Miss-Delectable
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Evening News 24 - Driving school for deaf launched in city
Being deaf presents a range of problems and so a Norwich man who wears hearing aids has made sure learning to drive is not one of them by setting up a sign-language supported driving school.
Graham Briggs started the British Sign Language driving school in 2007 and since then it has gone from strength to strength, with seven deaf people having passed their tests with him and three more currently on the books.
Instructions are given in sign language above the dashboard so that the students can see them in their peripheral vision and do not have to take their eyes off the road, and the signs to be used are agreed before the lesson begins. Mr Briggs also uses pictures to give instructions about car positioning and manoeuvres.
If the situation starts to become dangerous, he signals for the student to bring the car to a halt and then explains what was going wrong in sign language.
He said: “Because I have always been hard of hearing and had hearing aids since I can remember, I can understand some of the problems they have when they are learning to drive, and so I wanted to give something back. It's nice to have someone who can have some empathy with you.”
One of his students, Donna Vallis, 23, who has been profoundly deaf since birth, said: “I wanted to learn to drive so I could have some independence and go wherever I want. Sometimes if the roads are really busy I find it hard to concentrate and get a bit scared, but because Graham can sign it makes things so much easier.”
Miss Vallis, who lives in Rotary House for the Deaf on King Street, has been learning to drive for three-and-a-half-years, and while Mr Briggs feels she would be more than ready to take her practical test, she is unable to do so yet because she has not passed her theory test, having taken it more than 10 times.
Mr Briggs said: “The theory test is particularly difficult for deaf people whose first language is sign language. Donna is fine with the hazard perception section, but the multiple choice questions pose a problem because of the terminology used within the test, and the ambiguity of some of the words. She finds it very frustrating because she is an excellent driver.”
Miss Vallis uses the Highway Code, which has been released in British Sign Language, and a game on her Nintendo DS, and hopes to pass the theory test soon so she can take her practical test, when an examiner will use similar signs to those she has been taught.
For more information about the driving school, visit BSL Driving - Norwich independent driving school .
Last week, the Norfolk Deaf Association held an event at The Forum, Norwich, to raise awareness about the problems deaf people can face in society and the ways they can overcome them.
A befriending service has been set up to provide contact and friendship to people over 50 who suffer from hearing loss who are feeling isolated.
A bus also travels round the county to give advice to people with NHS hearing aids about how to get the best out of them.
Being deaf presents a range of problems and so a Norwich man who wears hearing aids has made sure learning to drive is not one of them by setting up a sign-language supported driving school.
Graham Briggs started the British Sign Language driving school in 2007 and since then it has gone from strength to strength, with seven deaf people having passed their tests with him and three more currently on the books.
Instructions are given in sign language above the dashboard so that the students can see them in their peripheral vision and do not have to take their eyes off the road, and the signs to be used are agreed before the lesson begins. Mr Briggs also uses pictures to give instructions about car positioning and manoeuvres.
If the situation starts to become dangerous, he signals for the student to bring the car to a halt and then explains what was going wrong in sign language.
He said: “Because I have always been hard of hearing and had hearing aids since I can remember, I can understand some of the problems they have when they are learning to drive, and so I wanted to give something back. It's nice to have someone who can have some empathy with you.”
One of his students, Donna Vallis, 23, who has been profoundly deaf since birth, said: “I wanted to learn to drive so I could have some independence and go wherever I want. Sometimes if the roads are really busy I find it hard to concentrate and get a bit scared, but because Graham can sign it makes things so much easier.”
Miss Vallis, who lives in Rotary House for the Deaf on King Street, has been learning to drive for three-and-a-half-years, and while Mr Briggs feels she would be more than ready to take her practical test, she is unable to do so yet because she has not passed her theory test, having taken it more than 10 times.
Mr Briggs said: “The theory test is particularly difficult for deaf people whose first language is sign language. Donna is fine with the hazard perception section, but the multiple choice questions pose a problem because of the terminology used within the test, and the ambiguity of some of the words. She finds it very frustrating because she is an excellent driver.”
Miss Vallis uses the Highway Code, which has been released in British Sign Language, and a game on her Nintendo DS, and hopes to pass the theory test soon so she can take her practical test, when an examiner will use similar signs to those she has been taught.
For more information about the driving school, visit BSL Driving - Norwich independent driving school .
Last week, the Norfolk Deaf Association held an event at The Forum, Norwich, to raise awareness about the problems deaf people can face in society and the ways they can overcome them.
A befriending service has been set up to provide contact and friendship to people over 50 who suffer from hearing loss who are feeling isolated.
A bus also travels round the county to give advice to people with NHS hearing aids about how to get the best out of them.