Dean Russell was delighted to attend a parliamentary reception about the importance of deaf awareness and specialist education support for deaf young people.
Dean was one of more than 20 MPs - including Tom Pursglove, the Minister for Disabled People – who attended the Westminster reception on Tuesday 28th February.
Politicians heard from deaf young people who told them how a British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE is vital for equality with their hearing peers. They also addressed the need for investment in more Teachers of the Deaf - whose numbers have dropped by around a fifth since 2012.
A report, published by the Consortium for Research into Deaf Education (CRIDE) in January, shows specialist support for deaf children and their families has fallen to its lowest level on record.
Teachers of the Deaf are vital in removing barriers which can stand in the way of deaf children and their families. They give advice to parents and families of newly identified deaf children. They also visit deaf children at school or college to give them any extra help they need - and they give expert tips to mainstream teachers and schools on deaf awareness and inclusion.
Dean Russell said: “It’s the real-life experiences of these deaf young people which makes a compelling case for the need for better deaf awareness and support.
The reception also saw a performance from the National Deaf Children’s Society signed choir and an exclusive screening of a short, animated film about the importance of Teachers of the Deaf.
