Pathway Learning Mentor Karen Holdsworth is celebrating the launch of the new British Sign Language 999 emergency service app, and the fact that her grandson features in its promotional video.
A new app allows users to make free calls to UK emergency services through a BSL interpreter. Karen Holdsworth, who has worked at Communication Specialist College Doncaster for 15 years, is thrilled that the new service has been created.
She said: “If anything was to happen to anyone, or if I was to witness something, I can now contact the emergency services directly myself without having to rely on someone to telephone them on my behalf, therefore wasting valuable time.
“Also, my children are able to do the same, using BSL via my phone if anything was to happen to me. This direct access to the emergency services will save lives and remove another barrier to good health and wellbeing for deaf people.
“I think it’s fantastic, very huge and it has been a long time coming. Finally!”
Karen’s son Daniel attended Doncaster College for the Deaf, which later became Communication Specialist College Doncaster, to study sports between 2004 and 2007. Her grandson, Noah, aged 9, is an actor in Hollyoaks, where he plays Oscar Osborne.
She said: “Seeing Noah in the promotional video for the new BSL 999 service is a real sense of pride for me and my family.
“Sign Health asked Noah to be in the film and Daniel was very happy for him to be involved. The more people that know about the service the better.”
CSCD and Doncaster School for the Deaf will be talking about the new service with pupils and students in their lessons to make sure that they know what is available and how it can help them.
For more information about the 999 BSL service, FAQs, and how to download the app, visit the 999BSL website.
