(Training Strategy Group under the auspices of the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters, 2003)
Scottish Sensory Centre Website
http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/resources/deaf/sasli/intro.html
The British Sign Language and Linguistic Access Working Group (BSL&LAWG) has been convened and chaired by the Scottish Government since 2000. Its work comes under the remit of the Scottish Government’s Equality Unit. The Working Group consists of representatives from deaf organisations and Government officials. It enables the Government to discuss issues at the heart of linguistic access for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people. On its website there is a statement in BSL and English about Linguistic Access and Deaf People, as well as information about the work of the Group and issues affecting Deaf people. BSL&LAWG is a main partner organisation in BSL:UPTAKE.
The Scottish Council on Deafness (SCoD) – www.scod.org.uk - is the lead organisation for deaf issues in Scotland. It represents 90 organisations working with and on behalf of Deaf Sign Language users, deafened, deafblind and hard of hearing people. Its membership provides an effective working partnership between the Voluntary Sector, Social Work and Education Departments, NHS Trusts, Health Boards and the Government. SCoD’s website has a large amount of useful information, much of it in BSL as well as English. SCoD is an advisory partner to BSL:UPTAKE.
Deaf Connections (http://www.deafconnections.co.uk/) works with Deaf and Hard of Hearing people across the West of Scotland. It is based in Glasgow and provides a range of specialist services. Its website contains information about Deaf Connections and its services, some of it in BSL as well as English. There is a lot of other information in English, including research papers on issues such as Deaf people’s access to employment (http://www.deafconnections.co.uk/images/pdfs/accessing%20employment%20the%20challenges%20facing%20deaf%20people%20in%20glasgow.pdf) and The Mental Health Needs of Deaf Black Minority Ethnic People. (http://www.deafconnections.co.uk/images/pdfs/deaf%20bme%20mental%20health%20research.pdf)
