Students campaigners have recently demanded that the University provide LFA 
classes for British Sign Language.
Campaigners have set up an online petition, with the aim of convincing the university to provide LFA courses for BSL, beginning in the next academic year.
Key campaigners demand the LFA course is provided free of charge, whilst providing a minimum of a Level 1 qualification.
YUSU’s Disabled Students’ Officer Thomas Ron told Vision: “Having an LFA would ensure that the necessary qualification is taught, which is surely why students want to take this course.”
Ron also commented: “When BSL is connected to Careers, it appears to be just another skill which can be used to help disabled people. This implies that deafness is a problem with a person, which is the medical model of disability.”
“By teaching BSL as a language and therefore a communication aid, we are stating that there is nothing wrong with deafness and the problem is that society does not bother to provide communication, which learning BSL would rectify, as would learning Chinese to communicate in China.
“We feel that making the course as an LFA would send a more progressive message”
The University currently provides British Sign Language classes through Careers but students currently have to pay a small charge.
The petition currently has 244 signatures. You can find the petition here.