£700,000 Language Labs Opened to Help Teach

Our daily-updated website is FREE Hardcopy only £5 per year register for the latest news at www.hearingtimes.co.uk email [email protected] or call 0845 2930688 HearingSpring 2013 Timeswww.hearingtimes.co.uk Prison Service failing to meet the needs of deaf prisoners, research finds £700,000 language labs Profoundly deaf prisoners are missing out on important services that could help their rehabilitation because the opened to help teach BSL Prison Service cannot provide for their New language laboratories have been opened at a Scottish university, following an investment of £700,000 needs, a study has found to assist the teaching of modern languages, including British Sign Language (BSL) Research has revealed that, although Ed Gould there are some cases where deaf prisoners are given suitable support, these are often Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, isolated examples. Provision must be more became the first institute of higher education widespread in order for the Prison Service to to offer an honours degree in BSL earlier this meet its legal duties. year, as reported in Hearing Times. The findings are outlined in a report, ‘Not The university’s new language labs, which hearing us: An exploration of the experience include one self-study laboratory, are aimed of deaf prisoners in English and Welsh to provide undergraduates with a better and prisons’. It was written by Daniel McCullough, a more hands-on interaction with translation a Birmingham City University post graduate and interpreting equipment. criminology student as part of a programme “This investment will enhance our supported by the Howard League for Penal established reputation in this field, and enable Reform. Some deaf prisoners interviewed us to develop a centre for excellence,” said as part of the research claimed to have had Principal, Professor Steve Chapman. trouble accessing employment, education “This enables us to meet the growing courses and behaviour classes in prison demand for graduates with second because of issues relating to their disability. languages and translations skills and will Others expressed concerned about their help our students to enter high-value sectors safety in the event of a fire because they such as finance and commerce, technology would be unable to hear an alarm and would and energy.” be unsure of what to do. Some deaf prisoners Along with other languages, the university feel lonely and isolated because of difficulties announced that the facilities will also help with the delivery of the first BSL interpreting communicating with other inmates, as well as Univeristy © Douglas McBride, Heriot-Watt family members and legal services outside of degree in Scotland. > page 2 prison. The report recommends that deaf prisoners More support needed for should not face a ‘partial justice system’. Dog “tried to save partially It calls for more sharing of good practice Scottish people with tinnitus - such as that seen in Shrewsbury prison, An estimated 520,000 people in Scotland where staff and prisoners were taught sign have tinnitus, the condition described as a deaf owner” from house fire ringing or buzzing in the ears, and yet there language alongside each other so they were Relatives of a partially deaf man who died because of a house fire believe his able to communicate with the deaf. is currently just one known tinnitus support Frances Crook, Chief Executive at the group to cover the whole of the country, the dog tried in vain to save him by waking him up Howard League for Penal Reform, said, “The Edinburgh & South East Scotland Tinnitus Group. Don Wilson, 76, was found upstairs next to up and all the place was full of smoke. Max Howard League legal team has represented Support groups offer a vital lifeline for his collie dog, Max, who was also overcome stayed with him and died with him. He was a young deaf prisoners who have experienced people with tinnitus, giving them a chance by smoke and died. really good dog.” difficulties in participating in the prison to share experiences, find out how others The fire is believed to have been caused Fire crews were called to the house at about regime because their needs were ignored cope and discuss the latest information on by an unguarded open fire in Mr Wilson’s 02:30 GMT on Sunday. As snow continued and misunderstood both in state prisons and treatments. However with just one group, bedroom in Alvaston, Derby. to fall across Derbyshire, firefighters in private jails. people in Scotland are currently very Mr Wilson was confirmed dead at Royal warned people that open fires should not be “This research should spark a limited, as they either have to travel a long Derby Hospital on Sunday morning. A relative overloaded with fuel and fireguards should distance to attend or simply don’t get the reconsideration of the services provided of Mr Wilson said he did not have central be in place. Chimneys should also be kept advice, assistance and peer support they so to the deaf inside penal institutions. It is heating and had lit the fire to keep warm in clean and smoke alarms should be fitted and unacceptable that organs of the state and desperately need. In 2013, to help address the issue UK the cold weather. work properly. Mr Wilson’s relatives believe commercial prisons fail to comply with The relative, who asked not to be named, he did have a smoke alarm but it might not equalities legislation.” wide, the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) based its theme for Tinnitus Awareness Week said, “Max was brilliant because Uncle Don have been fitted to the ceiling and he might Dr Pritti Mehta, Head of Research and on ‘Celebrating the Importance of Tinnitus was partially deaf and when the phone rang not have been able to hear it. Policy at Action on Hearing Loss, said, Support Groups’. The week was running from Max would tell him. The lady next door heard “We welcome this research by the Howard 4-10 February and is hoped to have bolstered noises in the night and we think Max was The Fire Service offer FREE home fire League as people with hearing loss face the number of people actively seeking support trying to tell him the house was on fire and safety checks. For more information barriers in all areas of life. and to get new groups started in areas where wake him up.” and to book visit www.fireservice.co.uk/ “It is not surprising to learn about the they don’t currently exist. “By the time he had heard Max he had got safety/hfsc communication problems highlighted in the Heather Watt, International and Student report and we hope that the recommendations Experience Administrator at the Royal are taken on board by the Prison Service to Conservatoire of Scotland, based in Glasgow Read more news online at ensure prisoners who are deaf or hard of said, “We are delighted to be supporting www.hearingtimes.co.uk hearing have equal access to services.” > page 2 If you no longer wish to recieve the newspaper, please return it to Hearing Times C.I.C. | The Lansbury Estate | 102 Lower Guildford Road | Woking | Surrey | GU21 2EP 2 News Hearing Times Spring 2013 > front page A note from the Editor Language labs to help Mums plead for cochlear implant funding teach BSL in Scotland An Irish mother is pleading for funding to help her daughter regain full hearing Welcome to our Spring 2013 Danielle Ryan, from Belmayne, is calling The new labs were opened by Ms Leslie on the HSE to provide funding for bilateral quarterly issue, we hope Evans, Director-General of Learning and cochlear implants, a treatment recommended you enjoy reading the news, Justice from the Scottish Government, at and carried out in most other countries. an event which included representatives Danielle’s three-year-old daughter Ellie views and interesting features from the British Deaf Association, the lost her hearing two years ago but was our dedicated writers have Scottish Funding Council and the European offered a lifeline through a cochlear implant produced. Commission. she received late last year. Professor Ursula Böser, acting Head of the However, having just one cochlear implant If you want more regular School of Management and Languages, told means she only has hearing in one ear and Hearing Times that very few higher education she needs a second one to hear normally. updates from the deaf and hard In many other countries a bilateral cochlear institutions in the UK, and none in Scotland, © Darren Kinsella of hearing communities then implant is carried out meaning full hearing is have this type of equipment. restored or provided in one operation. Pictured at Beaumont Hospital (LtoR) Danielle visit our daily-updated website “No others are able to accommodate as “As a result of having hearing in only one Ryan and daughter Ellie, Amie O’Connor, www.hearingtimes.co.uk. many students in specialist interpreting ear, Ellie can’t tell which direction sounds are Lorraine Murphy and daughter Anna training facilities,” she said. coming from which can be very disorientating, week calling for funding to be provided. You could even add HT online to The suite of three digital interpreting labs confusing and dangerous,” Danielle told local Currently, the HSE only provides funding for your ‘favourites’ tab, or even as and a further three digital spoken/signed newspaper Northside People. “She finds it one implantation despite a recommendation language labs offer the university a range extremely hard to listen because she has to from Beaumont Hospital, which provides the your homepage? of possible classroom configurations, which concentrate so much which is very tiring for national cochlear implant programme for they claim will make them appropriate for her.

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