Sign language user is helping to shape policy
Grant is heading to Parliament
NICOLA FINDLAY
An East Kilbride member of the deaf community is helping shape the group’s political representation at Holyrood.
Grant Ferguson, who is a deaf British Sign Language (BSL) user, was invited to a workshop at the Scottish Parliament.
His and others’ contributions will help shape initiatives the Scottish Government will bring forward to promote BSL and include deaf citizens in politics and the democratic process.
Grant, from the town’s SNP Disabled Group will attend further meetings and workshops in the months to come.
He told the News: “I was asked to attend Scotland’s Democratic Deficit in Edinburgh which involves the Scottish Parliament as a partner.
“The project aims are to explore the scope of BSL (British Sign Language) users in Scotland and would be the first of its kind in the world.
“BSL participants were invited to discuss the democratic ‘voice’ of BSL users in public life, channel community opinions towards the public authorities, and demonstrate good democratic practice to other institutions, both nationally and internationally.
“Workshops covered areas including the question of why a democratic body representing the signing community would be beneficial and the difficulties the signing community face in having their views considered by the policy makers.”
A further workshop will be held next month in Glasgow to discuss and build on the conclusions of the first.
Grant, who works for a Canadian global IT and business consulting service, added: “Amongst other things we will hear more of the insights and experiences from other cases of under-represented groups such as linguistic minorities or youth.
“After a final workshop in November, we will return to the Scottish parliament to explore how the changes discussed in could be formed into well-defined outcomes and proposals which can then be passed onto the political institutions and decision makers.”
A EK Deaf Club was disbanded a number of years ago, although deaf residents still meet up monthly at the Wetherspoons in the town centre.