Liam thrilled to be developing signs for science

A UNIVERSITY of Dundee student has developed new sign language for specialist biological terms currently missing from formal British Sign Language (BSL).

Liam Mcmulkin, a second-year life sciences student, who has been deaf since birth, came up with the idea after becoming frustrated at the lack of complex scientific terms in BSL.

BSL is used by approximately 87,000 people across the UK but the scientific lexicon effectively stops at advanced higher level/A-level in school, meaning complex terms used in cutting-edge research have to be spelled out to deaf students.

The current finger-spelling of ‘deoxyribonucleotide’ and ‘deoxyribonucleoside’ means that the difference between each term is only made clear at the end, making them both confusing and potentially hazardous to students conducting experiments.

Liam said: “I am delighted to be able to develop signs which can improve science for BSL users, terms which I need to use every day.

“Being a deaf student can be challenging but I am thrilled to have the opportunity to meet world-leading scientists from across the university and develop signs which may make a significant difference to anyone dreaming of learning and leading in the sciences.”

Liam’s summer project is being funded by a Gurdon/Company of Biologists Summer Studentship from the British Society for Developmental Biology. Alongside his communications support worker Anne Whittaker, Liam is developing more than 100 new signs that will be reviewed at a national conference and may be adopted into BSL afterwards.

The conference will be held in the university’s Dalhousie Building next Tuesday and Thursday. Anyone interested in attending can register online at uod.ac.uk/2h1JzFl.

Liam Mcmulkin