Deaf-Accessible Parenting Classes: Insights from Deaf Parents in North Wales

Abstract

Parenting support services and programs develop and strengthen existing parenting skills. However, in the UK and despite the 2010 UK Equality Act’s provisions, these programs are generally not accessible for Deaf parents whose first and/or preferred language is British Sign Language (BSL) because the medium of instruction is typically spoken and written English. This small-scale qualitative interview study gauged North Walian Deaf parents’ needs and preferences for accessing parenting classes. A structured interview assessed a small group of North Walian Deaf parents’ language practices, their perceptions of parenting support and accessibility, and their needs and preferences when it comes to parenting classes. An additional case study of a Deaf parent’s experience of participating in an 11-week-long parenting course with an English-BSL interpreter provides further insight into how such classes can be made accessible to Deaf parents. The main interview findings were that the participants had substantially lower English skills than BSL skills, that face-to-face delivery was preferred over online BSL support, and that all materials should be made available in BSL. The case study further uncovered several small adjustments that should be made to face-to-face classes to make them accessible to Deaf parents. In conclusion, materials from already existing parenting classes should be translated into BSL, interpreters should be available, and small adjustments to face-to-face classes should be made, so that Deaf parents can access and participate in already existing parenting programs.