During his visit to the Royal School for the Deaf Derby, the Minister met with teachers and pupils and saw firsthand how the school supports children to develop their language using their preferred method of communication. Minister Pursglove said that meeting the pupils at the school was “truly inspiring” and that the BSL Board would guide the government in implementing important changes.
Craig Crowley MBE FRSA, co-chair of the BSL Advisory Board, said that he was delighted that the Minister saw the value of BSL in education and that he looked forward to welcoming the new members to the Board.
The BSL Advisory Board is made up of individuals with lived experiences of BSL, and they will serve for a term of three years. The Board’s appointments reflect the government’s commitment to making the UK a more inclusive and accessible society, and the BSL Act 2022 is an important step in recognising the rights of BSL users and signers. The Board’s work will be informed by their own experiences, and their advice will be critical in ensuring that the government is more accessible to the Deaf community.
Profiles of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Advocates, Professionals, and Community Leaders on BSL Advisory Board
Gaye Hampton is a Project Manager at Directions Plus, where she helps Deaf individuals in 11 Welsh counties find employment. She is also a qualified Translator and serves as an advisor to Signature, a national charity and the UK’s primary provider of Deaf communication and language qualifications, as well as the National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD). Additionally, she is a member of the Wales Council for Deaf People.
Erin McCluskey is a former member of the Scottish Youth Parliament who championed accessibility for BSL users, passing a related motion in 2019-2021. Additionally, she serves as a trustee for the West Scotland Deaf Children’s Society and works as a freelance outreach worker for the British Deaf Association in Scotland.So delighted to announce that I have been selected as a member for BSL Advisory Board for BSL Act 2022. I am so honoured to be chosen to represent Scotland’s Deaf community & Deaf young people. Excited & ready for the new chapter. #BSLAct2022 #BSLAdvisoryBoard pic.twitter.com/3wp5tHLXFY
— Erin McCluskey (@deaferinna) March 17, 2023
Brian Kokoruwe is a Deaf Equality Trainer and founder of deafinitequality.com, with nearly a decade of experience in the field. He holds an MA in Deaf Education International and is a qualified Teacher of the Deaf, having authored 3 books on Deafness. Brian has worked with various organizations, including National Sensory Impaired Partnership, Citizens Advice, and RAD. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he participated in NHS Patient Participation Groups and currently serves as a trustee for Manchester Deaf Centre.Happy Sign Language 🤟🏿 week. I am very excited to announce that I will be part of the government BSL Advisory Board. @DisabilityGovUK @IoCN_1 @Deafequality @OpBlackVote @LeedsAlumni pic.twitter.com/8CLt3N9Gwj
— Brian Kokoruwe Author ✍🏾 (@Deafequality) March 17, 2023
Scott Garthwaite is a Deaf chef at Hambleton Hall, a Michelin star restaurant. He has also served as a committee member of two Deaf social clubs in the North East, managed a Deaf football team in the same region, and made several TV appearances as the ‘Punk Chef’, promoting Deaf awareness through his social media presence.I’m honoured and thrilled to be appointed onto the #BSL Advisory board, I am passionate about sign language and want to be the voice for the Deaf community implementing the #BSLAct2022 to make the UK a better place for you all.@DisabilityGovUK #bslact #future #strongertogether pic.twitter.com/SEuByggXv1
— Punk Chef (@punkchefuk) March 19, 2023
Mangayarkkarasy Sutharsan is the Director of Empowering Deaf Society, a charity that provides employment support, advocacy, and advice in British Sign Language. She is a Trustee of Suvai Deaf East Community, which supports 480 Deaf individuals across London. Mangayarkkarsy is a qualified BSL teacher who formerly ran her own BSL training company, Deaf Touch Ltd, and has previously worked at the Royal Association for Deaf People.My name is Mangai Sutharsan,director of Empowering Deaf Society.I am delighted to inform you that I have been selected as a member on the BSL Advisory Board, looking forward to working with this team and improving deaf accessibility.@DisabilityGovUK @CEOActionDeafns pic.twitter.com/9lkV5d83V1
— EDSociety (@eds_bsl) March 17, 2023
Joanna Atkinson is a clinical specialist and neuropsychology lecturer, providing assessments, therapy, and rehabilitation for Deaf individuals with cognitive, brain injury, and mental health conditions. She conducts scientific research on BSL diagnostic tools, brain processing of BSL, and clinical phenomena such as BSL hallucinations. Joanna is a member of several organizations including the British Deaf Association, SENSE, Deafblind UK, and British Society of Mental Health and Deafness.I am thrilled to join the BSL Advisory Board. I hope for better BSL access to healthcare services and a voice for deaf people with disabilities and the Deafblind community. Captioned version. VI pls see thread for transcript.@DisabilityGovUK @CEOActionDeafns @DCAL_UCL pic.twitter.com/CtHsdOlNtW
— DeafNeuro (@DeafNeuro) March 18, 2023
Teri Devine is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adult) who serves as Associate Director for Strategic Programme – Inclusion at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID). She is currently a Trustee at Forth Valley Sensory Centre and a member of the Justice of the Peace Advisory Committee (Glasgow) Committee. She was previously Vice Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Hard of Hearing Group (07/2011 – 09/2017).We are delighted to announce that @TeriDevine, Associate Director for Inclusion @RNID has been appointed to the BSL Advisory Board by the Secretary for Work and Pensions.
— RNID (@RNID) March 17, 2023
Find out more: https://t.co/8pYIgTbUlp@DisabilityGovUK pic.twitter.com/NgSQl4SqYT
Richard MacQueen is Head of Video Production at Deaf Action and a Trustee for National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People. He previously served as a trustee for Deaf Links (2010-2016).I am pleased to announce that I have been selected as a member of the BSL advisory board. I will be representing @NRCPD and the Deaf community, and I am looking forward to working with the board to take a step forward for sign language users. #BSLAdvisoryBoard @DisabilityGovUK pic.twitter.com/hVafkbChMP
— Richard MacQueen (@skydrago36) March 17, 2023
Martin Thacker holds multiple roles: Deputy Director at the National Deaf Children’s Society, Vice President of Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire Deaf Society, committee member of North Derbyshire Deaf Forum, member of Derbyshire Constabulary Deaf Advisory Group, and member of CODA UK. He is also a Conservative Councillor for Brampton and Walton ward on North East Derbyshire District Council.
Zoe Fudge-Ajadi and Vicki Ashmore co-founded BRIGHT Deafblind, an organization for Deafblind tactile BSL signers, with Vicky serving as Assistant Director and Zoe as Director. Vicky also serves as a Board member of Bromley Reform Synagogue.“We want to be the voice of the deafblind community, and also the voice of family, friends and professionals working with deafblind people” 🗨️
— Disability Unit (@DisabilityGovUK) March 17, 2023
Zoe and Vicki are two individuals today appointed to the new #BSL Advisory Board. See all members ⬇️https://t.co/3POU51OC49 pic.twitter.com/XI5NkHF5AG