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Degrees of communication

What would it be like if your university was a 'deaf world', with everyone signing? Would it be better than a mixed one with interpreters? With the help of the Jack Ashley Millennium Award scheme, our roving reporter Radha went to the US to find an answer.

No barriers

Gallaudet University in Washington DC has 2000 pupils, and even the security staff can sign. Radha Menjeshwar was 'in awe' when she realised that there were no communication barriers. 'It felt so good,' she says.

Radha's own university, Wolverhampton, is quite different. Wolverhampton University has more deaf students than any other higher education institution in Britain, and was the first university to run a degree in BSL/English interpreting. But, unlike at Gallaudet, you need an interpreter for lectures and you have to book them in advance.

However, Wolverhampton does have a Communication Support Unit whose staff specialise in various modes of communication. As well as interpreters, deaf students have access to lip-speakers, note-takers, English support tutorials, study skills tutorials and technical tutorials taught in BSL. Wolverhampton is unique in having modules in English for deaf learners.

Via webcam, Gallaudet student Emilio Insolera gave his verdict on the different systems:

'I came to England and visited universities here,' he says. 'I thought the curriculum and the technology were good, but the problem was that the classes weren't taught in sign language. It's important to go to a deaf university first and learn about the Deaf community and develop language skills to empower myself more.'

Standards and social life

But how do educational standards compare? Radha thinks a Gallaudet degree is of a much lower standard. 'To be honest, the deaf-studies sessions I did at Gallaudet felt like GCSE level,' Radha says. 'They were dead easy compared to what it's like at university level.'

Also, the social life in Washington was a bit of a shock – buying alcohol is illegal if you're under 21. And there seemed to be little spontaneity – social events all seemed arranged in advance. In Wolverhampton, in contrast, it's 'party all night!'. In general, she felt that at Wolverhampton students are treated as adults, whereas at Gallaudet they're treated as children. But she didn't know whether this was a general cultural difference between the two countries or because Gallaudet is just for deaf people.

One other problem with Gallaudet could be that it doesn't prepare you very well for the reality of life after education: Radha says that ex- students told her they had a 'huge culture shock' when they left.

But despite these reservations, Radha believes there should be a deaf university in the UK, where students can study within a Deaf community and communicate as freely as hearing people can in a mainstream university.

A personal choice

Choosing a university is a personal thing, and the best advice is to go and get a feel for a place by visiting first, meeting members of the university's Deaf community and checking out whether the facilities suit you.