Click here to sign the petition
Deaf Parents Deaf Children have endorsed Drip Media’s proposal to CBBC to produce signed versions of it’s daily Newsround bulletins. The lack of access to the news for deaf children who communicate in BSL is depressing. Access to the news in BSL should be a fundamental right for deaf children who communicate in BSL.
Appropriately qualified and skilled interpreters is not guaranteed in schools across the country because of all the cuts that are taking place, hence the NDCS Stolen Futures Campaign. If CBBC agree to have the news delivered by qualified BSL signers, it will ensure all deaf children who communicate in BSL have consistent access to the news every day! Hearing children and siblings who are learning BSL will also benefit from being exposed to sign language on a daily basis – they will learn new signs which will enable them to discuss current affairs with their deaf classmates or siblings.
——————————————————————
From the Change.org website
Understanding current affairs allows everyone to participate actively in the world. It allows individuals to build informed opinions and engage in healthy debates with their peers, friends and family members. It prepares them for their journey in life and exposes them to cultural life.
Deaf children who communicate in BSL need access to current affairs to keep up with their counterparts, especially as many deaf children are mainstreamed with limited interaction within social conversations. Unfortunately, they often do not have access – missing so much dialogue in noisy speech-dominant classrooms etc, signing deaf children find themselves quite removed from engaging in current affairs.
CBBC Newsround broadcasts daily on television and also airs daily bulletins on its website. Whilst subtitles are enormously valuable, for bulletins like Newsround this is particularly challenging for deaf children with literacy issues. We firmly believe that latest technology can be harnessed to give deaf children access to, for example, at least one daily bulletin presented by a deaf person qualified in BSL.
Drip Media is proposing this service to support over 40,000 deaf children nationwide.
As well as hearing siblings of deaf children, many hearing children are enjoying sign language classes, including in after school clubs. They, too, would benefit from being exposed to this medium, which would support their learning about deaf people and our culture.
Two example videos can be seen at:
1) https://vimeo.com/107747998 – Longer version 01/10/2014
2) https://vimeo.com/104099143 – Shorter version 22/08/2014
#SIGNcbbcNewsround
Endorsements received to date…
There are over 45,000 deaf children across the UK and it is important that they have the same access to news and current affairs and the same opportunities to be as informed about the world around them as any other child. For deaf children who use sign language, this means providing content in sign language. The National Deaf Children’s Society therefore supports all work to widen access to all deaf children, including those who use sign language.
National Deaf Children’s Society
We back this very important and overdue campaign, the lack of access to the news for deaf children who communicate in BSL is depressing. Access to the news in BSL should be a fundamental right for deaf children who communicate in BSL.
Appropriately qualified and skilled interpreters is not guaranteed in schools across the country because of all the cuts that are taking place, having the news delivered by qualified BSL signers will ensure all deaf children who communicate in BSL have consistent access to the news every day from qualified signers.
Deaf Parents Deaf Children
CODA UK and Ireland are happy to support … that CBBC online videos be presented in BSL as well for the benefit of hearing children with Deaf parents.
CODA UK and Ireland