All-Party Parliamentary Group on Deafness

Briefing for APPG on Deafness visit – 24 October 2006

Members attending

Malcolm Bruce MP
Tim Loughton MP
Rosie Cooper MP
Dr Ashok Kumar MP
Ian Stewart MP
Baroness Howe of Idlicote
Piara S Khabra MP
Clive Betts MP
Harry Cohen MP

Apologies received from

Paul Flynn MP, Graham Brady MP, Baroness Wilkins, Nigel Waterson MP, David Drew MP,
Dr Evan Harris MP, Kim Howells MP, Lord Hunt of Wirral, Jim Murphy MP, Sir Paul Beresford MP
Joan Walley MP, Mike Hancock MP, Michael Fabricant MP, Lord Toby Harris, Robert Walter MP, Tom Clarke MP, Chris Bryant MP, Eleanor Laing MP, Richard Benyon MP, Bob Russell MP,
Betty Williams MP, Anne Begg MP, Alistair Burt MP, John Healey MP, Alex Salmond MP,
Jim Cunningham MP, Tim Boswell MP, David Borrow MP, Michael Clapham MP, Ian Liddell-Grainger MP, Eddie O’Hara MP, Brian Binley MP, John Denham MP, Kevin Barron MP,
Nigel Evans MP, Bill Etherington MP, David Lidington MP, Tom Brake MP, David Lepper MP, Baroness Darcy de Knayth, Tom Levitt MP, James Gray MP

It is language that makes us human, but language is not just speech. Studying the way deaf people communicate offers an exciting opportunity to understand the origins, development and processes behind language. The opening of the new Deafness, Cognition and Language (DCAL) research centre in March 2006 brings together leading researchers who have already made important breakthroughs in our understanding about deaf people, their language, and their lives. The aim is to create a world-class hub of excellence that will connect various fields of research in a new way. As such the centre will be a world-first in this area of research and will lead international collaborations.

With Professor Bencie Woll as Director, and Deputy Director Professor Ruth Campbell and co-Directors Gabriella Vigliocco of UCL and Dr Gary Morgan, of City University, DCAL will link a research programme ranging from neuroscience and linguistics to the deaf individual in the community. Changing the perception of deafness by the hearing community, and transferring communications techniques will be other aspects of the centre's role.

Professor Woll states: " What we want to achieve with DCAL is a better understanding of the whole field of human language. Through looking at how deaf people communicate we hope to gain a better understanding of how language in general works. In the process, we hope deaf people will feel respected for the way they communicate, and, through that, that they will gain a sense of empowerment”.

The centre will bring together previously separate research in one multi-disciplinary project, and aims to influence and contribute to both scientific and social aspects of the research agenda. That agenda will focus on sign language, linguistics, psychology, and deaf communication through a series of thematically linked research projects.

There are five specific themes to the research at DCAL:

• Language processing – the relationship between language and thought
• Face-to-face communication – how facial actions and gesture are processed in speech and in sign
• Language development – how children learn sign language
• Atypical sign language – how can signers with disabilities, or those who have suffered a stroke, can continue to communicate
• The deaf individual and the community – deafness and communication within wider society

DCAL, based at UCL, is supported with funding of £4.5million from the Economic and Social Research Council, £1.6million from UCL and £1million from associated grants.

Further information about DCAL can be found at www.dcal.ucl.ac.uk

Transport has been arranged to collect members from Carriage Gates at 10.30am and return by 12.30. Alternatively Members can make their own travel arrangements and meet at 49 Gordon Square at 11.00am.

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