Walking towards the sunrise: a new chapter after Bill Plant
After almost six years delivering online training for Bill Plant, Dave has brought that working relationship to an end — and there's lots more to come.
Blog · Events
Teaching Darcie: a Deaf Awareness & BSL course for driving instructors
Teaching a deaf pupil to drive taught Dave more than he expected. Now Darcie is delivering a CPD course in Chesterfield on Sunday 15th November to help instructors do the same.
Around 12 months ago I was asked if I could teach a deaf girl to drive. I remember Richard Branson once saying, "Say yes and then work out how you're going to do it afterwards," so that's what I did, and over the months that followed I probably learnt more from Darcie than she learnt from me. Having said that, she did pass with just one minor driver fault — and that was correcting her parallel park, so we're probably even!
Darcie became completely deaf just one month into starting a music degree at Birmingham University. Despite this she learnt to sign and lip read, went on to achieve a 2:1 in music, and then did a postgraduate course to become a fully qualified teacher.
Through my conversations with Darcie, I discovered how important and liberating being able to drive is for the Deaf community — and also how difficult it is to find driving instructors with the skills to support them, meaning that many never get the opportunity. So we thought we should do something about that and create a course for driving instructors that develops simple skills that will be life-changing for deaf and hard of hearing pupils.
Join us on Sunday 15th November
- Sunday 15th November, 9.00am – 3.00pm
- The Olde House, Chesterfield, S40 4RN
- Lunch and refreshments included
- Written and delivered by Darcie, based on her own experience of learning to drive as a deaf pupil
Darcie has written all the content and will be delivering the session. Everything you will learn is based on a deaf girl's experience of learning to drive. It might just be the most important and inspiring CPD event you ever attend!
Teaching Darcie and seeing her pass her driving test is one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in my entire working career.
Please come and join us on November 15th. What you learn could literally change a deaf or hard of hearing pupil's life forever.
Thank you to Handley Driving School for sponsoring this event. Your support is hugely appreciated.
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