NEWS
Business partners – Simon Robinson and Charlotte Sike of Maverick Language .
SIGN OF THE TIMES
How Maverick Language – with help from Cornerstone – is bringing sign language to the masses
WORDS : DAVE ROBSON PICTURES : CHRIS BOOTH
The signs are promising for an innovative new business that aims to bridge the gap between hearing and deaf communities .
Maverick Language offers a range of services , including sign language tuition and deaf awareness training . And by teaming up with Stockton firm Cornerstone Business Solutions , Maverick hopes even more doors will open for its unique offering .
Based in Cornerstone ’ s HQ , Cornerstone House , on Stockton ’ s Preston Farm estate , Maverick Language comprises business partners Simon Robinson and Charlotte Sike .
Simon , of Stockton , has been deaf since the age of two , whereas London-born Charlotte can hear but is fluent in British Sign Language ( BSL ), having studied it since taking a night class at Darlington College of Technology to the stage where she ’ s now only the second person to study for a sign language PhD .
You may even have seen her on TV as , during 15 years as a sign language interpreter , she ’ s “ signed ” for programmes ranging from the news to The Jeremy Kyle Show !
Simon and Charlotte met at a previous workplace – Simon was in the personal assistant department , Charlotte in the interpreting section . Their shared passion for the deaf community fuelled a desire to do something about the obstacles it continues to face – and Maverick Language , which they set up last summer , is the result .
MD Simon told Tees Business : “ Seeing the struggles deaf people have and how similar they were to my own , I realised it was a common problem so we decided to set up Maverick to help tackle some of those issues - communication barriers , lack of inclusivity , those sorts of things .”
Its key services include : > Signature-accredited BSL courses from
Level 1 to 6 , in person or online .
> Deaf awareness training – basically , teaching people how to properly interact with deaf people .
> On-screen translation – from company websites to large outdoor screens in town centres , train stations and airports , Maverick ’ s team translates digital content into British sign language which can be seen on screen at the same time , or as a standalone video .
> Deaf accessibility services , where Maverick audits a business to gauge what it ’ s doing well – and where it can improve . One in five people in the UK are deaf or hard of hearing . And with British Sign Language now a recognised language , a GCSE due to start in 2025 and deaf people represented in the media by the likes of Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis and Gladiators star Fury , it ’ s time companies and organisations got up to speed with what ’ s required .
Charlotte said : “ BSL has been a recognised language in the UK for the last two years and it ’ s going to be a GCSE in 2025 , so we ’ re finally getting to the stage where people are waking up and realising this needs to be taken seriously .
“ Our business is all about getting people educated in BSL and getting organisations and businesses to have it recognised .”
Maverick - “ because it means rebellious and different – it ’ s nothing to do with Top
Signing on - Simon Robinson in front of a Cornerstone camera .
Gun ,” smiles Charlotte – has recently been commissioned to carry out an accessibility audit at Teesside International Airport . And with the BSL GCSE imminent , schools are likely to want to tap into their expertise .
Chris Bibby , of Cornerstone Business Solutions , said : “ They ’ re offering a valuable service , so we thought we could use our skill sets to maximise their voice and help them get people on board with it .
“ A few years ago , health and safety was little more than a log book whereas now it ’ s a legal requirement – and we think this should be as well .”
Simon added : “ We know that a lot of issues the deaf community faces can be fixed really easily . I got fed up with no one attempting to do anything about it and that ’ s what Maverick is all about – giving people the skills they need so the barriers get smaller .”
Visit mavericklanguage . com
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