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STV News
4 days ago
- Politics
- STV News
Deaf teen who won fight for interpreter hails classroom reform for BSL users
A deaf teenager who won a legal fight for an interpreter in the classroom has welcomed the passing of a bill that will legally recognise students and teachers who use British Sign Language (BSL). Niamdh Braid, 16, has been deaf since birth and has hearing aids, but her first choice of language is BSL. Last year, Niamdh took legal action against Fife Council after being denied access to an interpreter in her classes, despite attending Auchmuty High School, which is designated as a base for deaf support services. Her dad argued the lack of support had 'denied her full access to learning for her whole school career.' The tribunal ruled in Niamdh's favour, finding she had been placed at a 'substantial disadvantage' without BSL interpretation. Reflecting on her experience, she told STV News: 'I've been so tired from having to focus on lip reading, piecing bits of sentences together that I've missed, and then having to write stuff down while trying to lip read. 'Then if I'm writing something down, I'm then missing what the teacher's saying at that point, but if I don't write it down, then I'm going to miss what they're saying because I don't have it written down, so I don't have those notes.' On Wednesday, MSPs voted to pass reforms to Scotland's Education system by 69 votes to 47. STV News Niamdh has welcomed the new Bill which will help deaf people 'navigate life in a hearing world' The Education Scotland Bill will see the creation of a new authority, Qualifications Scotland, abolishing the current SQA model and a new chief inspector of Education of Scotland. At submission, the bill only included recognition for Gaelic learners but following a year-long campaign headed by the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS). George McGowan from the NDCS says the new legislation is a huge milestone for BSL learners. Deaf children are nearly three times as likely to leave school without any qualifications, with the NCDS saying children and young people who use BSL are now protected for the future. George said: 'We feel this is a massive move forward for young deaf children's rights here in Scotland. 'BSL is a vibrant language which gives deaf children and young people access to a rich culture, heritage and identity. 'We're keen to see more people learn British Sign Language to remove the barriers that exist between deaf and hearing people. 'In addition, it helps us educate the hearing community about both the deaf community and deaf culture.' Despite this recognition, members of the BSL community are questioning why it has taken so long for the bill to include the language, despite the British Sign Language Scotland Bill coming into force in October 2015. Niamdh is now heading into her sixth year of high school and has an interpreter to help with her studies. STV News National Deaf Children's Society George McGowan She says she hopes this move can help remove stigma and improve support for younger deaf children. She said: 'At the end of the day, we're in a world that isn't built for us; we're in a world that was built for and by hearing people. We just need that little bit of support to be able to navigate life in a hearing world.' Education secretary Jenny Gilruth MSP said: 'I think this says very strongly to the BSL community that we value them, we want to work with them, we want to make sure that where policy does not reflect their needs, we work to get that right. 'The government did that. It's so important I know to the BSL community that we have that reflected in all that we do, particularly in an education space where we know those entitlements are absolutely fundamental to supporting our young people.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Malay Mail
13-06-2025
- Malay Mail
Former National Dental Centre Singapore staff accused of taking illicit photos of female patients' breasts
SINGAPORE, June 13 — A former employee of the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS) was charged in court today over alleged offences involving voyeuristic acts and unauthorised access to patient data. According to Channel News Asia (CNA), Elgin Ng, 28, is accused of taking intrusive photographs of women's breasts — described in charge sheets as 'top-down and bottom-up' shots — without their consent. The court documents did not detail the method used. Ng faces 25 counts of voyeurism, each relating to a different woman. Their identities are protected under a gag order. The alleged incidents span a two-year period from March 2022 to April 2024. He also faces one charge of distributing voyeuristic images. Prosecutors said Ng allegedly sent the illicit material to another man on at least two occasions between May and June this year. In addition to the voyeurism charges, Ng was also handed four counts under the Computer Misuse Act. Two of these relate to accessing the personal data of 18 patients in 2023 and 2024 without authorisation. The remaining charges allege that he downloaded photographs of 42 patients from the centre's systems between 2022 and 2023. NDCS confirmed that Ng is no longer employed at the centre. Responding to queries from CNA, a spokesman said an internal probe was launched after the matter came to light, and a police report was filed. 'Protecting the safety, privacy and data of our patients is of paramount importance to us,' the spokesman said. 'We take a serious view of data breach incidents and do not condone such misconduct.' The centre declined to comment further, citing ongoing court proceedings. Ng did not enter a plea. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 8. If convicted of voyeurism, he faces up to two years in jail, a fine, caning, or any combination of these penalties. Distributing voyeuristic content carries a maximum five-year jail term, while unauthorised access to computer data is punishable by up to two years' jail, a fine of up to S$5,000 (RM16,550), or both.
CNA
13-06-2025
- CNA
Ex-employee of National Dental Centre of Singapore accused of taking photos of female patients' breasts
SINGAPORE: A former employee of the National Dental Centre of Singapore (NDCS) accused of taking voyeuristic images of female patients and then distributing them was charged in court on Friday (Jun 13). Elgin Ng allegedly took "top-down and bottom-up" photographs of the women's breasts without their knowledge or consent. Charges did not specify how he did so. For these alleged offences, the 28-year-old Singaporean was handed 25 charges of voyeurism, each involving a different woman whose identity was redacted from court documents due to a gag order. The incidents, which form the bulk of Ng's charges, are said to have occurred between March 2022 and April 2024. Ng is also said to have sent the voyeuristic images to a man on at least two occasions between May and June 2024. He was given a count of distributing voyeuristic images over this alleged offence. COMPUTER MISUSE ACT Apart from voyeurism, Ng is alleged to have accessed databases in computers belonging to NDCS while he did not have the authority. He was handed two charges under the Computer Misuse Act for accessing the personal details of 18 patients from the electronic dental records system in 2023 and 2024. Another two charges from the same Act state that Ng downloaded the photos of 42 patients from a system in 2022 and 2023. In response to CNA's queries, NDCS said that Ng is no longer under its employment. A spokesperson said that when the incident was brought to NDCS' attention, it conducted internal investigations and lodged a police report. "Protecting the safety, privacy and data of our patients is of paramount importance to us," the spokesperson added. "We take a serious view of data breach incidents and do not condone such misconduct." The spokesperson said that the NDCS was unable to comment further as the case is before the courts. Ng did not indicate a plea of guilt. He will return to court for a next hearing on Jul 8. For voyeurism, an offender can be jailed up to two years, or fined, or caned, or any combination of the penalties. For distributing voyeuristic images, an offender can be jailed up to five years, or fined, or caned, or any combination of the penalties.
Daily Mirror
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Strictly's Tasha Ghouri says 'future looks bright' as she carves out new career
After making it all the way to the Strictly Come Dancing final last year, Tasha now has her sights set on something new as she revealed that the "future looks bright" Strictly Come Dancing star Tasha Ghouri has revealed the "future looks bright" as she has opened up about taking a new path in her career. It has been a rollercoaster few months for the former Love Island star after she made it all the way to the Strictly Come Dancing final last December before being pipped to top spot by stand-up comedian, Chris McCausland. Meanwhile, not long after her success on the show, her relationship with Andrew Le Page came to an end, with the news of the break-up coming as a shock to their social media followers. But, away from the latest goings-on in her life, Tasha recently explained that, while she isn't entirely certain what the future holds, she is eager to "push" herself in the months ahead. She told the Mirror: "I don't really know, the future looks bright. I want to do more presenting and documentaries." She added: "That's the path I want to go down. I've done quite a few TV appearances that are coming out soon but I think I kind of want to push myself and challenge myself this year." Away from her latest TV exploits, the 26-year-old has also dedicated much of her time to charity, lending support to the likes of NDCS (National Deaf Children's Society), RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People), and Deaf Kidz International. The charities hold a particularly important place in her heart after she herself was diagnosed as deaf shortly after being born. Prior to her fifth birthday, the Strictly star was fitted with a cochlear implant which helps people hear by electrically stimulating the auditory nerve. More recently, the former Love Islander has lent her support to a recent collaboration between Disney and the Make A Wish charity. The star appeared as the celebrity ambassador during their Disney Wish event at Hoar Cross Hall in Staffordshire. Over the course of three days, children with serious illnesses had the opportunity to meet and spend time with some of their favourite characters, as well as Tasha who was on hand to meet them and their families at the event. Looking back on her time spent with the children at the event, Tasha said that it "was such a beautiful, magical day, that I look back on and feel grateful to be part of".
The Guardian
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘The only thing we can't do is hear': the deaf pupil who beat Fife council in court
The slogan on Niamdh Braid's powder-blue sweatshirt puts it plainly enough: 'I define my own deaf identity.' 'We're in a world that's built for hearing people,' says the 16-year-old from Glenrothes in Fife, 'and we have to navigate through it to find what works best for us.' Earlier this year, the teenager won a legal battle with her local council to have a British Sign Language interpreter in lessons, after she realised how much of what was said in class she was missing out on. Niamdh, who has been deaf since birth, wears hearing aids, but can struggle to follow in noisy environments and her preferred language is BSL. As a younger child, she didn't have any deaf people she could look up to on TV or on the news. Now she hopes that through her advocacy 'younger deaf kids can look up to me and see that they can achieve anything'. 'A lot of people think that because we can't hear we can't achieve high-earning jobs and go into good professions,' says Niamdh, whose favourite subject is modern studies and who hopes to get into teaching then politics when she grows older. 'But the only thing we can't do is hear – there's nothing actually wrong with us. We can do anything that we put our mind to.' Yet deaf children are eight times more likely to leave school with no qualifications, according to the National Deaf Children's Society, which financially supported Niamdh's legal action. Niamdh was talking in advance of a report by MSPs that will reveal a significant fall in the number of specialist teachers of deaf people in Scotland. It is prompting the NDCS to warn of a 'growing crisis in deaf education' and lack of guidance from local authorities about what kind of support they should be providing deaf children in schools. At high school, she explains, there was an assumption that she did not need support because she was still achieving decent grades. But at Niamdh's tribunal, an independent assessment by a deaf education specialist found she was only accessing 70% of what was being said in class, even when her teacher wore a microphone transmitting to her hearing aids. Her dad, Steve, chips in: 'If she was accessing 100% at the teaching, imagine what she could be achieving. Why should she settle for average just because she's deaf?' Constantly struggling to hear came at a heavy price, and Niamdh was increasingly exhausted. 'I was always tired, asking to go to my bed at four o'clock before I'd had anything to eat.' At weekend she was too tired to go out with her friends. After her request for a BSL interpreter was turned down, first by her school and then by Fife council, Niamdh felt she had no choice: 'At this point it was getting close to my exams and I'd missed so much class already. I wanted to launch the action under my own name because it was for me, and I can voice my needs without the help of my parents.' Giving evidence, she explained that 'it's always a hearing person that makes decisions for the deaf person, and it shouldn't be the case. Because hearing people don't know what it's like to go through life in a world that's not built for them.' Early last year the tribunal ruled that Niamdh was being placed at 'substantial disadvantage', but the appeals process was only concluded this spring. 'When the last appeal got thrown out, it was the biggest relief I've ever felt,' says Niamdh. She went out for a Chinese buffet meal with her parents and younger brother to celebrate. The teenager, who takes part in taekwondo competitions and is a devoted fan of the hospital drama series Grey's Anatomy, says she's very lucky to have a close group of friends she's known since nursery school. 'It's all they've known with their friendship with me: if we're talking they need to face me, make sure there's not too much noise in the background.' She feels strongly that young deaf people should be allowed to make their own choices about what support they access, and that they are not a homogenous group: 'Everyone has their own way of communicating. It's not up to anyone else to decide that. 'It's the kid's choice of what they want to be as a deaf person. If they want to go without aids, if they want to have the hearing technology, if they want to be involved in the deaf community, let them decide.' Fife council's head of education and children's services, Angela Logue, said: 'We are continuing to work very closely with Niamdh and her family to meet her needs as identified by the outcomes of the tribunal.'
