The Centre aims to develop the discipline of Deaf Studies in ways that will benefit deaf people in their involvement in, and contribution to, society. Enhance the understanding of hearing people in all matters to do with Deafness and sign language. Establish and extend Deaf Studies as a valid and dynamic University-based multi-disciplinary field.
The Centre started from a research base; this work informs its present practice and future plans. Deaf Studies is the study of the language, community and culture of deaf people.
The Centre's work derives from the adjustment to deafness and to hearing loss; not the prevention or "cure" of hearing difficulties. The Centre works with deaf people to understand deafness, language and behaviour. The outcome of the work of the Centre is the greater understanding of Deaf Studies, an extension of knowledge in comparative areas of spoken language, hearing communities and their functioning, and should lead to greater access and service provision for deaf people. In research, the Centre will influence theory and practice in mainstream fields in Social Science and Language that deal with questions of human interaction, language and cognition.
The Centre's work consists of three areas:
The Centre aims to develop work in various priority areas
