North of the Stupid Line

It seems that at the root of everything is the absence of an Act of Parliament which enforces the right of Deaf people to use BSL. If a BSL Act was enacted, this would be the sure fire way of:

• Ensuring that service providers provide access to BSL users;
• Bringing BSL back into education as the predominant way to educate Deaf kids;
• Re-training audiologists to stop negative attitudes and forcing parents to conform to oralist methods;
• Improving Deaf and BSL awareness among the general populace; and
• Increasing the number of BSL users in the UK.

So, what do we need to do to get a BSL Act enacted?

1. Draft a BSL Bill, enter into a consultative process;
2. Decide whether to introduce it to Parliament via:
• A Private Members’ Bill by way of a Member of Parliament championing our cause; or
• A Public Bill (go here for more information on Public Bills).
3. The following stages then take place in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords:
• First reading (formal introduction of the Bill without debate);
• Second reading (general debate);
• Committee stage (detailed examination, debate and amendments. In the House of Commons this stage takes place in a Public Bill Committee;
• Report stage (opportunity for further amendments); and
• Third reading (final chance for debate and amendments are possible in the Lords).
4. When a Bill has passed through both Houses it is returned to the first House (where it started) for the second House’s amendments to be considered.
5. Both Houses must agree on the final text. There may be several rounds of exchanges between the two Houses until agreement is reached on every word of the Bill. Once this happens the Bill proceeds to the next stage: Royal Assent.
• Royal Assent (granted by the monarch); and
• Act of Parliament (the proposals of the Bill have now become law).
6. Commencement of the BSL Act, and equality for the Deaf community at last?

Any volunteers to kick off the process and draft a BSL Bill?

This is enough to make anyone cringe.

RNID’s Employment Training and Skills Service (ETSS), has worked with the CAB to deliver deaf awareness training and a Start to Sign course to advisers.

Do the RNId and CAB honestly think that training hearing advisers in basic BSL will allow them to communicate effectively with Deaf BSL users? The simple answer is: NO! Basic BSL will allow them to ask clients if they want a cuppa, that’s it. There is absolutely no way they can, or should be allowed to, advise Deaf clients on legal issues.

The RNId should know better, but then again, their ignorance doesn’t surprise me anymore.

Some of you will know that I have started my Professional Skills Course (PSC), completion of which is a prerequisite to becoming a qualified solicitor. Nick Turner, my principal solicitor, wanted me to do it sooner rather than later, hence why I’m doing it at the moment.

I have already completed two modules:

• Client Care and Professional Standards; and
• Financial and Business Skills.

Financial and Business Skills required that I sat a one and a half hour exam consisting of multiple choice questions and two case studies, which I did on 19 June 2006. I received a letter today informing me that I passed it, so I’m pleased.

I’m starting the Advocacy & Communication Skills module next Tuesday, and I’ve got a one-day elective in Litigation Drafting Skills next Monday, in Cardiff. My final elective, How to Conduct Unfair Dismissal Proceedings, will take place on 13 November 2006, in Birmingham.

The course in London has been taking place at Regent’s College. It’s dead posh there, unlike Crosskeys College and the other colleges in South Wales I could have gone to to do my A Levels. Surrounded by Regent’s Park, it is a really pleasant place to walk to from Baker Street station, with lakes, fresh air and stillness, as opposed to the busy pace of city life.

I’m sure some of you, particularly those of you who know that I’ve been trying to secure a training contract for four years, would like to know how my training is going.

It’s now been almost two months since I started my training with South West London Law Centres, and all is going swimmingly. Most of the past two months have been focused on clearing my RAD caseload, as well as focusing on my casework supervision duties for the Advice team, and I am now starting to accept Deaf clients referred to me by RAD for the law centre. My first case will be a former RAD client of mine, who is facing possession proceedings for eviction. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into that case.

I am still covering two advice surgeries for RAD, but with the handing over of Romford on Wednesdays to Laura, I now have up to four days a week at the law centre (three days when I go to Brixton on a Tuesday). It has been a massive improvement.

The Law Society requires that all trainees keep a training record of the work completed and the skills used during the casework, and I have been doing this, and also, I am currently sorting out funding for BSL/English Interpreters on my Professional Skills Course. At the moment, BPP Law School are insisting that *I* pay for the BSL/English Interpreters, and having thrown the DDA 1995 at them, I’m waiting for a response from the Course Director. Will let you know what happens.

All in all, I’m a happy bunny!

Most of you will know by now that I have now commenced my training to become a qualified solicitor. I thought you would appreciate it if I updated you on how it’s going.

As you know, I started my 18-month training contract on 28 November 2005 with South West London Law Centres, based at Croydon & Sutton Law Centre. I have to say that I’ve been really lucky. I’ve secured a training contract employed by RAD, which, despite its faults, is an organisation that I am proud to work for. I am on the same salary as I was as an advice worker, which is an added bonus, and Linda has agreed not to tie me to RAD after the completion of my training contract, knowing full well that once it’s done, I’ll want to move back to Wales to be with Rachel.

The staff I’m working with are all really nice. They have all comfortably adapted to life with a Deaf trainee and his BSL/English Interpreter. Nick, my supervisor, is great and knowledgeable, and I feel I can learn a lot from him, as well as Maria (immigration), Cherry (benefits) and Lisa (employment). I have my own desk with my own stationery, and an IT consultant was there to set up my laptop to access the LAN on my first day. They couldn’t have been more welcoming if they tried.

My main focus will be on RAD clients referred to me by the advice workers, but I will be working on some cases with the solicitors as and when required. So the next 18 months should prove to be an interesting experience. Things have been hampered a little because of the impending Christmas period and also because I’m still covering advice surgeries for RAD, but hopefully once a new advice worker is recruited, things should ease up a bit.

All in all, I’m one happy bunny.