NEWS FOR AUGUST 2013

Private Members Bill highlights the need for greater communication support for deaf people

Added 30 Aug 2013

The Private Members Bill (PMB) on Deaf Communication is being put before parliament by Sir Malcolm Bruce MP, one of the deaf community’s foremost advocates. The bill provides an opportunity to raise the profile of deaf people’s communication needs.

Next Generation Text Service

Added 29 Aug 2013

In April 2014, BT will launch the Next Generation Text Service. The new service has some exciting new features.

Signature's Lost in Translation Campaign Moves Forward

Added 29 Aug 2013

Signature chief executive, Jim Edwards, is meeting with Ofcom today to discuss improving the quality of live TV subtitles for deaf people

Scottish Council on Deafness appoint new Director

Added 27 Aug 2013

You may be aware that Lilian Lawson OBE, Director of the Scottish Council on Deafness (SCoD), is retiring in December.

SCoD have appointed Janis McDonald to succeed Lilian and she will take up her appointment on 3 January 2014.

Signature Centre Information Days

Added 23 Aug 2013

We have added a new training event to our programme for this year. Signature centres are invited to come along and find out more about our qualifications, services and teacher training programme.

BSL has as strong case as any language to be part of the Modern Foreign Language group of subjects, says Signature

Added 21 Aug 2013

We have been keeping you up to date on our campaign for a GCSE in British Sign Language (BSL). We are calling for BSL to be part of the Modern Foreign Language (MFL) group of subjects, like other languages.

The Department for Education’s consultation, Reformed GCSE Subject Content, closed yesterday, 20 August, and Signature have responded.

External verifiers attend induction programme

Added 19 Aug 2013

Five candidates who recently applied and were accepted to undertake external verifier training are attending the induction programme across the next two days in London.

Signature calls for deaf communication support to be at the heart of the NHS mandate

Added 16 Aug 2013

Signature is using a Department of Health consultation to reiterate that communication support for deaf people should be at the heart of the NHS mandate. We responded to the consultation, Refreshing the NHS Mandate, to make sure deaf people receive the safe, high quality communication support they are entitled to from the NHS.

Would you like to become a Signature external assessor?

Added 15 Aug 2013

Is your first language BSL? Do you have high level signing skills and understand sign linguistics? Do you want to help improve standards in BSL assessments? If so, working as a Signature external assessor may be the perfect opportunity for you.

Signature Northern Ireland

Added 15 Aug 2013

There are currently no staff members based in the Signature Northern Ireland office. Any enquiries should be directed to the team in our Durham office in the first instance.

Over the coming months we will be reviewing our operations in Northern Ireland and will endeavour to update our valued stakeholders there as soon as we are able to. 

Signature Annual Awards - judging panel face tough decision

Added 14 Aug 2013

The judging panel for the Signature Annual Awards will meet soon to make the final decision on the winners in the prestigious 2013 Signature Annual Awards.

The panel face the tough challenge of choosing between a host of worthy shortlisted nominees.

Liberal Democrats to Discuss British Sign Language

Added 13 Aug 2013

News reaches us at Signature that the Liberal Democrats will have a debate on British Sign Language (BSL) at their autumn conference. The debate on Tuesday 17 September has been prompted by a motion which will ask delegates to vote on the legal status of BSL. 

"Make Work Capability Assessments fully accessible for deaf people", Signature tells the DWP

Added 09 Aug 2013

Signature aims to make the benefit assessment process more accessible for deaf and hard of hearing people with our response to a government consultation, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Fourth Independent Review of Work Capability Assessments.

Come and meet us at Deaf World 2013

Added 06 Aug 2013

Improvements in deaf communication support highlighted in government report

Added 02 Aug 2013

The Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) recently published a report following their two year review on the future of the UK's media and digital sectors. The report, entitled Connectivity Content and Consumer, contains some interesting findings for deaf and hard of hearing people.