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this is aberdeen - news, entertainment, jobs, homes and cars
Parents of deaf children in the North-east have a new aid to help them communicate with their youngsters.
A Dvd specially devised for them uses the Aberdeen "dialect" form of sign language.
Now parents can learn signs which are unique to this part of Scotland.
For example, the signed form of "television" is different here compared to the Glasgow area, which in turn is different from other cities.
The DVD was developed by Robert Gordon University's Laura Muir after the idea was first put forward by Kathleen Cameron, who is deaf.
She is a member of a project committee which represents all deaf groups in the city.
With cash from the council, they approached Laura, an Information Management lecturer.
She created the DVD as a spin-off from her recently completed PhD research into video communications for deaf people.
Laura said: "Contrary to the opinion that British Sign Language is a universal language, there is actually a great deal of regional variation of signs, even across Scotland.
"I was asked to develop a video which could be used by the hearing parents of young deaf children, to enable them to communicate in the Aberdeen regional variation of BSL.
"But this is definitely not a Doric version of sign language.
"Doric is very much a spoken language.
"The regional variations on our DVD are part of the local deaf culture which deaf people are rightly very proud of."
Kathleen Cameron did the signing for the DVD while Evelyn McRobbie provided the voice-over.
And the video is doing well.
After an initial run of 50, another 100 copies have since been requested by Aberdeen City Council for distribution in schools
Parents of deaf children in the North-east have a new aid to help them communicate with their youngsters.
A Dvd specially devised for them uses the Aberdeen "dialect" form of sign language.
Now parents can learn signs which are unique to this part of Scotland.
For example, the signed form of "television" is different here compared to the Glasgow area, which in turn is different from other cities.
The DVD was developed by Robert Gordon University's Laura Muir after the idea was first put forward by Kathleen Cameron, who is deaf.
She is a member of a project committee which represents all deaf groups in the city.
With cash from the council, they approached Laura, an Information Management lecturer.
She created the DVD as a spin-off from her recently completed PhD research into video communications for deaf people.
Laura said: "Contrary to the opinion that British Sign Language is a universal language, there is actually a great deal of regional variation of signs, even across Scotland.
"I was asked to develop a video which could be used by the hearing parents of young deaf children, to enable them to communicate in the Aberdeen regional variation of BSL.
"But this is definitely not a Doric version of sign language.
"Doric is very much a spoken language.
"The regional variations on our DVD are part of the local deaf culture which deaf people are rightly very proud of."
Kathleen Cameron did the signing for the DVD while Evelyn McRobbie provided the voice-over.
And the video is doing well.
After an initial run of 50, another 100 copies have since been requested by Aberdeen City Council for distribution in schools
