Launch of Trinity College Dublin’s Research Strategy and Charter in Irish Sign Language (ISL)

Interesource Group is proud to have directed and produced the Irish Sign Language (ISL) translation of the TCD Research Charter commissioned by the Office of the Dean of Research. This was launched today at the Douglas Hyde Gallery by Provost Patrick Prendergast and Prof Linda Doyle, Dean and VP of Research. The Living Research Strategy is built on seven principles. It is a living, dynamic document designed to respond and adapt to the ever-changing research landscape. Please visit

https://www.tcd.ie/research/about/charter/

Further information contact: Haaris Sheikh 087 227 0311, or email haaris@interesourcegroup.com

Collaboration with An Garda Síochána and Trinity College Dublin to Pilot new service for Deaf community

Interesource Group is delighted to have collaborated with An Garda Síochána in partnership with the Centre for Deaf Studies, Trinity College Dublin and Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS) has developed a Pilot initiative to support members of the Deaf community attending Cabra and Tralee Garda stations. The scheme was launched on 1st March 2019.

Speaking about this initiative Chief Superintendent Matthew Nyland who heads up the Garda Síochána Human Rights Section said “This initiative is part of the ongoing commitment of An Garda Síochána to respect the human, constitutional, and equality of treatment rights of the Deaf community in Ireland. It aims to provide enhanced access to Garda services for members of the Deaf community in these pilot areas where they will be able to speak and be understood in their own language ‘Irish Sign Language’.”

Further information contact: Haaris Sheikh 087 227 0311, or email haaris@interesourcegroup.com

Irish Sign Language (ISL) finally recognised by the Irish Government

It is difficult to believe that in 1988, Irish MEP Eileen Lemass presented a resolution on sign languages which was unanimously passed in the European parliament recognising the sign languages of member states as official languages. Consecutive Irish Governments had ignored (until today that is) the plight of the Irish Deaf community and need to recognise Irish Sign Language despite many countries affording it the status it truly deserves.

Without legal protections Deaf people face uncertain and limited access to society. From access to education and healthcare, to interpreting standards and television programming, legal recognition will go a long way towards removing barriers that exclude Deaf people on a day-to-day basis. Irish Sign Language has become a keystone for achieving Equality for Deaf people, without which places Deaf people at social, economic, and cultural disadvantage.

But today is not a day to speak or sign in a negative light. A gigantic leap has been made. The Deaf and Irish Sign Language community has received an early Christmas present  as the Irish Government has just passed The Irish Sign Language Bill, presented by Senator Mark Daly, in Dáil Eireann. Another page in Irish history and culture has been written.

In this very short announcement, we are proud to be associated with the Deaf community in which we work and live, and offer our heartiest congratulations to the Irish Deaf Society, the Irish Sign Language Recognition Committee and its Chair Dr. John Bosco Conama from the Centre for Deaf Studies, Trinity College Dublin and of course the Irish Deaf and Sign Language Community who have worked tirelessly to make this day happen.

It is through awareness that knowledge is acquired. It is through knowledge that attitudes shift. It is through attitudes that behaviour changes.

 Please keep tweeting #YestoISL. #ProudOfISL and tag: @haarissheikh @igimedia @IrishDeafSoc @ISLRecognition

---

JUSTISIGNS project comes to a close.

---

It is difficult to believe that some thirty months ago our expert project team met to consider just how JUSTISIGNS would shape up and whether and what we do as a consortium could make a difference to the society in which we live and the communities that we serve.

We have achieved so much in a relatively short period and there is much to be proud of.  JUSTISIGNS has laid a solid foundation for the development of professional skills of sign language interpreters working in legal settings and achieved commendable results, which we recently presented alongside distinguished partners and panelists at the European Parliament on 27th April 2016. Engagement with our stakeholders has been wide, and profound. Contributions from the Deaf community, the interpreting professionals, the police forces and legal professionals from each partner countries has been significant. JUSTISIGNS has grown its own legs and we are confident that the resources that we have collectively produced will bring many benefits well beyond the life-cycle of the project and for many years to come.  JUSTISIGNS represents a further step forward. Our academic partners created cutting-edge and innovative content. efsli and EULITA have engaged in extensive dissemination of information through their networks and social media channels. We also pay tribute to all the professionals who have been involved in developing the various project outputs. Expertise, professional knowledge and invaluable human resources have been the key to the success of JUSTISIGNS. We are grateful for every contribution – whether it was tweeting our results, participating at training events or providing us guidance and support.

I would also like to acknowledge our partners and the teams from:

• Interesource Group (Ireland) Limited
• KU Leuven (Faculty of Arts, Campus Antwerp)
• EULITA, the European Legal Interpreters and Translators Association
• The Centre for Deaf Studies (CDS), Trinity College Dublin
• The University of Applied Sciences for Special Needs Education (HfH, Switzerland)
• Centre for Translation & Interpreting Studies in Scotland (CTISS), Heriot-Watt University

The commitment and capability of the project’s partners have contributed to JUSTISIGNS’ remarkable results. JUSTISIGNS has evolved through a series of events, seminars, workshops and evidence-based research which has guided the development of the training resources. In addition, we are continuing to work with our stakeholders to provide advice and training, we are planning to roll out the JUSTISIGNS course to new territories and we are achieving success in securing presentations at conferences throughout 2016 and 2017.

Some of the other results we now look forward to launching are a series of handbooks for the police forces in all partner countries, a comprehensive online course for legal professionals, interpreters and the deaf community and a research documentary which features experiences of legal professionals, policy makers, educators and the Deaf community. efsli has been working on developing a template of a portfolio of competencies which SLIs can use to record their continuous professional development (CPD) activities, and we look forward to sharing this with you in the very near future.

We hope you will enjoy this short video and find it inspiring with new food for thought for future achievements and ongoing collaboration with us.

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @JUSTISIGNS and do visit the website http://www.justisigns.com

---