The Centre for Sign Language Studies — formerly known as the Conroy School of ISL — was established in 2001 to develop a centre of excellence in the west of Ireland for the study of the deaf community and Irish Sign Language and to provide consultation and advice, interpreting, and translation services.
CSL Studies provides a consultancy service for businesses on how best to facilitate deaf people in the provision of services, the adaptation of information to suit sign language users, inclusion in the work environment, etc. The centre also provide the training to develop communication skills with deaf and deaf/blind people.
The interpreting and translation services facilitate the empowerment of deaf people to actively participate in their local community, to engage in community development, and to access services such as healthcare, education, training and employment, financial services, information services, religious services, and social events.
The Centre for Sign Language Studies offers sign language classes from short introductory courses through to advanced Level 4. Levels 1-4 courses deal with general topics for conversational ISL. Courses are also designed for groups such as employers, public service providers, health care settings, educational settings, etc, and are accredited by the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People. NVQ Levels 3 and 4 in Irish Sign Language use the National Language Standards (CILT, 2005 ), which define competent performance in Irish Sign Language skills in both receptive and productive units. At this level candidates must have the language skills to operate independently and at a professional level in ISL. Candidates must have the language skills to operate independently and at a professional level in the target language, ie, ISL. Candidates must be able to extract complex information from a wide range of sources, signed at normal speed. They must be able to handle a range of familiar accents or signing styles, dialects, formal and informal registers, including technical vocabulary and colloquialisms.
The centre is particularly interested in assisting families, providing adult deaf role models for the deaf children, and generally being a liaison contact for families with the deaf community and other families who also have deaf or hard of hearing children. The centre teaches sign language under the Department of Education Home Tuition Scheme. This is a grant given to the family of a deaf child to enable them to have a deaf adult visit them in their home and teach the family sign language.
