'Deaf learner drivers need more support'

BBC News

7 days ago

Deaf campaigners have called on the government to help make learning to drive more inclusive, as figures reveal there are no British Sign Language (BSL) qualified driving examiners anywhere across Britain.Official figures showed in 2023-2024 that 38.71% of profoundly deaf learners passed their practical test first time, compared with almost 50% of those who could hear.Sammey Ahmed, from Birmingham, who is deaf, passed his test in 2019, but said communication could be major barrier when learning.He benefited from a scheme run by the charity Deaf World, an organisation that supports young deaf people in the West Midlands.
Its road safety project 1st Gear helps learners get up to 25 hours of driving experience under the guidance of qualified BSL interpreters.Mr Ahmed followed that up by booking extra driving lessons with a standard instructor, but he said it had not always been a smooth ride.
"It really is [difficult]. The driving instructors are hearing, so the main barrier we face is communication," he said."If I want to learn in-depth knowledge or specific areas of driving, I'm limited to basic gestures. So it really is quite frustrating."'There is a lot of deaf people who don't have their driving licence, they feel quite isolated because of that."Mr Ahmed now works for Deaf World as a youth officer, supporting the work of the charity.The Royal National Institute for Deaf People said learning to drive could be crucial for many of those it worked with.Teri Devine from the charity said: "Deaf people are the same as everyone else. They want to go out and do things that they enjoy and want to be involved. "For deaf people, the biggest barrier is lack of access. It's society that disables a person."
For the theory test, the DVSA makes BSL interpreters available for candidates to book. And in recent weeks, a BSL translation tool has been introduced to the booking website in what it said was a government first.Many permanently deaf adults have low literacy levels, as reading is based on spoken language, meaning they rely almost entirely on BSL.The DVSA said extra support had been provided in 1,128,178 theory tests taken between April 2024 and March 2025,Of this, 1,832 were taken with BSL on-screen and 363 were taken with a BSL interpreter.The practical test is more of a challenge. At the moment, many learners rely on an interpreter who they are allowed to bring with them in the vehicle as well as the examiner, but communication can still be difficult.
For Mr Ahmed, learning to drive has allowed him to meet his friends and take part in cricket sessions."In my free time I can come here [to the cricket nets], that's why being able to drive is so important," he said."The deaf community experience an increased percentage of isolation, with deaf people more likely to stay at home. "It's helped me by giving me options of places to go - without being able to drive, it would be so much more difficult. "The idea of public transport is not enough for the deaf community."In a statement, the DVSA said anyone who met the required standard could pass the driving test regardless of disability and it encouraged people to disclose their needs so reasonable adjustments could be made.The DVSA added that if a candidate needed to pay a fee for an interpreter in the practical test, it would reimburse the cost.
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