MSA Newslink November 2021

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Teaching pupils with disabilities Breaking down the barriers MSA GB member Fiona McMeekin specialises in teaching disabled pupils to drive – principally the deaf community, but also pupils on the autistic spectrum and, more recently, pupils with physical disabilities, too. Here she explains how she first became involved with teaching pupils with learning, sensory and physical disabilities, the challenges they have to overcome – and how the DVSA could help break down some of the barriers On Friday 13th May 2005, I qualified as an Approved Driving Instructor – an unlucky date for some perhaps, but a life changing day for me! Looking back to that day after 16 years, at the time, I naively thought I’d just be teaching someone to drive safely for their driving life. I couldn’t imagine that I would become a lot more to my pupils than just their driving instructor. As instructors, we all wear different ‘caps’. We are therapists and life coaches, helping to resolve issues, introducing coping mechanisms, and as we do we learn ourselves and grow as instructors/coaches throughout this process. The most important lesson I’ve learned over my 16 years is that every human is an individual – we do not teach, learn, retain or work the same way. I realised quite early on in my career that I had an affinity for teaching special needs pupils; those with conditions such as Asperger’s Syndrome, autism, dyslexics and dyspraxics. I soon noticed that other ADIs were asking me to take on some of their pupils, where although good progress had been made, a connection was missing and so learning had become limited. I love the challenge of finding out what makes a pupil ‘tick’, and how to inspire them. How do they learn? Visual, Auditory or Kinaesthetic (VAK), what is a person’s dominant or preferred way of learning? Many of my pupils have had negative experiences during their previous schooling and often come to me in a state of anxiety. Changing their preconceived ideas around driving and tuition is challenging but often highly rewarding. For such pupils criticism can wound, so I am constantly reminding them that making mistakes is an important (and necessary) part of the learning process, especially when learning to drive a car. Trust is also an important part of building a learning relationship. I’ve learned to listen to a pupil’s concerns and reassure them that learning takes place at their pace. We will pull back if it becomes too overwhelming and we will push on if I think they’re capable of more. I am always attentive to their learning needs and paying attention to their body language on every lesson – an invaluable resource for every ADI. While I’ve been an ADI there have been many changes. One was CPD: it became the big buzzword from the DVSA. I looked into learning British Sign Language (BSL). Previous attempts had been thwarted by the courses being cancelled due to lack of numbers, but somehow the time felt right (and the course hadn’t been cancelled), and so I studied and practised, and in time, with Level 1 and Level 2 BSL accomplished it was onto Level 3. Teaching the deaf to drive in BSL wasn’t actually forefront in my mind until my Level 3 Tutor asked me why I wasn’t teaching deaf pupils to drive. Surprised by this, I started to give it some serious thought. However, self-doubt reared its ugly head and I took a lot of persuasion to take on my first deaf pupil. Not being CODA (that’s Child of a Deaf Adult), I was relying totally on my training and belief of the people who trained me. Would I be able to communicate and be understood? Regional differences in Sign Language play a huge part in BSL. Could I control the car quickly if needed by signing the instructions or would I panic? I had to learn different terminology, understanding that certain words have to be finger spelled as there simply isn’t a sign for some, for example, there’s no BSL for ‘Anti-lock braking system’ or ‘cockpit drill’. It can be a challenge finding signs that the pupil understands when they differ from mine. When discussing emergency vehicles, for example, I can sign at least three ways before the pupil understands. Religion also plays a huge part in how signs differ. Catholic schooling can be based around Irish Sign Language so I need to remember and retain signs preferred by each pupil. The sign for Red, as in ‘red traffic light’, is signed 20 NEWSLINK n NOVEMBER 2021
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com Right, the BSL alphabet: While this is standardised, many regional variations have crept into sign language that makes it challenging for deaf pupils to follow exactly the signing used on the theory test from the lip. How does a pupil see that when they are focused on the road? I tend to use the sign for the Irish letter ‘R’ within their vision and point. It’s an example that when teaching a deaf pupil to drive, placement of the signing is very important; they must be able to see the instruction. Understanding deaf culture is also very important. To get a deaf person’s attention, when they’re not looking at you, it can be done by stamping the floor or touching the person. It’s not practical to stamp on the floor of the car with all the normal vibrations going on, so tapping their arm gently is the best option. However, this goes completely against everything an ADI is taught – ‘no physical contact’ is drummed into us in training. This was evident when I explained this to my enforcement officer on my standards check. He asked me to get my pupil’s permission to touch her arm if I needed to get her attention in front of him before starting the standards check. How did he think I coped every week when he wasn’t around...? For all the challenges, teaching deaf pupils to drive is an amazing experience, but the barriers are always in their way, both in sitting the theory test and next getting through the practical test. For a deaf person to sit and pass a theory test is an immense challenge. The barriers placed here are huge. Language barriers, grammar and understanding of the English language in written form. Resources available for deaf candidates are few and far between, a Highway Code BSL DVD is available, however, if a deaf candidate struggles with written English then finding a BSL Theory App is impossible. Why? None are available, therefore many deaf learners will fail at the first hurdle. Deaf candidates are allowed to request ‘‘ From my experience I’ve yet to meet an examiner who can sign. Luckily, unlike on the theory test, I can interpret for my pupils... until, of course, Covid came along, and ADIs were no longer allowed to sit in the back on a test ‘‘ an interpreter when sitting their theory test however, interpreters (through no fault of theirs) often do not show up. This is a common issue throughout a deaf person’s life, unfortunately. The DVSA provides onscreen interpreters. Many issues arise from this. A question can be signed in English Sign Language (remember, regional differences exist within BSL) and the answer can be signed in Welsh Sign Language. With an interpreter not showing or not booked in on time, the pupil can be stressed and feeling pressured into just trying the onscreen interpreter and hoping for the best. This normally results in a fail which then dents confidence and adds additional expense. If the deaf pupil is successful in passing their theory test, the next hurdle is the practical test. From my experience I’ve yet to meet an examiner who can sign. Luckily, unlike on the theory test, I can be there to interpret. That was, of course, until the Covid-19 pandemic. Since its arrival in February 2020 ADIs have not been allowed in the back of the car. For a deaf candidate presenting for test this can be a real barrier. I have had to prepare sheets with all signs used by myself and my pupil, giving a visual written explanation to the examiner including how directional signs work and where to place them. I am allowed to interpret the declaration the candidate signs and the ‘tell me’ question. After that they are completely on their own. As prepared as any pupil can be for test, it can still be an intimidating experience – consider how it is for a deaf pupil when full communication is unavailable and they’re solely reliant on a limited set of instructions. Not to mention how the examiner may feel – they are, after all, in unfamiliar territory too, we must remember that. When the pandemic hit the majority of ADIs had to down tools for a large part of a year. This gave me time to re-evaluate what I actually did, where I could take my business and how to move it forward. Teaching physical disabilities really interested me and I looked into how this could be achieved. Continued on page 22 NEWSLINK n NOVEMBER 2021 21
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