Miss-Delectable
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Deaf pupils need support - Letters, Opinion - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Human Rights are universal and we will all benefit, both individually and as a society, from the proposed Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.
Deaf people are among those most isolated in our society, particularly when it comes to education. A survey in 2006 showed that 48.4% of hearing impaired pupils attain five or more GCSEs compared with 64.4% of their hearing peers, and 30.8% of hearing impaired pupils attain two or more A- levels compared with 44.8% of their hearing peers. We also send 40% of deaf 11-year-olds to schools in Dublin or England to pursue their education.
What right to family life do they have if they cannot access an education of choice in Northern Ireland and are forced to live apart from family? What choices does a deaf student have in terms of employment and training if their range of subjects at GCSE or A-level is limited to when an interpreter or communication support worker is available?
A strong framework of rights for all, which provides protection for the most vulnerable, is the mark of a civilised society and one which can allow all to achieve their potential.
The advice on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland handed over from the Human Rights Commission to the Secretary of State this week has the capacity to deliver that and it is to be hoped that there will be a positive response from him to it.
Pam Tilson
Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People, Belfast
Human Rights are universal and we will all benefit, both individually and as a society, from the proposed Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.
Deaf people are among those most isolated in our society, particularly when it comes to education. A survey in 2006 showed that 48.4% of hearing impaired pupils attain five or more GCSEs compared with 64.4% of their hearing peers, and 30.8% of hearing impaired pupils attain two or more A- levels compared with 44.8% of their hearing peers. We also send 40% of deaf 11-year-olds to schools in Dublin or England to pursue their education.
What right to family life do they have if they cannot access an education of choice in Northern Ireland and are forced to live apart from family? What choices does a deaf student have in terms of employment and training if their range of subjects at GCSE or A-level is limited to when an interpreter or communication support worker is available?
A strong framework of rights for all, which provides protection for the most vulnerable, is the mark of a civilised society and one which can allow all to achieve their potential.
The advice on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland handed over from the Human Rights Commission to the Secretary of State this week has the capacity to deliver that and it is to be hoped that there will be a positive response from him to it.
Pam Tilson
Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People, Belfast