From learner to tutor – passing on a passion for sign language
A free half-day session to introduce BCHC colleagues to sign language interpretation has led to an inspiring new role as volunteer tutor and passionate inclusivity advocate for assistant nurse practitioner Vicky Danyluk.
Vicky has embarked on a second career teaching British Sign Language, alongside her full-time job in the bladder and bowel team and her work as a staff governor for healthcare assistants and support workers.
Vicky says her new role is the fulfilment of a long-held ambition.
“I wanted to learn sign language for many years but lessons always seemed to be during my full-time working hours,” said the 51-year-old, who has worked for BCHC (and predecessor NHS organisations) for 23 years.
“So, when BCHC provided an afternoon’s introduction to BSL to exemplify its ‘accessible’ value, I jumped at the opportunity. I was very proud just to learn how to fingerspell my name - and have never forgotten!”
Vicky says there have been many key moments in her personal and professional journey that have led her to her new-found passion.
“I spent nine years working with adults with complex care and learning disabilities and some of the residents, although non-verbal, could communicate basic requests and preferences using Makaton,” she said.
“My dad was very hard of hearing and my sister is significantly deaf but, growing up in the sixties, wasn’t encouraged to use BSL. So I learned not to mumble and to make sure I was facing her when speaking so she could p ick up my lip pattern to support the little residual hearing she has.”
A free online BSL course in 2020 was followed by a 10-week evening class programme at Solihull College.
“I was a little nervous during these early weeks, but I knew I had found my niche and have never looked back,” remembers Vicky, whose learning journey has since led to qualifications and a volunteer teaching support assistant role alongside course tutor Shakila Kosa, whose growing community interest company offers free BSL courses.
Vicky accepted Shakila’s offer to help deliver training to a group of new learners from last September and she now helps teach two evening classes a week and extra classes while on annual leave from BCHC.
Vicky says that she contributes to devising and delivering training to other clinical staff as part of her role with the bladder and bowel team, experience which has helped delivering BSL classes.
“My employers have always been very supportive and accommodating, including with mobility challenges I’ve had over the last five years,” she says.
“I’ve had clinical contact with deaf people in my NHS work and to see the smiles of patients when, working alongside a qualified interpreter, I’ve been able to greet them and introduce myself in their language has been priceless. It forges a connection and builds the important element of trust between a patient and their clinician.”
Looking forward, the mother-of-two has a clear vision for helping to spread access to and understanding of BSL, opening doors for people who are deaf or hard of hearing – including three-year-old granddaughter Chloe, who has already begun learning signing from her nanny!
“My future career plan combines my two favourite activities - my NHS work, alongside devoting working days to my emerging role teaching BSL and making sure this fantastic language is passed on, understood and used more and more among future generations.”
Shakila’s story
Vicky’s mentor,Shakila (pictured, third from right), was inspired to learn BSL to support her son, Zehn, (second from right) after doctors at his specialist school for deaf children warned that his hearing would continue to deteriorate.
“Zehn was making progress at his school, which had a specialist deaf unit, but doctors warned me that his hearing would continue to deteriorate,” said Shakila, who is widely known as “Silver” within the deaf community.
“I believed that learning BSL would ease some of his loneliness. This motivation was enough to keep me focussed when learning sign language proved tricky and tiresome.
“Zehn was told he could never learn music at college; but my stubbornness kicked in and I enrolled him into a music academy, which he loved. He then confounded expectations and made me very proud when he gained a university degree in music technology and sound engineering.”
“I was so passionate about BSL and deaf culture and found it so upsetting to see deaf people paying for their language, which should be free and easy for anyone to access.”
To find out more about free introductory courses in BSL, email bslsilver2022@gmail.com .