Profile On: Judith Robinson
Meet Judith Robinson, ANDA Champion
How did you become involved in Adult Education?
This centre started with ESF projects to improve the quality of British Sign Language (BSL) with hearing people, as well as to train Deaf people to become part time adult education teachers. When Luton Borough Council asked the Deaf Association to "go out on its own" the trustees formed a training and education department to the new charity, the Alban Neve Deaf Association, which is gradually developing.
What is the most interesting part of your present job?
Me personally? Learning about deaf culture and seeking ways to make Adult Education real to a group of people who are not used to being offered learning in their own language.
Could you tell us something about the range of learners that use your centre?
The training department focuses on links with the hearing world and learning for Deaf adults (Deaf with a capital D means they use British Sign Language as their preferred language) We probably have more hearing people on our books at the moment. They come to us for BSL workshops and exam re-sits, for Deaf awareness courses and for higher level NVQs in BSL. In the Autumn we will start our second cohort of Deaf tutor trainees, using the new PTLLS curriculum.
Could you tell us something about the learning programme you offer?
BSL brush up courses, Deaf awareness courses, high level BSL NVQs, soon to introduce informal learning courses for BSL. If funding for a European project is successful, we will also be looking at citizenship material for deaf learners.
They say you learn a new thing everyday. What new thing have you learnt today?
How to operate my video camera so I can make a tape of the TRUE story of the three little pigs in BSL.