Centre for Deaf Studies, Bristol facts for kids

The Centre for Deaf Studies was a special department at the University of Bristol in England. It focused on deaf studies. This field explores the language, community, and culture of Deaf people. The Centre started in 1978. It was believed to be the first place in Europe. It focused only on research and education to help the Deaf community. The Centre helped create the fields of deaf studies and deafhood. It used British Sign Language (BSL) for communication. Most of its teachers were Deaf.

The Centre offered different university courses. These included Bachelor's (BSc) and Master's (MSc) degrees. They also had research degrees like MPhil and PhD. In May 2010, Bristol University decided to close the BSc course. This happened after a campaign by the Centre's supporters failed. By 2013, the university was slowly closing the Centre. This was done by reducing staff.

A Look Back: The Centre's History

The Centre for Deaf Studies began in 1978. Early research looked at how people learned and used BSL. This was the first funded research on BSL in the UK. In 1980, the Centre created the first guide for BSL. They then published the first textbook on the language in 1985.

The Centre also hosted important events. In 1980, they held the first UK National Conference on Sign Language. The next year, they hosted the first International Conference on Sign Language in the UK. They also organized the first International Deaf Researchers Workshop in 1985.

In 1984, the Centre created the term "deaf studies". In 2001, they set up the first professorship in this field. Also in 2001, the Centre hired a Deaf director. This was the first time a European academic centre was led by a Deaf person. In 2003, a book called Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood became popular. It was written by Paddy Ladd, a researcher at the Centre. This book helped spread the term "deafhood", which Ladd had created in 1990.

Exploring Knowledge: What the Centre Researched

Research at the Centre focused on five main areas:

• The language, grammar, and stories of sign language.
• How people learn sign language.
• The community and deaf culture, also known as "deafhood".
• How the mind works and psychology.
• Using technology like video calls and e-learning.

For example, they tested a special audio-visual phone. It was used with the Avon and Somerset Police.

Learning and Helping: Courses and Services

The Centre was a leader in education. In 1981, it offered the first university-level course in BSL. This course was for professionals. In 1985, they started a diploma course. It focused on social science in deaf studies.

Later, in 1987, they began a part-time course. This trained people to interpret sign language. It became a full-time course in 1990. In 1992, the Centre created the first full-time university training program for Deaf people. It was taught in sign language.

In 1993, they started a Diploma of Higher Education. This was the first undergraduate course on deaf studies in the UK. In 1999, the first BSc and MSc degrees in deaf studies followed.

Bristol was one of only a few UK universities. It offered an undergraduate degree in deaf studies. In May 2010, the university announced plans to close this course. This was part of a plan to save money. People campaigned against the closure. They argued it was unfair to target students and staff with special needs. They also criticized the university's approach. The program was eventually closed. The last students from the undergraduate degree finished in 2013.

The Centre also offered postgraduate courses. These included a certificate and diploma in deaf studies. There was also an MSc in Deaf Studies. The Centre provided many short courses too. These included BSL, BSL interpreting, and Deafhood studies. The Centre also ran Deafstation. This was a daily news service in BSL.

The People Behind the Centre: Staff

In 2012, as the Centre was closing, Sandra Smith was its director. Jim Kyle was the Harry Crook Professor in Deaf Studies. He worked at Bristol for over 20 years. He was a top expert on Deaf policy. Other researchers included Dr Paddy Ladd and Dr Sarah Batterbury.

Most of the teaching staff at the Centre were Deaf. In late 2012, academic staff were offered part-time jobs or to lose their jobs. This was set to happen in 2013. All accepted losing their jobs, except Professor Kyle. The Deaf community felt that Bristol University was trying to close the Centre. They did this by reducing staff. By closing the undergraduate degree, they could say fewer teachers were needed.

The End of an Era: Closure

The university stopped accepting new students in 2013. The University Council voted to close the Centre. Only one person disagreed. The closure of the Centre for Deaf Studies was a big shock. It was the first of two difficult events for Bristol's Deaf community. The very next day, the Bristol Deaf Club made an announcement. This club was not linked to the Centre. But many Centre staff and the Deaf community used it. The club said it was selling its building.