What is Deaf Studies?
The Centre for Deaf Studies (CDS) in Trinity affords students the opportunity to develop insights into, and genuine appreciation for the culture, contributions, and contemporary issues related to deaf people in Ireland and worldwide. The undergraduate programme is the only one of its kind in Ireland. Irish Sign Language (ISL) is the indigenous language of the deaf community in Ireland and is the working language at the Centre for Deaf Studies. There are many different signed languages in the world in the same way as there are different spoken languages.
ISL is the third language of Ireland, recognised in the Irish Sign Language Act (2017). It is also one of the many sign languages recognised by European Institutions and is recognised along with British Sign Language in Northern Ireland. During this four-year course students develop fluency in ISL. As a student you may choose to specialise as an ISL/English Interpreter or an ISL teacher, or to focus on Deaf Studies. Students entering the Deaf Studies programme will explore a range of educational, social, cultural, linguistic, and psycho-social aspects and their application to deaf people, as individuals, as a community, and as a linguistic and cultural minority.
The multi-disciplinary approach to your studies is led by a strong academic team, many of whom are deaf. The degree programme will provide in-depth training preparing you for a number of exciting career options working with deaf as a disability officer, resource officer, research assistant or as an administrator in deaf community organisations to give a few examples. With this foundation, graduates frequently go on to complete postgraduate study.