An innovative project at Royal School for the Deaf Derby teaching sign language to firefighters and police has won national recognition after being shown on top breakfast show BBC Morning Live.
Film crews from the show – whose presenters include Sara Cox – were at the school filming a level 3 British Sign Language (BSL) class being delivered to Derbyshire Fire & Rescue and Derbyshire Constabulary crews by Ian Carpenter, a tutor contracted by the school.
The classes take place at the Ashbourne Road school on Tuesdays so that firefighters and police can then use their BSL skills to communicate with deaf people in emergency situations.
The film shown on BBC Morning Live included an interview with Elizabeth Corbett, a former teaching assistant at the school whose story gained national attention after she was informed of her husband’s death over Facetime because paramedics could not use BSL.
Firefighter Ben Middleton was also featured after he was able to use BSL skills learned at the school to communicate with a deaf lady involved in a car accident on the A6.
School head teacher Paul Burrows, who has overseen the classes for firefighters and police during his leadership, said he was delighted that the scheme had achieved national recognition through being broadcast to hundreds of thousands of viewers on BBC Morning Live.
He said: “This is our third year of running these classes and it’s a great commitment from the fire service and the police. It’s great to see Derbyshire institutions coming together and getting behind this project. It’s nice for us as a school to show what can be done when you put your mind to it!
“It’s lovely that what we have done here in Derbyshire has got national recognition. We know it’s a national problem. We are keen to do our bit to support different communities around the country and hopefully provide a role model as to what can be achieved.”
Frankie Garforth, Inclusion Lead at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, was at the school where she was also interviewed by BBC Morning Live.
She said: “When organisations work together to remove barriers, the impact can be significant, so it’s wonderful to see this project gain such high-profile recognition on the BBC. It reflects what we’re seeing across society – a growing interest in British Sign Language (BSL) and more people taking steps to make everyday life more inclusive for people who are deaf or have hearing loss.
“However, we know there’s a long way to go, and many barriers still remain. At RNID we’re working hard to make sure this growth in popularity and awareness leads to real change.
“Small changes make a big difference, and everyone can play a part. That’s why RNID’s ‘It does matter’ campaign is a great place to start. Over 40,000 people have already signed up to learn simple BSL phrases and get practical advice on communicating with people who are deaf or have hearing loss.”
This story was written and shared on behalf of Royal School for the Deaf Derby by Lucy Stephens. Can we share your news and get you in the headlines too? Find out how we can help by getting in touch.
