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Deaf Studies Centre Launched (from This Is Lancashire)
The country's first international centre of excellence in deaf studies is opened at the University of Central Lancashire today.
The International Centre for Sign Language and Deaf Studies (iSLanDS) will conduct research to document many global sign languages for the first time, as well as develop programmes to provide deaf students in developing countries with the same higher education opportunities as the UK deaf students it will engage with.
iSLanDS director, Professor Ulrike Zeshan, said: "With around 80 per cent of the worldwide deaf population living in developing countries, the official opening of iSLanDS is a major step towards bringing higher standards of education to some of the most disadvantaged deaf students in the world, while at the same time offering enhanced courses to students here.
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"People tend to be unaware that there isn't just a single, universal world sign language, and we feel immense pride that this groundbreaking centre has been set up by UCLan, keeping us at the forefront of cutting-edge research and development in the field."
In a ceremony to mark the opening of iSLanDS, the vice president of the World Federation of the Deaf, Feliciano Sola Limia gave a keynote speech highlighting the centre's potential to dictate Government policy on deaf issues and deaf education in Britain and beyond.
He said: "Those of us striving to ensure that deaf people everywhere receive the education and representation we need can only welcome a new institution which seeks to shed new light on the variations among the world's sign languages."
iSLanDS will be staffed primarily by deaf academics and researchers and the centre aims to attract visitors from different communities all over the world to ensure that their deaf populations can benefit from its innovative research, even if economic or social constraints prevent them from studying at UCLan in person.
The country's first international centre of excellence in deaf studies is opened at the University of Central Lancashire today.
The International Centre for Sign Language and Deaf Studies (iSLanDS) will conduct research to document many global sign languages for the first time, as well as develop programmes to provide deaf students in developing countries with the same higher education opportunities as the UK deaf students it will engage with.
iSLanDS director, Professor Ulrike Zeshan, said: "With around 80 per cent of the worldwide deaf population living in developing countries, the official opening of iSLanDS is a major step towards bringing higher standards of education to some of the most disadvantaged deaf students in the world, while at the same time offering enhanced courses to students here.
advertisement
"People tend to be unaware that there isn't just a single, universal world sign language, and we feel immense pride that this groundbreaking centre has been set up by UCLan, keeping us at the forefront of cutting-edge research and development in the field."
In a ceremony to mark the opening of iSLanDS, the vice president of the World Federation of the Deaf, Feliciano Sola Limia gave a keynote speech highlighting the centre's potential to dictate Government policy on deaf issues and deaf education in Britain and beyond.
He said: "Those of us striving to ensure that deaf people everywhere receive the education and representation we need can only welcome a new institution which seeks to shed new light on the variations among the world's sign languages."
iSLanDS will be staffed primarily by deaf academics and researchers and the centre aims to attract visitors from different communities all over the world to ensure that their deaf populations can benefit from its innovative research, even if economic or social constraints prevent them from studying at UCLan in person.