Employment Employment Trends: Trends:

Creating the Deaf Creating the Deaf PoundPound

& Threatening the & Threatening the Sign Language Sign Language

CommunityCommunityDr Tyron WoolfeDr Tyron Woolfe

BDA Conference 2006BDA Conference 2006

The Deficit/Repair ModelThe Deficit/Repair Model

Poor Achievement

HELP!

OrganisationsContinued

Apathy

Reduced Political Campaign, often reactive

than proactive

Inadequate Development

Service Led Service Led OrganisationsOrganisations

• Organisational activity Organisational activity and Governmentand Government

• 10yr. plan to not be 10yr. plan to not be needed any more?needed any more?

• Within or outside? Within or outside? Statutory and Voluntary Statutory and Voluntary employmentemployment

• Deaf people are Deaf people are working in these working in these organisationsorganisations

• A hidden political A hidden political agenda?agenda?

Deaf-related BusinessesDeaf-related Businesses

ProsPros Positive messagePositive message Control of own destinyControl of own destiny Creates employmentCreates employment Some are truly doing a great job and Some are truly doing a great job and

supporting the Deaf Community, e.g. supporting the Deaf Community, e.g. Deafworks, Remark!, NCADeafworks, Remark!, NCA

Sends a message that questions the Sends a message that questions the validity of mainstreaming all Deaf validity of mainstreaming all Deaf childrenchildren

PlatformPlatform

ConsCons

Sustains the repair work neededSustains the repair work needed Lack of IIPLack of IIP Capitalises on society’s problemsCapitalises on society’s problems Does not solve thingsDoes not solve things Threatening BDA’s existence – Threatening BDA’s existence –

membership?membership? Gives message that Deaf can Gives message that Deaf can onlyonly work work

within the Deaf spherewithin the Deaf sphere Do teachers tell deaf children about these Do teachers tell deaf children about these

career paths?career paths?

Communication Services for the Deaf, Communication Services for the Deaf, Inc (CSD)Inc (CSD) ““CSD gives back to the community by CSD gives back to the community by

sponsoring several hundred national, state sponsoring several hundred national, state and local conferences, organizations, and local conferences, organizations, agencies, associations and miscellaneous agencies, associations and miscellaneous events as well as providing and subsidizing events as well as providing and subsidizing some specific direct services identified by some specific direct services identified by the various local communities to increase the various local communities to increase self-esteem, social skills, communication self-esteem, social skills, communication skills, independence, well-being, self-skills, independence, well-being, self-sufficiency and productivity because we sufficiency and productivity because we firmly believe that it is important to give firmly believe that it is important to give back to the communities we serve.back to the communities we serve.

Forest BookshopForest Bookshop

Father Cyril ExampleFather Cyril Example HIV/AIDS edition exampleHIV/AIDS edition example Employment of Deaf peopleEmployment of Deaf people

mousemousepledgepledge ““Mouse promises that every year we will Mouse promises that every year we will

put a proportion of any profits we make put a proportion of any profits we make back into the Deaf community. All back into the Deaf community. All clients who are registered with us will clients who are registered with us will have an opportunity to say where they have an opportunity to say where they think all the money should go, by voting think all the money should go, by voting from a shortlist in our annual poll”from a shortlist in our annual poll”

www.mousemouse.com www.mousemouse.com

Thoughts on profitsThoughts on profits Should BSL-related businesses be more Should BSL-related businesses be more

explicit about where their money goes to?explicit about where their money goes to? ““Its ok, lots of businesses are ruthless and Its ok, lots of businesses are ruthless and

money-making….we should be the same”money-making….we should be the same” ““Hang on a minute, your money is Hang on a minute, your money is

because of the existence of Deaf people!”because of the existence of Deaf people!” ““Hang on a minute, your profit is because Hang on a minute, your profit is because

of an inadequate system!”of an inadequate system!” ““Hang on a minute, your profit is because Hang on a minute, your profit is because

the BDA campaigned for BSL recognition the BDA campaigned for BSL recognition for so many years”for so many years”

TITHETITHE

You get what you pay for….

Capitalism is Capitalism is everywhere!everywhere!

GAP, McDonalds, etc do it, so why GAP, McDonalds, etc do it, so why can’t we?can’t we?

Dept of Trade and Industry Dept of Trade and Industry WANTSWANTS it! it! Keep the repair work needed, which Keep the repair work needed, which

means more people in employment, means more people in employment, which means more tax for the which means more tax for the Government?! Government?!

Isn’t it a lot cheaper than stopping the Isn’t it a lot cheaper than stopping the damage?damage?

Deaf business Deaf business growth and BDAgrowth and BDA

Membership OrganisationMembership Organisation Creation of an Underclass Reduced voluntary efforts by skilled Deaf leaders Criticism rather than support Lack of sponsorship/membership BDA has had to become business-thinking rather than

charitable BDA’s long campaign for BSL recognition is not

appreciated by businesses that make income from BSL Everyone is too busy doing free lance/contract work, Everyone is too busy doing free lance/contract work,

and Deaf children still arrive at the desk at the age of and Deaf children still arrive at the desk at the age of 16 with varied needs.16 with varied needs.

Brain DrainBrain Drain

TheThe PINKPINK PoundPound

How the Gay community used to be How the Gay community used to be cohesive and low-keycohesive and low-key

Gay businesses – mortgages, Gay businesses – mortgages, solicitors, caterers, solicitors, caterers,

Pride eventsPride events SponsorshipSponsorship Charities, community and businessesCharities, community and businesses

Where does the Where does the DeafDeaf Pound go?Pound go?

Sustaining the deficit Sustaining the deficit modelmodel

Some really incompetent interpreters out Some really incompetent interpreters out there, some working in education and adding there, some working in education and adding to the problemto the problem

WhoWho teaches these courses? teaches these courses? WhoWho is teaching deaf children BSL? is teaching deaf children BSL? Hearing “communicators”Hearing “communicators” Who is sustaining a system that ensures that Who is sustaining a system that ensures that

deaf children who need “help” at the age of 16?deaf children who need “help” at the age of 16? How many Deaf people teach deaf children How many Deaf people teach deaf children

compared to hearing students?compared to hearing students?

Access to Work fundAccess to Work fund

AtW campaignAtW campaign AgenciesAgencies AtW working? No! AtW the answer? AtW working? No! AtW the answer?

No!No! Abuse of AtW and DLA too Abuse of AtW and DLA too And what about the double message And what about the double message

here – Education and here – Education and interpreters/communicators?? interpreters/communicators??

DWP BSL Initiatives DWP BSL Initiatives FundFund

What the What the hellhell went wrong????!!!! went wrong????!!!! The average person in the street still The average person in the street still

has not got a clue on what is BSLhas not got a clue on what is BSL UKCOD and BDA’s fall outUKCOD and BDA’s fall out Splitting of the Deaf communitySplitting of the Deaf community And all for what??? £1.5million?And all for what??? £1.5million? WHY didn’t we say “NO!” ?WHY didn’t we say “NO!” ?

In-Vision Interpreting..In-Vision Interpreting..

Where is the Deaf leadership?Where is the Deaf leadership? Why has it got out of hand?Why has it got out of hand? Why can’t many people read Why can’t many people read

subtitles?subtitles? READ!READ! Negative effects of in-vision Negative effects of in-vision

interpretinginterpreting Sign Language Channel not Sign Language Channel not

progressed? EUD?progressed? EUD?

Employment trendsEmployment trends Deaf BME females Deaf BME females

(GLDA problem before)(GLDA problem before) University Graduates University Graduates Mental Health Support Mental Health Support

workersworkers Classroom Assistants Classroom Assistants

(even CSWs in some (even CSWs in some places!?)places!?)

OfficersOfficers Employment AdvisorsEmployment Advisors In-vision signersIn-vision signers Last resort jobsLast resort jobs

Deaf CEOsDeaf CEOs Deaf ManagersDeaf Managers Deaf interpreting Deaf interpreting

agenciesagencies Deaf TeachersDeaf Teachers Deaf Directors (e.g. Deaf Directors (e.g.

BDA)BDA) Deaf ArtistsDeaf Artists Deaf EditorsDeaf Editors Deaf PsychologistsDeaf Psychologists Deaf ResearchersDeaf Researchers Deaf LecturersDeaf Lecturers

BBC2 Soundproof BBC2 Soundproof (Blast!)(Blast!)

Who taught them sign language?Who taught them sign language? Who decided to go ahead with this Who decided to go ahead with this

film?film?

But on the other hand…But on the other hand…

““Deaf know best, they should be Deaf know best, they should be working in these fields rather than working in these fields rather than Hearing”Hearing”

““Deaf are the best teachers”Deaf are the best teachers” ““It is more comfortable to work in a It is more comfortable to work in a

Deaf environment” – who are we Deaf environment” – who are we kidding? An easy route for some – kidding? An easy route for some – “I’ll just work in the Deaf field”“I’ll just work in the Deaf field”

The need for a Platform, the BDA

What What should should we be we be

aiming aiming for?for?

CRITICAL MASSCRITICAL MASS

HOW?HOW?

GCSE BSLGCSE BSL = critical mass= critical mass INCREASED MEMBERSHIP = INCREASED MEMBERSHIP =

critical masscritical mass INCREASED DONATIONS = critical INCREASED DONATIONS = critical

massmass MORE IIP = critical massMORE IIP = critical mass MONEY INWARDS RATHER THAN MONEY INWARDS RATHER THAN

OUTWARDS = critical massOUTWARDS = critical mass GREATER RELATIONS = critical GREATER RELATIONS = critical

massmass

Concluding remarksConcluding remarks Recognise and address the inconsistenciesRecognise and address the inconsistencies Both in education and employmentBoth in education and employment Would this be the end of deaf-related Would this be the end of deaf-related

businesses in future?businesses in future? Glass ceiling of todayGlass ceiling of today Deaf organisations to campaign more, and Deaf organisations to campaign more, and

repair less unless Government Fundedrepair less unless Government Funded Double messagesDouble messages Society’s value of deaf related employmentSociety’s value of deaf related employment Parallels with Black Movement and Parallels with Black Movement and

Minority LanguagesMinority Languages