Free Sign Language classes for Northern Ireland’s parents

Northern Ireland Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has announced the start of free Sign Language classes for parents of deaf children.

The classes, which will be held at Jordanstown School for Deaf and Visually Impaired Children, begin on Sunday. This follows an assurance given by the Minister to Emma Rogers, who has a deaf son, Patrick, during their meeting in January of this year.

The Minister said: “My meeting with Emma highlighted shortcomings in the provision of adequate services to families with deaf children. This includes access to free sign language classes as a method of family communication for those parents who choose to use Sign Language as the primary method of communication.

“My Department’s number one priority is to promote equality, tackle poverty and social exclusion within our society. I recognise the particular difficulties faced by families with deaf children. Communication is key to the child’s development and to improving their prospects of good educational outcomes, employment and good mental wellbeing.”

Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) funds the National Deaf Children’s Society to provide Family Sign Language courses which give parents of deaf children an introduction to sign language suitable for the family context.
This introduction has prompted many families to want to go on and learn Sign Language in order to maintain the appropriate level of learning and development support needed by their deaf child as they develops communication skills. The provision of these free Levels 1 and 2 courses, organised by Jordanstown School in consultation with families with deaf children, will go some way to address this need.

The Minister added: “Each Government department has a responsibility to ensure access to its services for all members of our community, including deaf or profoundly deaf people and their families. This includes adequate early years’ provision for Sign Language acquisition if parents feel, in consultation with health and education professionals, that this offers the best opportunity to achieve better health, well-being and life outcomes for their children.

“I wish all the parents embarking on these courses all the best in their studies and my Department will continue to support their efforts.”