We had two visitors today. Richard Black came as a guest of his wife Jenny and Katie Girling-Weeks came to talk to us about the Royal Association for Deaf People (“RAD”).
Katie gave each of us a card showing the British Sign Language (“BSL”) finger spelling alphabet. She explained that 40% of staff members are deaf and all staff are expected to learn BSL to level 2.
RAD started in 1841 to tackle unemployment of deaf men. In later years it was involved in removing deaf children from asylums. Today deaf children are no longer institutionalised however mainstream schools are not equipped to cope with them and the majority leave with a reading age of nine. RAD organise away days which bring deaf children together so that they do not feel isolated.
In addition to its work with children the Association still provides support to adults. They offer training in interview technique and workplace etiquette together with information on benefits and community support services. They also support mainstream providers to be more accessible to deaf people.
Katie dispelled the myth that deaf people cannot hear music. She explained that vibrations are felt in the same part of the brain that hears music. She cited Beethoven and Evelyn Glennie as example of deaf musicians.