Latest updates
20th November 2008
Signs of the future: BSL (British Sign Language) video from Citizens Advice
National charity, Citizens Advice launched today its first ever
YouTube advice video for the deaf community.
Signed in British Sign Language (BSL) and with subtitles, by a
profoundly deaf CAB advisor Ernesto Bueno Del Carpio, the four
minute film is a basic introduction into what Citizens Advice
does and how it can help advise on debt or discrimination
issues.
Ernesto Bueno Del Carpio, who is based at Wolverhampton CAB
said, "This video is an important step in reaching the Deaf
community, who do not necessarily get access to advice from
broadcast mediums such as radio and TV. We made this film
because we wanted to make sure the Citizens Advice Service had a
presence on the internet and specifically for the deaf
community."
In the video, Ernesto talks about general debt advice and how to
find your local Citizens Advice Bureau. He also talks about the
difficulties some people in the deaf community experience in
getting advice, particularly on discrimination, "A lot of deaf
people have no promotion prospects - they spend many years in
the same role. Very often I see deaf clients who are frustrated
in the work place. They face discrimination as employers refuse
to provide a sign language interpreter. Some deaf people do not
know it is their right under the disability discrimination Act
that an employer should provide access to meetings, training
courses."
Citizens Advice is committed to making its services of free,
independent impartial advice available to as many people around
England and Wales. Many bureaux have a mini com service and over
300 have an induction loop facility. Citizens Advice also
manages the FIF Disability Project. This is a partnership with
Royal National Institute for Deaf People, Royal National
Institute for the Blind, Contact a Family and Mencap. This
provides specialist face-to-face debt advice for clients,
including home visits and support on the telephone and email
facilities for deaf or hard of hearing clients. While a
permanent signing interpreter may not be present in a bureau,
many offer access to a signed language interpreter.
Ali Harris, Programme Manager: Equality and Diversity, said, "It
is important that Deaf people and those with hearing impairments
feel able to use their local bureau and get advice - whatever
their problem. We hope this YouTube video will help that
happen".
Cheryl Cullen, director of employment, training and skills
services, RNID, said,: "Communication barriers and difficulty
accessing education, training and services mean people with
hearing loss can struggle to manage their money - with knock-on
effects on their job prospects and likelihood of falling into
debt.
"Many mainstream financial literacy-training programmes are
inaccessible to deaf and hard of hearing people due to language
or communication barriers. The technical vocabulary often used
can be difficult to translate into sign language and can create
extra difficulties for those who don't have English as their
first language."
The video, which is launched on YouTube today, will be available
on the Citizens
Advice corporate website.
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/what_we_do_how_we_help. It
will also be available to send via mobile phone from the Youtube
website.