Professor Lorraine Leeson

Summary

Justisigns is concerned with Deaf people's access to justice. It is specifically concerned with the following issues: (1)The lack of or limited status afforded to signed languages inhibits access to information at all stages of the legal process for Deaf people; (2)The limited understanding in legal settings of the constraints imposed by the interpreting process when working between any two languages, with additional challenges arising when working between a spoken (auditory-verbal) and signed (visual-spatial) language; (3) The lack of awareness of the historical educational and cultural background of Deaf people which gives rise to challenges in legal settings. Partners include KU Leuven (Belgium), Heriot Watt University (Belgium), HfH (Switzerland), the European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters (EFSLI) (Belgium), the European Legal Interpreters and Translators Association (EULITA) (Belgium), with input from Gallaudet University (USA). The project is managed by Interesource Group (Ireland) Limited.

Funding Agency

European Commission (total budget: €366,467.00)

Programme

Leondardo da Vinci

Project Type

Education and Research

Person Months

30

Summary

The main aim of this ECML funded project (2012-2015) is to establish European standards for specifying sign language proficiency in Deaf Studies and Sign Language Interpreting programs at institutions of Higher Education. Specifically, the project will (a) provide definitions of proficiency levels for signed languages, (b) provide an elaboration of curricula that focus on these levels with specifications of signed language curricula for L2 learners; and (c) develop a sample assessment kit for signed language proficiency. Ultimately, it will enhance awareness and inclusion of European sign languages and Deaf communities in European society. The project is coordinated by the following: Dr. Lorraine Leeson, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Dr. Beppie van den Bogaerde, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands; Dr. Tobias Haug, Interkantonale Hochschule für Heilpädagogik, Switzerland; Dr. Christian Rathmann, Universität Hamburg, Germany; This is the first time that the ECML has funded a signed language related project - and we are very excited about the possibilities that this programme allows for. For more information in English and International Sign see: http://www.ecml.at/ECML-Programme/Programme2012-2015/ProSign/tabid/1752/Default.aspx

Funding Agency

European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML)

Programme

ECML

Project Type

Language Teaching and Assessment

Person Months

48

Summary

This project represents a ground-breaking initiative that focuses on providing language and communication skills to Deaf people, interpreters, and those in the medical profes-sion. Sometimes it is not possible to get an interpreter in a healthcare setting, often leaving a Deaf person or the healthcare provider in a situation which potentially compromises the level of patient care being delivered. Potentially, this forces a Deaf patient to either wait until an interpreter becomes available or rely on a family member or friend to casu-ally interpret on their behalf. This is not ideal, especially in medical situations that are sensitive, confidential or private. From the perspective of a Deaf community and the project consortium, it is important to note that the provision of qualified interpreters, especially those trained in healthcare aspects, is not viewed as a luxury but as a fundamental human right to the access and provision of appropriate healthcare. Working with consor-tium leader, Interesource Group (Ireland) Limited,Trintiy College Dublin (Ireland), Heriot Watt University (Scotland), University of Stockholm (Sweden), University of Nicosia (Cypress) and the Turkish Federation of the Deaf (Turkey) developed content to support training for frontline medical staff regarding working with interpreters and Deaf community members, training for interpreters regarding working in medical con-texts, and training for Deaf community members regarding what to expect when they en-counter medical situations and have to engage with medical staff, mediated through in-terpreters. This is the first time that such an approach has been applied in Europe and this project has secured the support of (amongst others) the World Federation of the Deaf, the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters, the European Union of the Deaf and the European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters. In 2013, this project was awarded the prestigious European Language Label.

Funding Agency

European Commission

Programme

Leonardo da Vinci

Summary

The project aims to develop a range of strategies to encourage people who do not participate in social or civil society to engage in developing community histories. This project will use the expertise and experience of professionals working in the Lifelong Learning sectors, museums and archives, to work with communities of both place and interest to create and utilise community histories. This work will include working with individuals and groups to use existing archives; training in oral history and life writing to generate material for exhibitions and archives; reminiscence work; training for people to work as volunteers or in paid employment in archives; creating on-line archives. In order to meet the needs of Deaf community groups, in both Sussex and Ireland all work with the community will be supported by BSL and ISL interpretation. In addition, BSL and ISL summaries of website content will be provided to enhance accessibility. An outcome of this learning process will be to foster understanding for each other by facilitating intercultural exchange, by giving communities with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds the opportunity to communicate with and learn from each other. This work will be sustained through the generation of material that can be used with other groups of learners in the future, thus creating a valuable archive of hidden histories. The project will work with three target groups, as exemplars of communities within the EU, and will be reached through the extensive networks of project partners. The intended users include the Deaf community which has about 700k Deaf signed languages users in Europe. Following from European recommendations for the recognition of signed languages in member states (1988/1998/2003), we will work with this minority linguistic community to record their lives and identify and collect cultural artefacts. Other partners include rural communities in the UK and Finland who are socially and economically disadvantaged by geographic isolation, who also need to meet the challenge of rapid change in the rural economy and to exploit the potentialities of transition of population distribution between temporary/recreational living and permanent/occupational living within communities, that is evidently taking place in many parts of the EU. Finally, we will work with migrant communities, to capture and promote their experiences and perceptions of life in their new communities, and to record their cultural heritage. Engaging in learning will lead to the development of social capital and linguistic skills, and also promote a sense of belonging and place in the world. The consortium is led by the University of Sussex (UK). Partners are Trinity College Dublin, inspire - Verein (Austria) and Noema-CMI (Finland). Dr. John Bosco Conama leads the CDS work for Hidden Histories.

Funding Agency

European Union

Programme

Grundtvig

Project Type

Lifelong Learning Programme

Person Months

24

Summary

Led by Interesource Group (Ireland) Limited, this project builds on the goals of SIGNALL I and SIGNALL II, creating digital multimodal content about how to work with the Deaf community (with a focus on educational and mental health issues) localised for delivery in 5 countries: Ireland, UK, Finland, Turkey and Belgium.

Funding Agency

European Commission

Programme

Leonardo da Vinci

Project Type

Educational

Person Months

24