hermes to discount boutiques, Nice has it all. And you don’t have to go to the best shops to see what’s on offer. Beautiful ladies and gentlemen, with clothes expertly blended stroll aimlessly, turning the streets of Nice into one long catwalk. Unlike shopping centres in the UK, you will find very few empty shops here, and the shopping streets are always busy. Many of the retailers entice you in with fantastic looking shop windows, and perhaps that, along with top class service, is central to their success. Shopping is an experience!

So we know Nice offers expensive and caters for teems of wealthy guests, but what about those with more realistic budgets. Even in Nice there are places to stay for less than €40 a night. Nice has many of these hostel type rooms, providing clean and tidy, if somewhat basic facilities, that are suitable for couples and families. Located in the centre of Nice many of these hostels are ideally located to give ready access to all that Nice has to offer.

Moving around in Nice can be good value too. Public transport is plentiful with trains, buses and the trams ferrying people all over the city. They work hard here to make

it affordable with a typical €4 daily bus ticket allowing you to use the buses as often as you like. A fantastic way to get around is by taking advantage of the Velo Bleu bike hire, which is dotted every couple of hundred metres all over Nice. You can pick up these bikes, and drop them off, at any of the bike stations and the most it will cost is €1 a day. If you hire for more than a day it gets even cheaper!

Self-catering opportunities range from €10,000 a week for a luxury villa to city flats and apartments at a fraction of that cost. Nice is riddled with small Casino food halls amongst others and if you fancy cooking, a meal for four will cost you less than €10.

The 5 miles of pebble beach provide a wonderful play area for children and even in the Spring weeks there are hardy souls braving the wonderfully blue and safe bathing waters of the Med. Packing a bottle of water and some home made baguettes make for a really cheap day all year round. In the evenings, it’s great to go out and enjoy the al fresco culture that exists along the whole of the Cote D’zur. In the winter, this can entail snuggling up to a gas heater, but by early Spring, the evening temperature is usually very comfortable.

The types of restaurant range from high-brow and expensive to corner cafes, creperies, and snack bars where a family of four can eat out for less than €30 if you don’t go mad on alcoholic beverages. The great thing about the Nice culture is that anything goes when it comes to eating. Restaurants accept that some people don’t have lots to spend and they treat customers who order one course and tap water, the same as the ones who order bottle after bottle of Champagne.

As a destination for a four day break, Nice is just fantastic, and with good planning and a disciplined purse, it can also be fantastic value for money. We’ll be returning as soon as possible.


Events around the UK

What’s On

Gerry Hughes Quest III Ball

25th May 2013Thistle Hotel Glasgow£50 – deadline 23rd AprilSMS 07735 337609Text to book your place.

Information Event

Downpatrick Library, 79 Market Street, BT30 6LZNext Dates: 21 March and 18 April 2013Time: 10:00 - 15:00

Cardiff Deaf Poker

Grosvenor Casino Cardiff BayAll Day 18th May 2013More information - Cardiff Deaf Poker on Facebook.

Wales Deaf Golf Open

Sat 15th & Sun 16th JuneCarden Park Hotel & Spa, ChesterMore Information:www.walesdeafgolf.com

Stagetext

Tue 23 Apr 2013, 1:00pmHunterian Museum and Archives35-43 Lincoln’s Inn FieldsLondon WC2A 3PE

Deaf Camping and Caravanning Club UK

Friday 3rd May - Bank Holiday Monday 6th May 2013.

More information on Deadline 31st March£10 per night & extra £2.00 for electric hook-up.Full payment deadline 31st March 2013. [email protected]


I don’t know whether you blog, but I am so pleased we started. What a difference it has made, opening up new opportunities, making new friends, providing loads of information, and getting us connected with people from all corners of the globe.

Since the Christmas edition of the Magazine, we have posted a host of new blogs covering a wide range of issues. We have passed the 12,000 mark for readers of the blog and we have now had people read the blog from 69 different countries. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it is that issues that affect Deaf and Hard of Hearing people here in the UK, are the same issues that affect people in many other countries.

Whilst we’ve covered a wide range of topics, we’ve concentrated a lot on issues that adversely affect Deaf and

Hard of Hearing people. Most notably this has been about standards of service in the NHS, especially the lack of proper care and consideration. We are really concerned about this, and our involvement in the debate resulted in the opportunity to take part in a news items about this on the BBC.

Since that programme, we have seen the publication of the enquiry into Stafford Hospital, which identified some terrible failings. Enquiries will now follow into other hospitals. We haven’t just concentrated on the NHS, we have also questioned whether a wider range of public services meet the needs of the public, and whether bureaucrats and financiers now set the standard, rather than people who joined to serve the public.

These are live issues, ones that will be debated for some time. We hope the outcome is the development of public services that are in tune with all parts of society. You can find our blog at http://www.dfbsdeafbiz.com

by Sarah Lawrence

Deafbiz Blog - The Hidden Disability

Join in on our blog: www.dfbsdeafbiz.com

Every now and again, you hear a story that makes you smile. The BBC documentary Police 24/7, has uncovered one such story, with the producer of the programme, Samantha Rosie, describing it as a police officer going over and above what you would expect.

Samantha was talking about Police Constable Jonathan Handy from the Neighbourhood Policing Team at Pontypridd Police Station. These teams are responsible for getting in tune with the local community, so that they deal with grass roots issues that affect people’s quality of life. PC Handy has taken that responsibility to heart.

In an interview with the officer, PC Handy told SL First Magazine that he realised there was a significant Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community in Pontypridd. He said the police had found it difficult to talk to people within this community on a day-to-day, informal basis, and he wanted to do something about it. Since then PC Handy has been learning British Sign Language (BSL), and he now uses what he has learned to talk more effectively to the community.

SL First Winter Edition32

interview by Sarah Lawrence

PC Jonathan Handy

PC Handy has been learning British Sign Language (BSL), and he now uses what he has learned to talk more effectively to the community.


The officer has been learning BSL at the Mission for the Deaf in Pontypridd, and even being there will have raised the trust and confidence of the community. Despite being the one making the effort, PC Handy talks glowingly about the help and support he has been given by the community, helping him to practice his BSL in a safe, non-judgemental environment.

PC Handy, who featured in the Police 24/7 programme, recalls having mixed emotions about taking part. However, it has served to bring to our attention his actions and the steps he has taken to demonstrate proper care and consideration for the community he polices. PC Handy believes there are fantastic and invaluable opportunities for all police forces in having operational staff who can use BSL.

The response from the Deaf Community, PC Handy’s colleagues and his senior command team, have all been positive, with everyone seeing benefits. The police have also seen an increase in the number of Deaf people attending community consultative events, and that can only be a good thing. We applaud PC Handy, and we also thank the BBC for bringing us the story.

I believe there are fantastic and invaluable opportunities for all police forces in having operational staff who can use BSL

PC Jonathan Handy

Deaf Friendly is a consultancy and training provider based in the UK which focuses on Deaf Awareness and British Sign Language.

Deaf Friendly is able to provide excellent services in:

• Training courses to suit your needs• Communication strategies• Registered translation services• Other specialist services

Contact

Sarah Lawrence 07786704223

®

®

[email protected]

ew


It is difficult to say how many people lip-read. Everybody lip-reads to some extent, especially in noisy situations such as the pub, but getting the gist of a conversation and understanding every word, are entirely different things. As people develop a hearing loss, they usually rely increasingly on lip-reading, sometimes without even realising it. When this happens, their level of understanding will depend on the level and type of their hearing loss and how well they learn to lip-read.

A lip-speaker is a hearing person who has been professionally trained to be easy to lip-read. Lip-speakers reproduce clearly the shapes of the words and the natural rhythm and stress used by the speaker. They also use facial expression,

gesture and, if requested, finger spelling, to aid the lip-reader’s understanding. This practise is known as lip-speaking.

Some lip-speakers have sign language skills and can offer lip-speaking with sign language support if requested by the lip-reader. A lip-speaker may be asked to use their voice, using clear communication techniques, thus enabling the lip-reader to benefit from any residual hearing. If necessary, lip-speakers can relay a deaf person’s voice.

Lip-speaker UK is the only specialist provider of lip-speakers in the UK.

We promote clear communication, equality and accessibility for all. We pride ourselves on professional integrity and our reputation is something we work tirelessly to protect.

We are a reliable, unique, lip-speaker booking company, offering a premier service at an affordable price. Run by qualified and experienced lip-speakers, we cover national and international work. Covering work at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, MOD as well as courts, local government, universities and hospitals, we provide a professional, affordable service.

SL First would love to do a feature on Speech-to-text reporting (STTR) / Palantypists - if you’d like to submit an article then you could appear in the next edition. Simply send us your article to [email protected]

by Lesley Weatherson

Lip Speaking Explained

Tel: 02392 988845Website: www.lipspeaker.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

LipspeakersTracey Pycroft NRCPD Registered Lipspeaker

Mobile: 07889 065867 Twitter: @tpycroftEmail: [email protected]

Lesley Weatherson NRCPD Registered Lipspeaker

Telephone: 02392 988845 Email: [email protected]: www.lipspeaker.co.uk


You don’t need to understand how all the bones and muscles in your legs work to be able to walk! You don’t even need to be aware that you’ve got lungs to be able to breathe! You just do it!

Children don’t have to learn to breathe – they do it from the time they’re born. They learn to walk naturally, with support from their parents, being shown how, being picked up when they fall down, and so on.

Learning a language is a bit like that. You learn it by doing it, by using it, by seeing (or hearing) how other people use it, making your own mistakes, asking for advice, then correcting your mistakes, and so on. It’s natural, and it’s fun.

So you don’t need to know all the rules of grammar to use a language. And there’s no need to be frightened off by grammar. But it’s useful to be aware of some basic rules. One of the mistakes a lot of people make is to assume that the grammar of BSL is the same as English.

In fact, in the past, and still sometimes today, there have been people who said BSL should follow the same grammatical rules as English, because this would help D/deaf children to learn English better. But all this does is lead to confusion about how language works.

It’s a bit like that ‘joke language’ Franglais. According to the entry in Wikipedia:

“In English, Franglais means a mangled combination of English and French, produced either by poor knowledge of one or the other language or for humorous effect. Franglais usually consists of either filling in gaps in one’s knowledge of French

with English words… or speaking French in such a manner that (although ostensibly “French”) it would be incomprehensible to a French-speaker who does not also have a knowledge of English.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franglais)

This is what sometimes makes Deaf people suffer! If somebody is signing to them in a way that follows the rules of English rather than BSL, often they just don’t understand! Even worse, they may be too polite to say so, and the hearing signer goes away thinking the Deaf person has understood, when they didn’t, which can lead to confusion later. Worst of all, the hearing person may think the Deaf person is just not very bright for not understanding them!

The important thing is just to respect that different languages do things differently. One example is Welsh, which has no indefinite article – ‘a’. So where in English you would say ‘a cat’, in Welsh it’s just ‘cath’. Instead of saying ‘an apple’, in Welsh you would just say ‘afal’. (www.bbc.co.uk/wales/learnwelsh/grammar/)

That’s a bit like BSL, where ‘cat’ and ‘apple’ are just the name signs – we don’t add ‘a’ or ‘an’ or anything like that.

Another big feature of BSL is that it is what is called a topic-comment language – like many spoken and written languages, but different from English. So if we talk about a ‘black dog’ in BSL, we would identify the dog first, then describe it as black. It’s the same in French, where they would say ‘le chien (dog) noir (black)’.

But please don’t worry. Grammar is not a big ‘black dog’ that is going to bite you! It’s just how the language works. And as long as you use the language the way it should be used, and people understand you, that’s all most of us need to know about grammar!

To see BSL being used the way it should be, have a look at the free lesson on our Signworld website - www.signworldlearn.com/learners/levels/1/lessons/1/

by Linda Day & Tessa Padden

A regular column about issues relating to British Sign Language

BSL Doctor


Our previous edition of SL First outlined the need for BSL/English Interpreters to register with the National Registers of Communication Professionals with Deaf People (NRCPD) either as a Registered Sign Language Interpreter (RSLI) or as a Trainee Sign Language Interpreter (TSLI).

Interpreters have rules and guidelines to follow to make sure they provide a professional service. This is called the Code of Conduct and can be found at www.NRCPD.org.uk in English and BSL. Having this code means people know what to expect from interpreters, it builds trust, and maintains integrity in the profession. It also protects clients and interpreters (all parties).

There are 5 points to the Code:

Confidentiality

Interpreters are not allowed to pass on any information they have interpreted to anyone, unless there are some special circumstances (in law) where they may have to tell someone about it. For example: if someone broke the law, or if someone said they were being abused.

Competence

Some interpreters are new to the profession while others have over 20 years experience. When an interpreter is asked to interpret something, they will know if they are suitable or not. An interpreter must not accept the job if they feel they are not competent. For example: An experienced interpreter may have worked in most settings but has not learned how to interpret in legal settings. If they are asked to interpret in Court or at a tribunal, they must turn it down.

Integrity

How interpreters conduct themselves when working is very important, as this will affect the people they work with, but also the profession of interpreters as a whole. They should always behave professionally, respecting everyone present, including other communication professionals. For Example: Interpreters have to match the environment, so for interpreting at a conference, they should dress suitably. Trainee Interpreters should clearly state that they are Trainee Interpreters and not just use the term’ TSLI’ or BSL/English Interpreter as this may create misunderstanding.

Impartiality

Interpreters are not allowed to give their opinions, advice or influence the discussion, and they should not benefit from an interpreting assignment. For Example: If they interpret at a meeting where people talk about the sale of a house that is going cheap, the interpreter is not able to try and buy the house for themselves or tell anyone about this.

Interpreters should not interpret in situations where there is a conflict of interest. For Example: If the interpreter has Deaf parents and is asked to interpret for them in a legal setting.

The Interpreters’ Code of Conduct Explainedby Julie Doyle RSLI

and Tracey Pycroft RSLI


Laura Michelle Smith TSLI

Mobile: 07775 693232 Twitter: @laurams0Email: [email protected]

InterpretersMrs Julie Doyle RSLI & MASLI

Mobile: 07787 126431 Twitter: @juliebsl E: [email protected]

Mr Stephen Brattan-Wilson RSLI (Registered Sign Language interpreter)

Mobile: 07595 844133 Twitter: @stephenbwEmail: [email protected]

Mr Karl Jenkins RSLI & MASLI

Mobile: 07918 640914 Twitter: @karljinx Email: [email protected]

Ms Cathryn McShane RSLI & MASLI

Mobile: 07806 771275Email: [email protected]

Mrs Tracey Pycroft RSLI & MASLI PG Dip NRCPD Registered Lipspeaker

M: 07889 065867 Twitter: @tpycroftEmail: [email protected]

Claire Anderson RSLI & MASLI

Mobile: 07725 581647 Twitter: @ClaireABSLEmail: [email protected]

Mrs Sue Williams RSLI & MASLI

Mobile: 07931 103435Facebook: Susan WilliamsEmail: [email protected]

Rachel Jones (nee Young) RSLI & MASLI

Mobile: 07758 228653Facebook: Rachel JonesEmail: [email protected]

Hafwen Parry RSLI (Registered Sign Language interpreter)

Mobile: 07854 930809Email: [email protected] www.hafwen.co.uk

Laura Davies TSLI

Mobile: 07885 477866Twitter: @lau_d23Email: [email protected]

Olivia Retter RSLI, MASLI, PGDip

Mobile: 07747 064449 Twitter: @ OliviaRetterBSLEmail: [email protected]: www.bsl-communication.com

Elizabeth (Liz) May TSLI, NRCPD & ASLI

Mobile: 07817826184Email: [email protected]

Professional Development

It is important that interpreters continue to develop their skills and knowledge after qualifying.

The NRCPD requires interpreters to undergo ‘Continuing Professional Development’ (CPD) and prove they are doing so by logging their activities and collecting points. All interpreters need

to collect a specific number of points each year before they can renew their registration with the NRCPD.

If an interpreter breaches NRCPD’s code of conduct, they are subject to a complaints Procedure that can be found at http://www.nrcpd.org.uk/page.php?content=62 . In the next edition we will look at this in more depth.

Could This Be You?For more information email

[email protected]


Crossword and Brain Training Answers

Across

4. Containing instruments [DASHBOARD]8. Coins and bank notes [MONEY]9. Maintaining order [POLICE]10. Turn upside down [INVERT]12. Aid to communication [INTERPRETER]13. Place to play and buy a round [GOLFCLUB]15. Manor House [ZOO]16. An honour fit for officers [OBE]

Down

1. N. Pacific Island [HAWAII]2. Top notch [SUPREME]3. Construct a musical piece [COMPOSE]5. Need to work that out [BRAINTEAZER]6. Sitting below nobility [GENTRY]7. Trusting or easily persuaded [GULLIBLE]11. Criminal deception [FRAUD]14. Too many spoil the broth [CHEF]

1. a 16 - 4 ÷ 3 x 6 = 24

b 25 x 2 - 8 ÷ 7 = 6

c 19 + 21 ÷ 8 x 9 = 45

d 3 x 12 + 30 ÷ 6 = 11

2. a David Weir

b Mark Colbourne

c Ellie Simmonds

3. They are sisters

4. 4 6 10 16 26 42 68

5. 8 minutes

6. a Strauss

b Chopin

c Beethoven

d Bach

e Handel

Crossword Answers

Brain Training Answers

39Twitter @slfi rstltd www.slfi rst.co.uk

I wasn’t born deaf. As a child, I had repeated ear infections that resulted in me becoming 90% deaf in my left ear. Consequently, from the age of 12, I had to wear a hearing aid. Because ear infections caused the deafness in one ear, I couldn’t participate in any water sports for fear of further infection in the other ear, and the risk of becoming total deaf.

A major drawback of my deafness is that I have to be facing people when they talk to me, otherwise they think

I am being ignorant and just ignoring them. It’s strange how people jump to the conclusion that I might be ignorant, rather than think I might not be able to hear them. This affected my school life too. For example, I had to sit at the front of lessons so that I could hear what the teacher was saying. Sadly, I also suffered ridicule because I was wearing a hearing aid.

I loved singing when I was younger, so I joined a local drama group. I remember winning the lead role in our production of Footloose, but I struggled with many aspects of the singing due to my deafness. This knocked my confi dence, and still affects my decision making, but I have persevered and have gone on to participate in many productions. Because of my deafness, I feel I have to work twice as hard as someone with good hearing.

My hearing aid is not very discrete so I have kept my hair long to hide it. The trouble is, I do a lot of singing and dancing and it is so cumbersome it often falls out, or I need to take it out because of the feedback, and my cover is blown.

I also fi nd that the hearing aid is not always helpful, especially at a large social gathering, as it picks up all the background noise. It is the same outdoors because of the ambient noise. I want to hear, but sometimes it’s so bad that I can’t concentrate, as there are just too many noises.

I try to keep in good health because if I get a cough or cold I have next to no hearing at all. If I am honest, I struggle with my deafness, and I often decide not to wear my hearing aid because I want to avoid being stigmatised. I am studying musical theatre in college, and still doing drama, so I’m trying to be strong, but it’s not always easy!

Young, Deaf and Undeterredby Robin Watts


When my son was born, he had several birthmarks over his body. As with most families when a baby is born, there were discussions about who this tiny person most resembles in the family, whose eyes, nose, ears, does he have. None of these marks were life threatening but I felt that I had somehow not done my job correctly. I was supposed to nurture him in my womb, provide him with a safe environment to grow and develop. So, what had I done during the pregnancy to cause them? No parent wants to be identified as being responsible for causing any blemish on their child.

When a child is identified as being deaf or has some hearing loss then the parents need time to adjust to this news. In itself, deafness is not a barrier to a full, happy and productive life, but when this is not expected, it is only reasonable that the parents need time to adapt to their new circumstances. Even simple expectations like singing lullabies and nursery rhymes to their child may now seem absurd.

There can be a similar adjustment when deaf parents, having assumed their child

would be deaf, discover their child is hearing. It is not that they do not want this child to be hearing, it is simply, they need time to get their head around this new unexpected information.

At a time when parents expect to be overjoyed, it can be overshadowed by questions and mixed emotions. The sort of questions parents mention are how did this happen? Is it my fault? It can be a bewildering and emotionally draining time. One of the hardest things is the uncertainty. It is reasonable to ask about how this will affect my child, and yet no one will be able to answer that straight away. Waiting for the information can feel like an eternity, and when answers do come, they are never as clear-cut as parents want.

About 50% of hearing loss is thought to be inherited. Doctors will want to check to see if a child’s hearing loss has happened in isolation, or if there are other associated problems. Perhaps the hearing loss is due to an infection during the pregnancy or it may be deafness runs in the family. This information helps to identify the underlying reason why it has happened and can help families to learn whether this is likely to happen again in a future pregnancy.

Deaf parents often assume that their children will also be deaf. To establish if this is likely, it is vital to know the underlying reason for both parents’ hearing loss. They may have different causes and consequently, it may be unlikely that they would ever have a deaf child. Having the information about how the deafness is caused, and any associated features, can help the family get appropriate support from the support services.

by Emer Parker

Genetics & Deafness

SL First Winter Edition42

ONE COUNCIL’S JOURNEY TO CHANGE AND IMPROVE SERVICES

In 2004, Caerphilly County Borough Council developed a new plan for dealing with customers in languages other than English. Originally it was aimed at the Welsh language only but the Council decided that other spoken languages and British Sign Language should be included too.

This was an important step as it recognised BSL as a language and communication issue for the whole Council, not just as a disability issue only to be dealt with by Social Services.

Because of this joint-approach to languages, Caerphilly was the first Council in Wales to host an Apprentice under the Welsh Government’s 2 year BSL Futures Project in 2006.

The Deaf community, including local Deaf clubs, have been included in consultations on a number of plans and Council staff doing surveys, or dealing with complaints, record if any of the public uses BSL.

The Council also records how many staff member can use BSL, and the latest information is shown in the table below:-

Directorate Number of staff with BSL SkillsCorporate Services 3Education 23Social Services 14The Environment 5

These are the staff members who have noted that they can use BSL, but more come forward all the time. With the number of learners increasing as well, this shows a big step forward in delivering Council services to the Deaf community since 2004.

RAISING AWARENESS - REDUCING RISK • CODI YMWYBYDDIAETH - LLEIHAU PERYGL

Free Specialist Smoke Alarmsare available for the Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing

as part of a FREE Home Fire Safety Check.

For more information text the word - HFSC - followed by - Your Name - and the word - Text - to 88365 (The cost of these text messages is between 10p and 15p)

Larymau Mwg Arbenigol Am Ddimar gael i bobl sy’n fyddar, wedi’u byddaru neu’n drwm eu clyw fel

rhan o Archwiliad Diogelwch Tân yn y Cartref AM DDIM.

Am fwy o wybodaeth anfonwch neges destun yn cychwyn gyda’r gair - HFSC - wedi’i ddilyn gan - Eich Enw - yna’r gair - Text - i 88365 (Mae pris y negeseuon testun hyn rhwng 10c a 15c)

SWFireandRescue

www.southwales-fire.gov.uk www.decymru-tan.gov.uk

5634 Deaf Alarm Poster.indd 1 29/02/2012 10:00:57


Because I am Deaf, one of my greatest fears has always been getting stuck in a burning building because I could not hear the alarm. Consequently, whenever I go to hotels, I always try and fi nd out what measures they have to alert me should the alarm be activated.

That got me thinking, what about when I am at home? How do I protect myself there? I started asking around and because I live in Wales, I was pointed in the direction of the South Wales Fire Service. They were keen to help and explained that because I am Deaf, I was eligible for a free, Deaf Friendly alarm.

I remember thinking how pleased I was, and made arrangements for them to call around. I provided a little information in

making the appointment and was able to make the appointment using text, email or fax, as well as through an interpreter ringing for me. When they came to the house, I was pleased to see that they had taken my personal safety into consideration. Two ladies called around, to avoid me feeling vulnerable, and they wore uniform, so that I could see they were genuine.

They talked to me about fi re safety and fi tted a fl ashing light and vibrating pager into my home. They took time to make sure I understood how it worked, and advised me to test the system every Tuesday, as part of their fi re safety programme, which they had given the catchy name, ‘Test Tuesday’.

Their work was exemplary, and they were warm, friendly, and helpful throughout. All in all, I thought it was a fantastic service, made all the better because it was free. It means that I now feel safer at home, and I am confi dent that I am more able to protect my family too. South Wales Fire Service were, quite simply, brilliant and I cannot thank them enough.

RAISING AWARENESS - REDUCING RISK • CODI YMWYBYDDIAETH - LLEIHAU PERYGL

Free Specialist Smoke Alarmsare available for the Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing

as part of a FREE Home Fire Safety Check.

For more information text the word - HFSC - followed by - Your Name - and the word - Text - to 88365 (The cost of these text messages is between 10p and 15p)

Larymau Mwg Arbenigol Am Ddimar gael i bobl sy’n fyddar, wedi’u byddaru neu’n drwm eu clyw fel

rhan o Archwiliad Diogelwch Tân yn y Cartref AM DDIM.

Am fwy o wybodaeth anfonwch neges destun yn cychwyn gyda’r gair - HFSC - wedi’i ddilyn gan - Eich Enw - yna’r gair - Text - i 88365 (Mae pris y negeseuon testun hyn rhwng 10c a 15c)

SWFireandRescue

www.southwales-fire.gov.uk www.decymru-tan.gov.uk

5634 Deaf Alarm Poster.indd 1 29/02/2012 10:00:57

by Sarah Lawrence

Fire Safety


A Dog Watch scheme has being launched to encourage people to report offences. Local people often know who the offenders are, and can help tackle the problem of dog fouling in their area, by reporting them to the council.

Environmental enforcement officers can then follow up reported offences and target areas of greatest complaint.

Anyone caught failing to pick up after their dog can be issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75 or face prosecution in court and a maximum fine of £1,000.

Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “One of the main reasons that dog owners don’t clear up after their dog is because they think there is not a council officer watching. However, if the message gets out that the general public can take direct action to report offences, dog owners are far more likely to behave responsibly.”

Dog Watch posters have been produced so that residents can easily report offences

Help Carmarthenshire Council tackle dog fouling

RESIDENTS and visitors to Carmarthenshire are being urged to help the council tackle dog fouling.


Cynnig cymorth i fynd i’r afael â baw c_n yn Sir Gâr

One of the main reasons that dog owners don’t clear up after their dog is because they think there is not a council officer watching. However, if the message gets out that the general public can take direct action to report offences, dog owners are far more likely to behave responsibly.

Cllr Jim Jones

either by telephoning Carmarthenshire Direct or reporting via the website.

Cllr Jones added: “Dog mess can have serious health implications. The majority of dog owners take their responsibilities seriously, but unfortunately there is a small minority who do not listen. We do not want to fine people but we are determined to clean up Carmarthenshire.”

To report dog fouling please text Carmarthenshire Direct on 0789 2345678 or complete the online form at www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Mae trigolion ac ymwelwyr i Sir Gaerfyrddin yn cael eu hannog i helpu i fynd i’r afael â baw c_n yn y sir.

Lansiwyd cynllun gwarchod i annog pobl i roi gwybod am droseddau. Mae pobl leol yn aml yn gwybod pwy yw’r troseddwyr, a gallant helpu i fynd i’r afael â’r broblem o faw c_n yn eu hardal, drwy roi gwybod i’r cyngor.

Gall swyddogion gorfodi materion amgylcheddol ymchwilio i’r troseddau a thargedu ardaloedd lle ceir nifer o gwynion.

Gall unrhyw un sy’n methu codi baw ci wynebu cosb benodedig o £ 75 neu

wynebu erlyniad yn y llys a dirwy o hyd at £ 1,000.

Dywedodd Aelod o’r Bwrdd Gweithredol dros yr Amgylchedd a Diogelu’r Cyhoedd, y Cynghorydd Jim Jones: “Un o’r prif resymau pam nad yw perchnogion c_n yn glanhau ar ôl eu ci yw oherwydd eu bod yn credu nad oes swyddog o’r cyngor yn eu gwylio. Fodd bynnag, os bydd y neges yn mynd allan bod modd i’r cyhoedd gymryd camau uniongyrchol i roi gwybod am droseddau, bydd perchnogion c_n yn llawer mwy tebygol o ymddwyn yn gyfrifol. “

Lluniwyd posteri Golwg ar G_n fel y gall trigolion roi gwybod am droseddau naill drwy ddanfon neges destun at Galw Sir Gâr neu adrodd drwy’r wefan.

Ychwanegodd y Cynghorydd Jones: “Gall baw ci fod â goblygiadau difrifol i iechyd. Mae’r rhan fwyaf o berchnogion c_n yn cymryd eu cyfrifoldebau o ddifrif, ond yn anffodus mae lleiafrif bach nad ydynt yn gwrando. Nid ydym am ddirwyo pobl, ond rydym yn benderfynol o gadw Sir Gâr yn sir lân”.

I roi gwybod am broblem baw c_n, danfonwch neges destun at Galw Sir Gâr ar 0789 2345678 neu cwblhewch y ffurflen ar-lein ar www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk

sl first spring 2013

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