Adam highlights National Deaf Awareness Week
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NATIONAL Deaf Awareness Week has been highlighted in a parliamentary motion lodged by a north-east MSP.
Karen Adam, who represents Banffshire and Buchan Coast, made history as the first MSP to swear into parliament using British Sign Language (BSL). Adam has previously spoken about having a deaf father and being a BSL user.
The motion seeks to shine a light on the attainment gap that exists between hearing and deaf children and calls on a redoubling of efforts to tackle this barrier on Deaf children from fulfilling their full potential.
Ms Adam said: “Deaf Awareness Week is so important as it gives us all an additional opportunity to boost awareness of the unique challenges faced by deaf communities across the country.
"The theme of this year’s awareness week is inclusion, and is being supported by organisations such as the National Deaf Children’s Society, and others.
“People often seem surprised to learn that I am a child of a deaf adult, or CODA. My dad is deaf so i spent a considerable part of growing up with the deaf community, learning to engage and communicate with deaf people.
“Many of the challenges deaf people face are because so many hearing people are unable to communicate using language like BSL. Although, we seen during lockdown, Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, ensured BSL users were included in all communications and broadcasts when she had BSL interpreters by her side on the screen giving live updates.
“I know this was a tremendous step forward for so many deaf people and normalising the regular use of BSL on television. We need to see more steps like this for inclusion of Deaf people.
“I am delighted to have lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament that for Deaf Awareness Week, shinning a light on the attainment gap that exists between hearing and deaf children. I will continue to use my platform as a politician to do all I can to highlight this as an issue so we can get the positive change that deaf children and adults deserve.”
Ms Adam's motion reads: That the parliament notes that Deaf Awareness Week, which is run by the National Deaf Children's Society, runs between May 2 to May 8, 2022; understands that the week aims to empower children and young people from the deaf community by sharing their personal stories with #MyDeafStory; considers that deaf young people and children face extra barriers in education with a significant education attainment gap between deaf and hearing children and young people; understands that it pledges to work to address this gap, so that all young people can fulfil their full potential, and applauds the work of the National Deaf Children's Society and all volunteers across the sector for their work with the deaf community.
National Deaf Awareness Week runs until May 8.
