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August 2010 bulletin

In this bulletin:  

New Members:

DCAL

Deafness Cognition and Language (DCAL) Research Centre, based at University College London and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council brings together leading Deaf and hearing researchers in the fields of sign linguistics, psychology, and neuroscience.

DCAL started its research in 2006 and now is in its fifth year of activity. It is the largest research centre in this field in Europe with nearly 40 staff and research students, about 1/3 of whom are Deaf. The vast majority of research studies on language and thought are based on languages which are spoken and heard. DCAL's research provides a unique perspective on language and thought based on Deaf people's communication.

DCAL places sign languages and Deaf people in the centre of the general understanding of how language and communication work within linguistics, psychology and child development.

DCAL works closely with colleagues in science, education, medicine, and social services and the voluntary sector to make sure that our research leads to real impacts on deaf people's lives.

DCAL Centre
49 Gordon Square
London
WC1H 0PD
Tel: +44(0)20 7679 8679
Fax: +44(0)20 7679 8691
Minicom: +44(0)20 7679 8693
E-mail: dcal@ucl.ac.uk

Affiliate Member

Fleishman Hillard
40 Long Acre
Covent Garden
WC2E 9LG

Tel: 020 7395 7025
Contact: Rebecca Lury
Email: Rebecca.Lury@fleishmaneurope.com

Fleishman Europe are a global communications company.  The London Public Affairs team have been appointed by Sorenson Communications (who provide VRS services for the deaf) and are trying to assess the viability of bringing the service to the UK. For further details on the Video Relay Service, please click here (pdf).

Moving Forward

Four ‘Shape your Umbrella’ days were held during July to give members the opportunity to make an input into the revitalization of UKCoD’s role and services. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who participated and the varied thoughts, ideas and enthusiasm they bought.

The meetings confirmed the UKCoD mission ‘to help member organizations provide the most effective support to deaf people’ and provided many insights into how to practically deliver such an aim. In broad terms the UKCoD role is to:

• deepen understanding across the diversity of the sector
• develop and promote a coherent voice on deaf issues
• influence policy and decision makers
• increase collaboration between members
• provide up to date news and information

I look forward to briefly outlining more detailed plans during the AGM on November 3rd and more fully at a Members’ day, the date of which will be announced in late September.

Election of new Trustees
During October we will be holding elections for four places on the UK Council on Deafness Board of Trustees. Nomination papers will be sent out to official representatives of members’ organisations during September and will include a role description and the results of a skills audit of the trustees remaining in post.

Please consider if you would like to stand or suggest someone else to stand as a trustee. UKCoD needs a highly proactive board, which represents the full diversity of the sector, at this critical time of re-development.

Adrian Masters
UKCoD Interim Director

Minister for Disabled People
Maria Miller MP has been appointed as Minister for Disabled People. She gave a brief statement on her plans for the coming weeks and months on ODI's news page.  

She says "I am delighted to have been appointed Minister for Disabled People, and I am determined to use the role to champion disability equality across Government.

"Over the next few weeks and months, I will be meeting and listening to individuals and organisations across the country, to make certain I have an in-depth understanding of the experiences of disabled people, and the policies and services that have an impact on their lives."

Read the Minister's full statement on the ODI website.

UK candidate selected to run for election to the UN Expert Committee
Following an open selection process, Diane Mulligan OBE has been selected by the Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller MP, as the UK candidate to run for election to become a member of the Expert Committee on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Diane and the Minister agreed that given the number of strong candidates already in the field for the Committee elections in September 2010, they would work towards a UK candidacy in the next election round, which will be in 2012.
http://odi.gov.uk/docs/wor/uncon/un-announce.pdf

 

Equality Act 2010
Disability discrimination in the Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 received Royal Assent on 8 April and implementation of the majority of the Act will begin on 1 October 2010.

The Act will deliver improved protection from discrimination for disabled people as part of strengthened and streamlined discrimination law. Amongst the new areas of protection for disabled people are:

• protection from discrimination that occurs because of something connected to a person's disability ("discrimination arising from disability")
• protection from discrimination that happens because of a person's association with a disabled person, or because a person is wrongly perceived to be disabled
• protection from disability-related harassment in respect of access to goods and services and in larger private clubs.

For more information on the Equality Act visit the Government Equalities Office website.

Consultation on guidance about definition of disability in Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 is a new piece of legislation that will replace the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
The Equality Act includes the legal definition of a disabled person who is protected from discrimination. This definition is slightly different from the definition used in the DDA. It will make the law easier to understand.
Because of this change, the government is updating the guidance that helps people to understand how the definition works. They have published draft guidance that reflects these changes and a consultation document, which asks for your views. They are seeking views on whether the draft guidance will help people understand the definition of disability.
The consultation closes on 31 October 2010.

• Equality Act 2010 consultation (PDF, 18 pages, 620KB)
• Equality Act 2010 guidance (draft for consultation) (PDF, 53 pages, 770KB)

If you would like these documents in audio or Braille please email office-for-disability-issues@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Network of Networks goes live
ODI, in collaboration with Equality 2025 and twelve civil society disabled people's organisations, has established a Network of Networks to enable two way communications between disabled people and government.

The network is currently consulting on two policy areas: independent living and implementation of the UN Convention. The consultation responses will help inform the Independent Living Strategy Group's annual report, as well as the government's response in UN Convention's 2011 report.

At the end of the pilot period in March 2011, the Network of Networks will provide an independent consultation service.

The Network is a response to the Independent Living Strategy and subsequent consultation. Look out for more news on the Network at the Independent Living section.

Text relay services
Have your say by taking part in research about the future of text relay and other services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or with speech difficulties
A major research project is about to start on the subject of text relay services. The review will consider how people who are deaf, hard of hearing  or have speech difficulties currently use communications services and what they need to be able to communicate effectively with other people.

The research is being carried out by Opinion Leader, an independent research company on behalf of Ofcom, the independent body that regulates the communications industry and the services it must offer to assist people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech difficulties.

We are looking for the following people to help us with this research:

People who currently use text relay services
Non-users of text relay services who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech difficulties
People who have used other types of relay services

There are a number of different ways that you can take part in the research. These include:

Face-to-face interviews or small group discussions with communications support as required
Live, online group discussions
Questionnaire completed by text relay
Questionnaire completed online
Pen and paper questionnaire that you can send back in a prepaid envelope

People taking part in the face to face or online discussions will receive a payment of £35 as the interviews will take up to 1.5 hours . There is limited space, but all applicants will be contacted by return email.  We will do our very best to make sure you can take part in the manner of your preference.

If you are interested in taking part, please visit the registration page at:

www.oltextrelay.com

Alternatively, you may contact us at the following Freepost address:

Jessica Irwin-Brown
Opinion Leader Relay Services Research Team
FREEPOST RSAB-RHBG-YKSZ
United Kingdom

There are full details of the research on the registration web page, but if you need any more information, please email us at relayservices@opinionleader.co.uk with your name, telephone number and postal address and we will contact you directly.

 Prestigious honour for pioneering BBC See Hear Editor
The first Deaf Editor of the BBC’s flagship See Hear programme is to receive an honorary degree from the University of Wolverhampton.

Terry Riley is being recognised for his outstanding contribution to broadcasting for Deaf and hard of hearing viewers and for promoting British Sign Language (BSL), through the medium of television, to a wider audience.

He will receive an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Arts from the School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications at a graduation ceremony on Tuesday, 7 September 2010.

Terry, who is now the Chief Executive of the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT), said: “It’s a humbling honour to get such recognition for doing something I feel passionate about and love. And nothing illustrates this better than the Nelson Mandela quote, ‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart’. At the heart of the Deaf Community is its language.”

Terry was nominated for the award by Senior Lecturers, Joan Fleming and John Hay MBE, on behalf of their Deaf Studies and BSL/English Interpreting team.

A Sense of Urgency – Launch of New Deafblind Research
The UK’s current deafblind population has been significantly underestimated and is also set to rise dramatically.  New independent research, commissioned by Sense, that demonstrates this growing challenge, is being launched on Wednesday 21st July.

Sense commissioned The Centre for Disability Research to carry out independent, expert research, on the numbers of deafblind people now and estimates for the next 20 years.   The research method utilised a number of robust and representative surveys, and collated information on the presence and sometimes nature and severity of vision and hearing impairment.   This government accepted methodology was also recently used in estimating the learning disabilities population.

It is the most authoritative deafblind prevalence research ever in the UK.  Key findings include:

•       There are currently 356,000 deafblind people in the UK
•       This number is set to increase by 60% to 570,000 deafblind people by 2030
•       The over 70s will be most affected (74% of deafblind people in 2030)

Sense has produced a summary of the key findings (titled A Sense of Urgency), together with a number of key actions that need to be taken, including: improved identification of deafblind people; planning and budgeting based on significantly increased future demands; improved health and social care assessments; and provision of appropriate and accessible social care services.

In addition, the CeDR research has allowed Sense to estimate prevalence data in all of the UK’s individual local authority and health areas. 

A copy of the summary report can be found by clicking here (pdf).  The local area data, the full report and other useful information and guidance is available via: www.sense.org.uk/urgency.

If you would like further copies of the report, in this or other formats, or if you would like any more information please contact Joff McGill on joff.mcgill@sense.org.uk

Sound Barrier Star Awards
Roger Hewitt from Bromley is one step closer to winning the national Sound Barrier Star Awards competition, after his story of triumph over adversity was chosen as the most inspirational in the region.

The competition, run by Specsavers hearing centres in association with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, recognises ordinary individuals for their achievements or courage, despite being hard of hearing or deaf. Ten regional semi-finalists have been chosen from all entries received across the country, five of which will be selected to attend the grand final in London on 22 September to compete for the title of Sound Barrier Star of the Year.

Roger was chosen as a regional finalist for some of the outstanding work he has undertaken with a number of deaf organisations connected with deafness to improve the quality of life for those living with deafness. Roger’s work for UK Council on Deafness and as a consultant with Action for Deafness (West Sussex), national charity – SignHealth and SignTranslate and St Andrew’s Healthcare in Northampton ensures that he reaches out to anyone who needs him and has used his positivity to encourage deaf people to go on and achieve what they thought was impossible.

About the awards
Ten regional semi-finalists from across the UK will be reduced to five national finalists, who will be invited to attend the grand final event at The Savile Club in London, on Thursday 22 September. William Roache MBE will host the awards and present the winner with a £1,500 voucher from luxury holiday company Take Too, alongside a £1,500 voucher from Specsavers. He will be assisted in the judging process by Dame Mary Perkins and David Burgess from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

The nine runners-up will also receive goody bags, including a £200 voucher for Take Too.

Please send information for the next Bulletin by email to c.long@deafcouncil.org.uk
UK Council on Deafness, Westwood Park, London Road, Little Horkesley, Colchester, CO6 4BS.
Email: info@deafcouncil.org.uk - heading under Bulletin.