Latest news with #BritishSignLanguage
Leader Live
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Circus Starr to perform at Wrexham Memorial Hall on June 7
Circus Starr will perform twice at Wrexham Memorial Hall on Saturday, June 7. The non-profit organisation's shows are designed especially for children who are disabled, have additional learning needs, or are disadvantaged. This year, the non-profit organisation will also be ensuring that each of its shows is signed in British Sign Language. The volume at shows is lowered, lights are toned down, and sensory packs are offered as appropriate to suit Circus Starr's audience. Free tickets are also sometimes offered. This year's production will see the return of ring mistress Mariska Gandey and Brazilian clown Lucas. Joining them on stage will be Nula Hula, with her sensory hoop act, and Duo Opa, who will make their Circus Starr debut with a skating act. Fundraising director Michelle Crossley said: "We love sharing our fun events with those who usually miss out. READ MORE: Connah's Quay dentist to open in Flintshire in September Wrexham man loses seven stone in Slimming World journey "Whilst our show is very visual, it is important to us that those who are deaf can enjoy the performance in its entirety, and we are proud to have the interpreters at each of our shows to help make that possible. "Thank you so much to the kind businesses that help us continue our valuable work." Circus Starr relies on donations. The performances at Wrexham Memorial Hall on Saturday, June 7 will be at 1.30pm and 4pm.
The Courier
a day ago
- The Courier
Dundee motorist who tried to hit police with BMW jailed for five years
A profoundly deaf criminal who endangered the lives of two police officers by trying to hit them with a BMW in Dundee has been jailed for five years. George Drinnan, 39, repeatedly tried to strike PCs Matthew Rhind and Younis Yaqub at Americanmuir Road on February 6 2023. The High Court in Edinburgh heard how, at the time, the repeat offender was disqualified from driving and had no insurance. Drinnan – who was found guilty off the offences at proceedings at the High Court in Stirling earlier this year – appeared before judge Lady Tait on Friday. She heard submissions from defence advocate George Gebbie, who told how his client's deafness will affect his ability to communicate with others while behind bars. However, Lady Tait told Drinnan – who had the help of a British Sign Language interpreter to understand proceedings – he needed to go to prison for his crimes. She said: 'The circumstances of these offences mean that the only appropriate sentence is a custodial one. 'The court must seek to deter such offending behaviour.' Drinnan, from Dundee, was originally charged with attempted murder but was convicted of assault to danger of life following a trial. At the start of the trial Drinnan's co-accused, 53-year-old Paul Coombs – also aided by a BSL interpreter – pled guilty to a dangerous driving offence committed during the same incident and driving without insurance and while disqualified. He admitted reversing and striking a parked car, causing it to hit another vehicle, then driving at speed towards a parked police car. Lady Tait previously banned Coombs from driving for a total of six years and imprisoned him for 18 months. On Friday, the court heard Drinnan has previous convictions for dishonesty, driving without insurance and driving whilst disqualified. Mr Gebbie told Lady Tait: 'He is unable to communicate with people who aren't skilled in sigh language. 'This will affect his ability to communicate with others, this will affect his ability to interact with others prisoners.' Lady Tait also banned Drinnan from driving for seven years.
Metro
3 days ago
- General
- Metro
I couldn't train my deaf puppy so I taught him sign language
Sukie Green had waited her whole life to get a puppy, so when she brought home eight-week-old Billie, she was overjoyed. As he settled into her London home, the whippet-poodle cross proved to be seriously hard work. All puppies are a handful, she knew, but Billie just wouldn't take instruction, and Sukie found him impossible to control. 'I thought he was an absolute bugger. He didn't listen or respond to training and praise,' the 57-year-old from South East London tells Metro. Despite Sukie watching hours of online puppy training videos on YouTube and trying to implement the strategies, Billie would nip at ankles, steal shoes, and roundly attack the family's nine-year-old cat, George. Sukie felt like she was getting nowhere, and it wasn't until early November 2024 when, after three weeks of failed efforts, the penny dropped. That night, fireworks had been making a racket outside their windows all evening, but Billie had shown no response. Sukie knew that most dogs were usually reduced to trembling wrecks from the noise, so there must be just one answer: her puppy couldn't hear. 'I clicked that he wouldn't notice anyone coming into the room. He'd have to smell them before he'd realise they were there. If I suddenly clapped behind his head, he wouldn't respond either,' she recalls. A quick trip to the vet confirmed what she already knew: Billie was profoundly deaf. 'I had been shouting at him and would be so frustrated that he wouldn't respond. But now I'm relieved that he couldn't. It wasn't his fault,' says Sukie. 'When I was told he was deaf, I was upset and daunted. But I very quickly got over it and started thinking of other ways to train him.' In a bid to converse with Billie, Sukie, who teaches sign language to babies, figured she could try using the principles of baby signing to get him to follow basic commands. Baby sign language uses simple hand gestures to help babies communicate their needs and wants before they can talk, so Sukie started practising with a few basic commands: 'No', 'Sit' and 'Stay'. Using lots of treats and ensuring Billie was watching her, she was overjoyed when her method, which combines words from Makaton and British Sign Language, started to work. 'Even though I know he can't hear, I speak when I sign because I feel energy comes when you talk. Especially with words like 'no' or 'naughty', which I need for when he's attacking the cat.' While Billie, now 10 months, still doesn't know his own name and won't recall to the sound of Sukie's voice when off lead, he has a whole repertoire of commands which he can understand, with varying degrees of success. Sukie has taught him 'Come', 'Stop', 'Off' and 'Down', and she can ask him if he wants to go outside. He knows 'Lie Down', 'Ball,' and 'Walk' – and 'Good Boy' is a thumbs up. He also understands signs for Henry, Sukie's only son who lives with them, and 'Friend', alongside 'Soon', 'Home' and 'All Gone' – among others. And Billie has picked up a trick used by young babies; a phenomenon called 'shared looking'. Sukie explains: 'Babies naturally do this – they will look at something that interests them – a book or a rattle – and look back at you, back and forth, as if to say, 'I like this'. It's what they do before they can point, from around five months old. Billie started doing this at four months and now does it all the time. He looks at the door or the fridge or the treat cupboard, then looks back at me and keeps at it until I do what he wants – or tell him 'No'.' Sukie uses 'B' to sign his name, although he doesn't need that very often. The training process has been tricky, though, she admits, because Billie doesn't pick up on verbal cues. And he can be vulnerable at the park, failing to clock warning growls and barks from other dogs, while occasionally being difficult to catch. But Sukie has trained a way around this. 'He was off the lead as soon as I was taking him for walks, before I knew he was deaf,' she explains. 'He runs after birds and squirrels, so I trained him to check in on me. Every time he looked at me, I would give him a thumbs up and a small bit of kibble. He checks all the time now. If he loses me, I have to madly wave my arms about. But I've never lost him. More Trending 'There are so many positives to his not being able to hear,' adds Sukie. 'He doesn't bark much and plays extremely well with other dogs – he has a lot of friends.' His lack of response to the doorbell or postman is also an upside. 'Many deaf dogs are up for adoption, as when an owner finds out their puppy is deaf, people immediately think they can't cope,' adds Sukie. 'But I would urge anyone not to worry about it, as deaf dogs are brilliant. 'Billie is a super friendly, happy and calm little dog, and I wouldn't have him any other way. I'm so glad to have him.' MORE: I thought I'd been punched – but three strangers had stabbed me MORE: In a Canadian region tourists often miss, I went in search of grizzly bears MORE: Man 'cooked his Chihuahua puppy to death in oven because it wouldn't stop barking'
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- General
- Glasgow Times
Police confirm plans to dispose of North Glasgow station
Police Scotland confirmed plans to dispose of its Saracen office in Possilpark. The Barloch Street station has not been operational for more than five years, with local community officers and response officers deployed from nearby Maryhill. Residents are being reassured that there will be no change in how incidents are responded to or in the level of service provided to the community. Maryhill police station's front counter is open from 7am to midday Monday to Sunday. Saracen police station was built in 1974 and was designed to meet the needs of policing at the time. According to the force, the building no longer meets the demands or requirements of modern policing. It is also said to not be sufficiently flexible to adapt for how policing may be delivered in the future. READ NEXT: Glasgow City Council criticised over working hours lost to stress The station is in 'poor condition' and would require 'considerable' investment to meet health and safety standards. Area Commander, Chief Inspector Declan Todd explained the move is not a 'withdrawal from the community' but is a step forward in plans to modernise and invest in the police estate. CI Todd said: 'Response officers and community officers covering Saracen and the surrounding areas are already based in Maryhill, meaning there will be no change in how incidents are responded to or in the level of service provided to the community. 'Officers will continue to maintain a visible presence and deliver a high-quality service. In the past, having multiple stations in close proximity was beneficial due to the lack of modern technology. 'Today, officers are fully mobile, equipped with advanced technology, including fleet and mobile devices, allowing them to patrol and respond effectively without relying on a fixed location. 'Our officers spend the majority of their shift out in the community. Saracen and Maryhill are less than three miles apart. 'Maintaining buildings so close together is not necessary or financially sustainable. By merging resources, we can ensure our focus remains on delivering frontline policing and enhancing community safety, rather than retaining underutilised buildings. 'The disposal of Saracen police station is a key part of our ongoing work to improve the police estate. "Outlined in the Estates Masterplan, the West has been identified as a priority area for transformation. 'Disposing of a building that is no longer fit for purpose does not mean a withdrawal from the community, it is a step forward in our plans to modernise and invest in the police estate to meet the needs of policing now and in the future.' READ NEXT: Union warns of strike action at Glasgow Airport this summer For non-emergencies and general enquiries, people are urged to contact 101, and 999 in the event of an emergency. Those who are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing, or cannot communicate via speech are urged to use the text relay service on 18001101. British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact Police Scotland via 999 BSL. In non-emergencies, BSL users can access Contact Scotland BSL.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince William Wants Future King Prince George to Follow in Princess Diana's Footsteps in One Touching Way
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Princess Diana won hearts around the world with her compassion and dedication to charity, and one of her best traits was the ability to relate to people on every level. During an investiture at Windsor Castle this week, Prince William was able to hear from one woman who was touched by a profound gesture the late princess made in 1990—and the story got his wheels turning on an idea for 11-year-old Prince George. The Prince of Wales met teacher Wendy Daunt from the Royal School for the Deaf when he invested her as a member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) at Windsor Castle. Using an interpreter, Daunt was able to share memories of how Princess Diana touched deaf people around the world. "I wanted to tell him how proud the deaf community were of his mother, Princess Diana," Daunt told the BBC, recalling how the late princess attended the 1990 British Deaf Association conference. "She came on stage to receive a book, and she signed in BSL and the deaf people were so amazed and in awe of this," the teacher continued. "A royal person had actually accepted our language. The respect for BSL that she gave, we've kept that all these years and will never forget that." Daunt continued that she made a suggestion for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to "learn to sign." While she noted that Prince William's "face said, 'I'm not sure,'" he did say, "maybe Prince George would like to." The Prince of Wales went on to suggest that Daunt give the 11-year-old prince lessons on British Sign Language (BSL). "Prince William did say that I could teach Prince George BSL," she said. "But I think it would be better for a younger person, a boy of his own age perhaps to teach him football signs. I would like Prince George to be friends with deaf children." Learning BSL would fall in line with one of Princess Kate's goals for her children. During a 2018 encounter with a fan (via Hello!), the princess said her Italian was "so bad" and added, "I have to make sure my children are better than me, that's my aim." For Prince George, it's especially important for him to know multiple languages for his eventual role as King, when he'll regularly interact with global leaders. At the moment, Prince George's school teaches French and Latin, along with Greek as an option for students in year seven and eight (George will enter year eight this fall). The Wales children are also said to know a good bit of Spanish thanks to their Spanish nanny, Maria Borrallo.
