British Sign Language

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British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us via an online BSL/English interpreter through Contact Scotland BSL.

If you are, or are thinking of, studying with us, student services at your current or prospective UHI partner would be pleased to discuss your requirements with you.

UHI's BSL plan 2024-30 content

UHI's BSL plan 2024-30

Our British Sign Language Plan (BSLP) serves the UHI partnership as required by the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015. It:

  • Sets out the actions we will take over the next six years to promote, and facilitate the promotion of the use and understanding of BSL in Scotland.
  • Reflects the aims and priority areas of the BSL National Plan 2023-29, where these are relevant to the work of the partnership.

This single plan covers the UHI partnership and relates principally to our role as an education provider, rather than as an employer. The actions we have set out are informed by our experience of delivering our previous BSLP 2018-2024. As this is our second partnership-wide plan, we have updated and refined the actions we wish to take allowing greater focus on actions relevant to further and higher education, and specifically on equity and enhancement of the student experience for BSL users.

External support content

External support

External support

  • BSL Students: Facebook Deaf Action have created a Facebook group for BSL users studying in Scotland, aged 16-30, which aims to be a useful information hub.
  • Contact Scotland provide a service connecting BSL users, through an online video relay service, with Scotland's public authorities, voluntary sector, and others.
  • Deaf Action deliver a range of services to individuals with sensory support needs in Scotland.
  • Interpreting Solutions provide a range of services to D/deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals around the UK. This includes;
    • Language Professional Service (Communication Support Workers, British Sign Language Interpreters, Notetakers, Palantypists, Deaf Relay Interpreters, Deaf Blind Interpreters, Lip Speaking Interpreters, Teachers of the Deaf and Specialist Mentors, and Advocacy to potential students) 
    • Deaf Student Recruitment (Interpreting Solutions are a specialist agency involved in the recruitment of deaf and hard of hearing students; this is done by supporting students with UCAS, SFE and DSA)
    • Disability Awareness Event (including bespoke events)
    • Deaf Awareness Training (Raising awareness and providing knowledge of the Deaf community and their relation to Education)

Health and wellbeing

  • Health Videos - A series of British Sign Language videos covering a wide range of mental and physical health issues, created by the the deaf health charity Sign Health.

Student finance

  • SAAS Funding Guides explain (in BSL videos) what you need to know if you are Scottish and thinking of attending college or university and planning to apply for student finance.