With the constant pressure to keep up with streams of complicated information, terminology, and concepts, studying at university is hard enough. For Deaf students, this task is all the more demanding, as terminology often doesn’t even exist in their language, and they find it difficult to discuss complex concepts with even their closest coursemates. It is no surprise therefore that these students often feel that higher education excludes them from critical conversations.
“For Deaf students in schools and universities, accessibility is crucial because education is where we learn to understand topics in more depth” explains Kristers Lukins, a Deaf first year Politics student at the University of Edinburgh, “if these conversations are not accessible, Deaf students are excluded from learning and opportunities to get involved.”
However, one Deaf researcher at the University of Edinburgh is especially determined to tackle this issue in science education. Dr Audrey Cameron, a Chancellor’s Fellow, manages the Scottish Sensory Centre’s BSL Glossary project. This project involves a team of sign experts who develop new signs in British Sign Language (BSL) to improve Deaf students understanding of conversations within the scientific community.
“I have a degree, a PhD, and a Post Doctorate in Chemistry, but when I was learning we did not have interpreters” explains Dr Cameron, who uses BSL to communicate. “In class, I had to copy other people’s notes and could not discuss what we were learning about with others. I was basically self-taught.”
From her experience, Dr Cameron understands the barriers that Deaf students face in education and was determined to make a difference. “I knew that even small changes would have a big impact” she explains.
The project officially began in 2007, when funding from the Scottish government allowed the development of signs in physics, biology, and chemistry. However, the University’s relationship with Deaf inclusion and education started in 1975 with Dr Mary Brennan, a linguist at Moray House whose research focused on BSL.
“She made people recognise that BSL was not just a series of gestures, it was actually a language.” Dr Cameron explains, “back in the 1880s, Deaf children were expected to acquire spoken language to fit in with a hearing society, so sign language was banned. By the time the idea of offering students access to bilingual education resurfaced in the 1980s, the development of signs had not taken place with the development of science. This is why we have these gaps.”
In 2004, alongside a Deaf mathematician, Dr Brennan conducted a pilot study developing 90 signs for mathematical terms. Now, Dr Cameron emphasises how far this research has come. “We started the project with only seven of us, and now we have a team of 46, as more people want to get involved.”
“Within the team, we have different subject areas that we call on depending on the scientific area we are focusing on. It is through discussion and conversation that we then develop these signs.”
Recently, the project has gained national media attention, as Dr Cameron and her colleagues developed 400 new signs for environmental science terms. Funded by the Royal Society, an independent scientific academy, the project aims to facilitate more conversations around climate change.
Kristers explains the impact of this, “I usually need a BSL interpreter to fully take part in in depth discussions like this. However, interpreters are not always available and when they are, there is often a lack of BSL terminology related to climate change. Because of this, we sometimes have to rely on context to understand what is being said, which can make conversations harder to follow and less engaging.”
Importantly, the signs are not a literal translation of the words, as this would not convey the actual meaning. Dr Cameron explains, “it would be so easy if we just took generic signs and put them together, but this would not be helpful. We spend a long time considering the actual meaning of these terms, and when we develop signs, we follow the concept. For carbon footprint we don’t use an actual footprint that you would see in the snow because it would suggest it has something to do with physically walking. Instead, we need to show that a footprint is what is released into the atmosphere.” Following this, Dr Cameron draws attention to a bilingual article published in The Conversation, which discusses in depth the development and meaning behind 10 of these signs.
The team are hoping that these signs will improve Deaf students’ ability to participate in higher education, and Kristers agrees that “having BSL terminology would help Deaf people understand complex ideas more clearly and talk about them more confidently. It would also make discussions feel more equal, rather than always having to rely on guesswork. For Deaf students, this could encourage more involvement in climate related discussions, and even research and activism.”
However, the teams’ momentum extends well beyond climate change. Over lockdown, they worked tirelessly to develop 500 signs for data and computer science and hope to use these to develop signs around Artificial Intelligence (AI) with support from the Royal Society.
“We want to put Deaf people in a place where they can make informed decisions and consent to the use of AI, which they can only do if they have access to the language and understanding that goes with it” Dr Cameron explains. Therefore, this project is not only about inclusion, but also about the safety and security of the Deaf community.
With its history at Moray House, the University of Edinburgh plays a significant role when it comes to accessibility, development, and research. However, more can still be done to support Deaf students within our community.
Kristers muses, “there is support available, but there are still challenges around accessibility that make studying more stressful. More consistent access to BSL interpreters and good quality captioning would help a lot. Universities should include Deaf students when planning accessibility, rather than making decisions without our input. Raising awareness among staff and students about Deaf accessibility would also make a difference.”
These issues underscore the vital importance of the research teams’ continued efforts, and Dr Cameron repeatedly credits all those who have contributed many creative ideas to this project. Recognising the barriers that Deaf students continue to face is therefore crucial for improving inclusion and accessibility in higher education.
Photo provided by Dr Audrey Cameron for The Student