LIPSPEAKING COURSES

[caz]

Hi, I am a new CSW working in college in Falkirk. One of the students I work with is a skilled lip reading , I sign to her at the moment & she also lip reads me. But I feel like I am not giving her exactly want she requires so I am looking for a course for lipspeaking. I have been in touch with Signature but they don't seem to have anything in Scotland.

Can anyone help?

[MattB]

Hi caz,

I recently heard (anecdotally) that the Signature course is now very hard to find anywhere in the country - I have not tried to verify this for myself though.

If you are really stuck, have you tried asking ALS (Association of Lipspeakers)? www.lipspeaking.co.uk

Cheers

[mags]

Hi

The problem with accessing the lipspeaking course, along with many other courses, does not do any justice for the support that is given to Deaf students. There are so many people, like yourself in Scotland, down to me in Wiltshire, who would love to do it. What is stopping the courses running?

How are CSW's meant to progress in their careers and support skills if the courses are not in line with demand? When courses are available, they are far and wide. I think this is something that seriously needs to be looked into by all bodies concerned before people become dejected and look for other careers.

The CSW, along with the lipspeaker, note taker, oral language modifier is not given the service that they need.

Regards

Mags

[meatballs]

Hi
I read your posts with interest and mutual frustration. I am a qualified level 2 lipspeaker who is one unit away from qualifying as a level 3. (Under the new Signature requisite). As one who has been professionally lipspeaking for many years I can whole heartedly say that because it is so wonderfully satisfying and it is worth the effort in badgering the appropriate people/centres to start investigating how to run the units needed to qualify.

As you know, there are approxiamately 7 plus million people in the UK who are either deafened, hard of hearing, deafblind of which many do not use BSL as a first language and therefore much prefer to access information via English. Hence the need for a very many more lipspeakers. Especially male lipspeakers.

As has been said. There few, if any courses currently available to train individuals who would like to take up this fabulous form of communication. I can only suggest that those who are interested should contact the informations officer of the Association of Lipspeakers - http://www.lipspeaking.co.uk/. She will be more than happy to explain the present state of affairs concering the availability of courses.

Best wishes B

What is Lipspeaking?

A lipspeaker is a hearing person who has been professionally trained to be easy to lipread.

* The lipspeaker makes sure they are clearly visible to the lipreader and silently and accurately repeats the spoken message.
* The lipspeaker reproduces the rhythm and phrasing of the words used by the speaker, supporting their meaning with gesture and facial expression.
* If requested, the lipspeaker will fingerspell the initial letters of words that are difficult to lipread.
* Some lipspeakers have sign language skills and can offer lipspeaking with sign support if requested by the lipreader at the time of booking.
* A lipspeaker may be asked to use their voice, using clear communication techniques, thus enabling the lipreader to benefit from any residual hearing.
* If necessary, lipspeakers can relay a deaf person's voice.
* Lipspeakers can be booked for workplace, legal, medical and other settings.
* Currently there are two levels of qualification; the level of lipspeaker you will require depends on the nature, speed and complexity of the language used.
* For assignments that are more than two hours long, it is suggested that two lipspeakers would be required.

[caz]

Thanks for that!!
I contacted Association of Lipspeakers when I was orginally looking for courses but they couldn't help. Serious lack of training available in Scotland!!!