BBC Radio 4 broadcasts a programme at 8pm on Learning to be Deaf. A full transcript of the programme can be found on their website, the direct download link is here. There's an additional article online here.
A programme about deaf people who find themselves stuck in a limbo between the hearing world and the Deaf world. Presenter Esther Armah goes on a journey to find out what the Deaf Community is. She discovers why some people refer to themselves as being deaf with a capital D and why so many deaf people are rejected by the Deaf Community.
Whilst its good that this has had some airtime, and I commend such moves, I have my reservations. Since this programme touches on the BSL community, where is the translation into BSL? The BBC carries multi media content (much of what we are unable to access), yet it fails miserably to utilise this platform for the delivery of BSL. How can BSL users access what is being said about them, learn, and properly respond to this programme if they are required to read 13 pages of a Word document. Many won't.
Comments (3)
I have a question: Why do they write "Matt's interpreter" or "Student's interpreter" or "Adam's interpreter"? Not just "Matt" or "Student" or "Adam" as it is themselves talking/signing? It's their opinion, not the interpreter's. When other peple talk, it is "Esther" or "Kyle" and so on. What do you think? Just asking...
Posted by isabelle66 | March 1, 2007 8:29 PM
I thought exactly the same thing! Perhaps a way of denoting that an interpreter is being used on paper? Still not good practice though ...
Posted by Alison | March 1, 2007 8:44 PM
Hello,
I am a the producer of Learning to be Deaf. I think you have a point about keep reminding people that Matt etc is speaking through an interpreter. I will see if I can get that changed.
Best wishes,
Posted by Kirsteen Knight | March 3, 2007 1:13 PM