Advance to An Ideal

 

Cumbria Deaf Association President, Stewart Simpson, has written a book following the fight to raise the standard of communication between deaf and hearing people.
Thirty years ago not much was expected of Deaf people. On average they left school with a reading age in single figures. Few, very few, went on to further education.
Confined to a narrow range of jobs which under-employed their actual skills and abilities, they sought refuge from an indifferent hearing world in their local Deaf mission or social club. Here there was ease of communication in sign, friendship and support. When Deaf people needed to communicate with hearing officials or the medical, legal or occupational purposes, much of the sign interpreting was provided by missioners and social workers. Despite this vital link, there was no standard competence in interpreting.
The past thirty years have seen a remarkable transformation in the lives of Deaf people.

More confident and outgoing, many young Deaf people now go on to further and higher education. Many gain employment suited to their education and ability. In education and employment there is government funded communication support.
Sign language is now officially recognised and regarded with pride as no longer an inferior form of communication. Each year there are now some 20,000 hearing people learning Sign Language. In addition there are 10,000 attending classes in deaf awareness, communication tactics, computer assisted text communication, lip-speaking for lip-readers and tactile communication for those who are blind as well as deaf.

Such change did not just happen. It was brought about by the extraordinary efforts of deaf and hearing individuals as well as voluntary organisations that fought against exclusions of a significant but silent majority. Foremost among the agents of such a welcome change is the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People (CACDP). The origins of the CACDP lie in a government funded Communications Skills Project administered by the British Deaf Association and aiming to develop signing and communication skills in hearing people and to establish a register of qualified interpreters.

From the start, this reform faced much opposition from those with a vested interest in leaving things as they were, from government reluctant to continue funding and indifferent to the need to involve Deaf people. This book records a significant period in the struggle for equal opportunities through improved communication facilities.
As Director of the Communication Skills Project from 1979 to 1981 and Chief Executive of the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People from 1982 to 1990, the author was uniquely qualified to record this history.

It is not only of interest to those who work in the voluntary sector with Deaf and Deafblind people, but also to all who wish to learn from this detailed example how to bring about change. Though opposition to change may appear fierce, formidable and unyielding, clear goals and determination can triumph. This account of a successful struggle against daunting odds gives hope to all those who feel hesitate about challenging established procedures and advocating improved practices for minority groups. Overall, this book presents a valuable example of the development of a charitable institution that will prove a useful inspiration to students of the social sciences besides, more obviously, to applied linguists and interpreters.
Its unwritten sub-title must be “Sign Language with a Human Face”.
“ADVANCE TO AN IDEAL” is published by Scottish Workshop Publications.
Priced £12.00      ISBN 9781873577