Â鶹Éç

Archives for June 2009

SEE HEAR - Wednesday 17th June, 1pm Â鶹Éç2

Ruth Shurman | 14:38 UK time, Friday, 12 June 2009

On this week's show we meet renowned children's author Julia Donaldson - who has written over 70 books and sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide. Her works have been translated into 40 languages, including BSL. Her most famous creations include The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Stick Man and Monkey Puzzle. Julia has suffered mild hearing loss since her twenties, and has now drawn on her experiences to create a new book about a Deaf Fairy. See Hear visited Julia at her home in Glasgow to talk about her stories, her sources of inspiration, and her collaborations with artist Axel Scheffler.

Ìý

Also this week, we meet Kate Pepper, a deaf woman who works with police horses at the West Hampstead branch of the Metropolitan Mounted Police. SheÌýhas learned to use the body language of her horses toÌýfeel more secure when accompanying officers on their patrols.

Ìý

We also have the latest instalment of Memnos' Stories Behind the Signs, which highlights some of the BSL signs that have caused the most confusion.

Ìý

To watch this programme on the iPlayer, click here. If you want to have subtitles, just press the 's' on the right-hand side of the bottom bar that appears after you have pressed play.

UPDATE: NORMA ARMSTRONG STORY

Ruth Shurman | 11:28 UK time, Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Following on from our report on Norma Armstrong and the Reading Deaf Centre, we can report that two of the members of the parent group with Deaf children who had felt let down with their BSL lessons were able to attend a course in May run by the organisation CHIIC at the Sign Language Centre in Newport, South Wales. The course was provided free of charge, and the two members only had to pay travel and accommodation costs. They successfully completed the first module of their BSL Level 1 exam. CHIIC have also arranged to run courses in Reading during September to get the candidates through the rest of their Level 1 course.

SEE HEAR - Wednesday 10th June, 1pm Â鶹Éç2

Ruth Shurman | 09:57 UK time, Friday, 5 June 2009

OnÌýour nextÌýepisode of See Hear we have an in-depth profile of Sabina Iqbal, the founder of Deaf Parenting UK. Sabina has two hearing children with her husband Asif, and set up the organisation in April 2001 to provide support and resources for the Deaf parents of Deaf or hearing children. She was recently named one of the twenty most powerful Muslim women in the UK, and has won several awards for her work.

Ìý

Deaf Parenting UK is now growing into an internationally recognised charity, and has organised a key education conference on Friday 12 June at London's City Hall. The conference will focus onÌýthree key areas: educating professionals about the needs of Deaf parents; accessing children's education; and educating Deaf parents on their rights and entitlement.

Ìý

For more information on Deaf Parenting UK, or the education conference, visit:

Ìý

Also this week, Radha returns with another Culture Review, this time focusing on the latest developments in Deaf film. She is joined by Cathy Heffernan - a film critic for The Guardian, and the TV and film director Louis Neethling.ÌýThey discuss important new Deaf films, asÌýwell asÌýthe representation of Deaf characters within mainstream movies.

Ìý

FILMS FEATURED

Ìý

Voices from El-Sayed

Directed by Oded Adomi Leshem. Distributed by First Hand Films. The Bedouin Village of El-Sayed has the largest percentage of Deaf people in the world, and over generations a unique sign language has evolved as the primary mode of communication. ThisÌýdocumentary focuses on a father's decision to give his son a cochlear implant.

The next screening of this film will be on Saturday 13th June at the UCL Psychology Building , 26 Bedford Way, Bloomsbury, London at 3pm. Tickets are £10.

Ìý

Anna's Silent Struggle

Directed by Tom Linszen and Willy Lindwer. Distributed by Willy Lindwer, AVA Productions, The Netherlands.

The moving storyÌýofÌýan 82-year old womanÌýwho managed to survive Auschwitz despite being profoundly Deaf.ÌýThe film's deaf director tries to find out how deaf people were able to survive the horrors of Nazi persecution.

Ìý

City Rats

Directed by Steve Kelly.ÌýDistributed by Revolver Entertainment.

Eight lost souls search for solutions to problems ranging from finding a better suicide method to defeating creative block andÌýlosing their virginity. Stars Danny Dyer, Susan Lynch and James Lance, who plays a character who is Deaf and gay. www.cityrats.co.uk

Ìý

Babel

Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Distributed by Paramount. Available on DVD

Four interlocking stories - all connected by a single gun -Ìýdepicting aÌýcomplex and tragic story of human lives. Hearing actress Rinko Kikuchi plays the role of a deaf Tokyo teen.

Ìý

For all free listings of subtitled films in your area check out: www.yourlocalcinema.com

Ìý

This episode also features the latest instalment of Memnos' Stories Behind the Signs, exploring some of the most fascinating regional variations.

Ìý

To watch this programme on the iPlayer, click here. If you want to have subtitles, just press the 's' on the right-hand side of the bottom bar that appears after you have pressed play.

Ìý

Ìý

SEE HEAR - Wednesday 3rd June, 1pm Â鶹Éç2

Ruth Shurman | 10:45 UK time, Monday, 1 June 2009

On this week's episode of See Hear, we've put together a Sporting Special. We bring you some of the highlights of last month's National Deaf Tennis Championship, which was held at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton. In the Men's Open Final, two-times champion Anthony Sinclair from Northern Ireland was all psyched up to give top seed Peter Willcox a run for his money, while talented newcomer Bethany Brookes braced herself for a showdown with five-time winner Cathy Graham. But as we reveal, not all of the drama on the day was confined to the courts... We also speak with Bryan Whalley, who is in the process of documenting the history of Deaf tennis, to find out how today's champs measure up against the Deaf tennis greats of the past.

Ìý

Also in this week's programme, we speak to Deaf athletes who feel they have been short-changed by the sports funding system and are now having to pay for themselves to go to the Deaflympics in Taipei. Hammer thrower Bethan Lishman has had to borrow £3,000 to pay for her flights and accommodation, while Liverpudlian footballers Gary Crofton and Gary Spotswood are having to raise similar sums.

Ìý

Continuing our sporting theme, we also speak to 18-year old Wigan-based deaf rugby player Ryan Owen, who plays for the Warrington Wolves Under-18s and is now perched on the brink of stardom. Despite being advised by his doctors that an injury could further damage his hearing, Ryan is determined to carve out a successful career in the Super League. He has had a special skull-cap made to accommodate his hearing aid, so that he can hear specific sounds like the referee's whistle or the calls in the scrums.

Ìý

Finally this week, we have the latest instalment of Memnos' Stories Behind the Signs, this time looking at cultures that have developed their own specific groups of signs - including gay, Greek, Jewish and black cultures, as well as schools.

Ìý

To watch this programme on the iPlayer, click here. If you want to have subtitles, just press the 's' on the right-hand side of the bottom bar that appears after you have pressed play.

Â鶹Éç iD

Â鶹Éç navigation

Â鶹Éç © 2014 The Â鶹Éç is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.