Thu. Mar 28th, 2024
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A great idea is like a seed. It needs the right conditions and the support of its environment to flourish and grow to its full potential.

n many ways, Rita Brady’s enlightened vision of a means of breaking down barriers and improving communication was a seed, and with the help and assistance and support of a network of willing people, it has become a strong and proud creation that was officially launched in Roundwood last Friday evening.

The initiative creates awareness of the challenges faced by those with hearing difficulties and encourages greater social inclusion by promoting use of Gaelic games related sign language in clubs.

Several months ago a video detailing the GAA related signs was made in Roundwood and featured many well-known local players and officials including Danny Staunton, Mark Jackson, John Keenan, Lorna Fusciardi and Nicky Dunne.

Friday night saw the culmination of a very busy period involving An Tóchar GAA Club, Irish Deaf Society, Wicklow Sports and Recreation Partnership, Community & Health Department GAA, National GAA Diversity & Inclusion Office GAA, the Camogie Association, Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and Wicklow GAA Health & Wellbeing Committee.

Rita Brady, Healthy Club Officer in An Tóchar GAA Club is an ISL user who wanted to find a way to make her GAA community more aware of ISL and give people the opportunity to learn some Gaelic games ISL signs.

Her passion to achieve this was the catalyst to bring together a working group which included representatives from An Tochar GAA, the Irish Deaf Society, Wicklow Sports and Recreation Partnership, GAA, The Camogie Association, LGFA and Wicklow GAA Health & Wellbeing Committee to create an Irish Sign Language Video.

On Friday night, some of the many speakers described Rita as a ‘force’ and that without her energy and positivity and drive the project might not have survived its earliest stages.

The HSE reports that one in six people have some level of hearing loss, with one person in a thousand acutely deaf using Irish Sign Language (ISL) to communicate. The capacity to communicate, to be understood and to understand influences our sense of social inclusion and belonging.

The ISL working group put their creative minds together to develop content for Gaelic games ISL videos. The Gaelic games ISL videos production was funded by Wicklow Sports & Recreation Partnership and Irish Life. Local Club and County Gaelic games players, referees, and volunteers along with Irish Deaf Society presenters from County Wicklow were delighted to be involved in creating the video and bringing #signmeup to life.

“This #Signmeup Irish Sign Language video lives the vision of Wicklow Sport & Recreation Partnership, to have “More people enjoying taking part”, said Clara Jenkinson of Wicklow Sport & Recreation Partnership on Friday night.

“The ISL video comes from a community passion to be inclusive in our sports, in …….

Source: https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wicklow/sport/sign-language-video-to-be-made-available-on-gaa-portal-as-part-of-rita-bradys-fantastic-signmeup-idea-41817087.html