CACDP

The Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People (CACDP) is a charity in the whose aim is to improve communication between deaf and hearing people in the United Kingdom. CACDP offers a portfolio of qualifications in British Sign Language and other forms of communication with deaf and deafblind people.

Qualification portfolio

All of CACDP's qualifications are accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and appear on the National Vocational Qualification framework. CACDP Qualifications are available at centres across the UK.

The full list of CACDP qualifications is as follows:

*Level 1 Certificate in BSL/ISL
*Level 2 Certificate in BSL/ISL
*Level 3 Certificate in BSL/ISL
*Level 3 NVQ in BSL/ISL
*Level 4 NVQ in BSL/ISL
*Level 4 NVQ in Interpreting (BSL/English)
*Level 2 Certificate in Communication with Deaf People
*Level 3 Certificate in Facilitating Communication with Deaf People (Lipspeaking Skills)
*Level 3 Certificate in Facilitating Communication with Deaf People (Notetaking Skills)
*Level 3 Certificate for LSPs working with Deaf and Deafblind People (Lipspeaking)
*Level 3 Certificate for LSPs working with Deaf and Deafblind People (Notetaking)

Vision

The collective vision of CACDP is one of an inclusive society where deaf people experience no communication barriers. In its 25 years the charity has raised awareness and promoted skills, and standards, in the languages and communication methods that deaf people use.

CACDP have overcome many obstacles to become the recognised professional registration body for interpreters, lipspeakers, speech-to-text-reporters and others providing language access services, and one of the top awarding bodies in the UK.

Deaf people are still excluded, overlooked and discriminated against in our society. There are far too few professionals offering language access services. CACDP know too few schools teach BSL or even tactics for communicating with deaf people. We know far too few people are formally qualified to teach BSL. CACDP's work remains as important now as it was on the day the charity was established.

CACDP exists to provide knowledge and recognise skills in the languages and communication methods used by deaf people. Over twenty-five years CACDP has been highly successful, more than 280,000 candidates have entered for assessments and the number of professionals registered to offer language access services has grown to over 600. CACDP's work has also had an appreciable effect on public policy and service provision helping to shift the emphasis from a paternalistic welfare model to one based on rights and inclusion.

CACDP has been privileged to contribute to several important developments in their sector. Every Sign Language Interpreter, Lipspeaker and Speech-To-Text reporter now working in courts and police stations must be CACDP registered. Projects to improve inclusion for deaf people in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales backed by the devolved administrations are in various states of development and delivery. The report on access to communication in English for deaf people has raised awareness of the access issues for the greatest number of deaf people.

External links

* [http://www.cacdp.org.uk CACDP Website]