Dorset couple calls for free sign language classes

A couple is calling for better access to free British Sign Language (BSL) classes after struggling to communicate with their two deaf children.

Yasmin and Sam, from Dorset, found the nearest college had a nine-month wait.

Dorset Council said the Hearing Support Service helped hearing impaired-children across the country.

But the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) argued there were 824 deaf children in Dorset with no access to specialist bases.

Obi was born profoundly deaf and received a cochlear implant to help him hear

The Weymouth couple are both hearing, while their young children, Obi and Iris, are deaf.

Mum Yasmin said she thought there were no deaf schools in Dorset because there were not as many deaf children in the area, compared to other parts of the country.

"It was so hard, we didn't know anything about deaf people and we didn't know anything about the deaf community," she added.

Iris is waiting for a cochlear implant operation as her hearing has deteriorated since birth

Obi and Iris do not wear their cochlear implants at night or when they are unwell so their parents felt it was important to have another method of communication.

The family looked into funding for BSL lessons, but Yasmin said they had to "push and fight".

The family applied for a grant from the Birkdale Trust, a charity which provides financial support to families whose children have hearing impairments.

But they discovered the funding only covered the cost of one parent and one child to learn basic BSL.

Yasmin said courses started at around £500 for a level one course and it could cost thousands to become fluent

The cost is a barrier for many families with a deaf child, with many looking to charities for help.

Martin Thacker, director of local engagement at the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), called the situation a "very sad state of affairs".

He said: "It should be part of the local offer that councils provide and there should be funding to offer that support to families."

Mr Thacker said while some families try to learn for free using videos they find online, it is not as straightforward as "learning French or Spanish".

"You need the support to be able to do the intonation with sign [language] and it involves facial expressions and getting the signs right," he said.

"Can you imagine not being able to communicate with your own child?"

The family relies heavily on sign language, with the children needing to communicate in full sentences as they grow older

Dorset Council said there were no plans to introduce a specialist base in the county for deaf children.

Instead, it directed families to the Hearing Support Service team, which works with families and schools, providing practical advice on all aspects of language and communication.

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