My Secondary Research

 

My Secondary Research

My EPQ topic question was: ‘Can I learn British Sign Language to an interpreter level in able to understand some of the challenges facing the deaf community.’ Therefore, as part of my project I needed to research these challenges and try to understand what can be done to try to resolve them.

I began with researching general facts about the deaf community. I found that 1 in 6 people in the UK can be classed as deaf of hard of hearing- a large chunk of this proportion comes from our increasing aging population. Some more statistics I found were that around 80,000 people in the UK are deaf rely on sign language and there are only around 900 qualified interpreters in the UK. These statistics clearly show there is an amazingly large proportion of the UK which are deaf and we as a society should be educated in able to support the challenges they have to face.

Originally, my EPQ topic was more focussed around learning BSL in schools, therefore that is where I took my research next. For over 10 years the charity ‘Signature’ had been working on developing a qualification for in schools and after a successful meeting in 2018, Ofqual and The Department of Education agreed to begin working on a qualification that could be taken in secondary schools. A boy named Daniel Jilling was also a huge part of campaign for this GCSE. As of 2019 the DfE are creating a GCSE and the pilot programme is already in schools. Given that British Sign Language is an official language in the UK, there is no reason why people should not be given to a choice to learn the language for free. If a qualification was provided as an option in schools it would not only produce a much more inclusive society, but it creates jobs for deaf people.

Another thing I researched was how deaf people can communicate. This is obviously the biggest problem deaf people face and it is incredible that there are many options for different levels of deafness. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are an option for some deaf people- hearing aids help deaf people who have damage to the small sensory hair cells inside the ear. They help to amplify the sound vibrations entering the ear, however if there is too much damage hearing aids are ineffective. Cochlear implants are suitable for profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing people. The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. An implant does not restore normal hearing. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand speech. Lip reading is another popular form of communication among deaf people. It involves watching the lips of a person speaking and trying to interpret what they are saying. Lip reading can be difficult because there are many words that look alike when spoken. Additionally, lip-reading requires practice and concentration in order to be effective.

The importance of role models in the deaf community. This is where I looked at the life of Helen Keller who was a deafblind educator in America and an inspiration to many. For most of her life, the press had been overwhelmingly supportive of her, praising her courage and intelligence. But after she expressed her socialist views, some criticized her by calling attention to her disabilities. Also whilst doing my EPQ, Rose Alying-Elis a deaf actress, won ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and inspired many. During her time on the show, interests in sign language courses increased by 3000%. These deaf role models are not only inspirational for deaf people, but for able people too. I also read a book called ‘A Quiet Kind of Thunder’ by Sara Barnard which depicts struggles a young deaf person may face beautifully. Growing up, a lot of deaf people think of themselves as the 'only one'- constantly surrounded by hearing families, classmates, friends, hearing characters in films, TV shows, newspapers and books, it’s easy to think that. Seeing another deaf person in the media and having role models, can have a massive impact: the person finally understanding that others go through this and that others around them would have normalised hearing loss.

There is a hidden challenge in the deaf community which is due to the correlation between being deaf and having poor mental health. The mental health issues common in the deaf community include depression, anxiety and severe illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Mental illnesses are compounded in the deaf community by difficulties communicating with care providers- many diagnostic tools depend on knowledge that's not common among those who are deaf. A lot of these issues stem from a constant feeling of anxiety: scared they did not hear or misunderstood someone and it also can takes a lot of energy to lip read and focus and listen in a high noise environment. This can easily make a deaf person feel overwhelmed or anxious. If people were more educated about this challenge, it could help to alleviate some of this pressure on the deaf community.

Deaf people - especially young Deaf people- are at a greater risk of abuse then a hearing person. This fact also applies for young people with other disabilities, health-related conditions and children with speech and language difficulties. There are several factors contributing to why a disabled child is more at risk of abuse. Communication barriers can mean a deaf person is at risk from a lack of education about sex education. Adults may not be able to understand what the child is trying to communicate about the abuse as it can be difficult to non-verbally explain what abuse is and the child may not fully understand they are being abused if they do not have this knowledge. Disabled children have less contact with people for many reasons, including: less opportunities at school, may need a carer or interpreter with them, fewer opportunities to go out with friends. This isolates deaf people meaning if they are being abused by their interpreter or someone at home, they do not have as many options to get out as a hearing person would. 

The impact of the corona virus created a massive challenge for the deaf community as a result of the restrictions put in place. Face masks made it increasingly hard for deaf people to communicate as sounds become more muffled, and the option of lip- reading was taken away. Social distancing meant sign interpreters were inaccessible, isolating some deaf people from doctors appointments, school and work. As well as, virtual substitutes made it increasingly difficult for deaf people to be included, for example if cameras were not turned on deaf people had no way of accessing what was being discussed in these calls. Furthermore, a small screen size person makes communicating with BSL is increasingly difficult. 

After reading and researching these challenges I wanted to begin to see what could be done to help some of these challenges facing the deaf community. I began to get involved with the charity ’Hear Me Out’ which is charity founded by Phoebe Wallington to help young deaf people make new friends, have a community to go out and feel comfortable in, and do activities without having to feel anxious. It was set up just after Covid-19 restrictions began to lift and an amazing array of activities have already took place. The charity is also affiliated with the National Deaf Children's Society which is the UK's leading deaf children charity. In April it is was British Sign language week, where I helped to arrange some information around sign language, deaf awareness and  some simple signs to forms in my Sixth Form. We also held a pyjama day in order to raise money for the charity 'Hear me Out'.