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NTU increases support for deaf students during the coronavirus pandemic

Nottingham Trent University has been praised for increasing its support for deaf students during the coronavirus pandemic.

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    NTU has been praised by the National Deaf Children's Society

    The university, which has 78 students who are deaf or have a significant hearing loss, provided British Sign Language translators for live online lessons during lockdown and says it will continue to provide a positive learning experience for everyone.

    The increase in support has been welcomed by the National Deaf Children’s Society, the UK’s leading charity for supporting the UK’s 50,000 deaf children, young people and students.

    University staff met with current and future deaf students before the start of term to identify their needs and agree a bespoke approach for the upcoming academic year.

    Among the additional steps being taken are transcripts and subtitles for all recorded content, British Sign Language interpreters for live streamed lectures and seminars and the provision of clear face masks or visors for staff meeting with deaf students.

    In addition, the university will use the National Deaf Children’s Society’s top tips for clear communication, which include writing things down, finding a quieter place to chat and using mobile translation apps.

    Gary McGladdery, Disability Services Manager at Nottingham Trent University, said: “Our staff were proactively reaching out to our students over the summer period, as it is essential for their support to be in place for the commencement of their studies.  

    “As well as meeting with students directly, we have facilitated a number of joint meetings with their tutors. We want to ensure their learning experience is accessible and enjoyable and will continue to work with them to see which support best meets their needs.”

    Nottingham Trent University student Sam Russell, who is deaf, said: “I'm really pleased at the effort NTU has made to ensure that I have support for all my lectures and sessions. They've gone above and beyond what I've expected from a university. In some instances they've arranged one to ones such as workshop inductions, whilst providing interpreters where needed and subtitles on all their content.

    “They give the impression that they really care for their students and give them the chance to reach their full potential."

    Martin McLean, Higher Education Lead for the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “We welcome the very positive steps Nottingham Trent University are taking, particularly because they recognise that every deaf student is different and a catch-all approach is never the answer.

    “Deaf students pay the same fees as hearing students and every university has a legal obligation to make sure their courses are as accessible as possible, all the necessary adjustments are made and deaf students get the communication support they need.

    “We’d urge every university in the country to talk to its deaf students, especially during these challenging times, to make sure they are getting everything they need to succeed.”

    • Notes for editors

      Press enquiries please contact Dave Rogers, Public Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8782, or via email.

      NTU was named University of the Year 2019 in the Guardian University Awards. The award was based on performance and improvement in the Guardian University Guide, retention of students from low-participation areas and attainment of BME students. NTU was also the Times Higher Education University of the Year 2017, and The Times and Sunday Times Modern University of the Year 2018. These awards recognise NTU for its high levels of student satisfaction, its quality of teaching, its engagement with employers, and its overall student experience.

      The university has been rated Gold in the Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework – the highest ranking available.

      It is one of the largest UK universities. With nearly 32,000 students and more than 4,000 staff located across four campuses, the University contributes £900m to the UK economy every year. With an international student population of more than 3,000 from around 100 countries, the University prides itself on its global outlook

      The university is passionate about creating opportunities and its extensive outreach programme is designed to enable NTU to be a vehicle for social mobility. NTU is among the UK’s top five recruiters of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and was awarded University of the Year in the UK Social Mobility Awards 2019. A total of 82% of its graduates go on to graduate entry employment or graduate entry education or training within six months of leaving. Student satisfaction is high: NTU achieved an 87% satisfaction score in the 2019 National Student Survey.

      A total of 82% of its graduates go on to graduate entry employment or graduate entry education or training within six months of leaving. Student satisfaction is high: NTU achieved an 87% satisfaction score in the 2019 National Student Survey.

      • The National Deaf Children’s Society’s top tips for clear communication are available here.

      The National Deaf Children’s Society

      • The National Deaf Children’s Society is the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and their families.
      • Five babies are born deaf in the UK every day.
      • There are more than 50,000 deaf children in the UK. We help them thrive by providing impartial, practical and emotional support, and by challenging governments and society to meet their needs.
      • For more information on our work please, visit www.ndcs.org.uk.
      • For further support, parents, deaf children and deaf young people can contact us via our Helpline on 0808 800 8880 (voice and text), on InterpreterNow (interpreternow.co.uk/ndcs), by email on helpline@ndcs.org.uk or through online chat at www.ndcs.org.uk/livechat.

        • For more information, please contact the National Deaf Children’s Society media team on 020 7014 1146/1149, rob.white@ndcs.org.uk or 07595 780 411 (outside of office hours).

    Published on 23 November 2020
    • Category: Current students; Press office