Attending a school which had Teachers of Deaf children and young people, or teachers who could sign BSL fluently and had an understanding of Deaf culture and identity, was considered to be an extremely helpful and supportive approach.  These teachers became Deaf role models that the Deaf pupils looked up to and could subsequently model themselves on.

Having a number of Deaf pupils in a school made it easier to socialise, build up friendships and reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Where a specific person was identified as a single point of contact for Deaf pupils and students, this helped ensure support was provided and that any issues were dealt with quickly.  This member of staff would then check the timetable, ensure everything was in place and that BSL/English interpreters had been booked.  They also helped Deaf pupils and students to understand what was going on as they progressed throughout the course.

Having the chance to get involved in activities of interest out with school created opportunities and supported future career pathways.  An example of this was the Scottish Youth Parliament.  One school arranged for a participant to find out more information and eventually become a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP).

In university, lecturers who regularly checked in with Deaf students to ensure they were okay or whether they needed any extra help was a supportive and much appreciated approach.

Transitioning from school to college and then onto university could present challenges in terms of language requirements and complexities.  The interpretation from BSL to written English was an added, but ongoing challenge, given that new language and terminology was being learned all the time.  Extra support to understand concepts, jargon and the meaning of English words was a really helpful approach.  Assessments, essays and examinations whether in BSL or English would have been more challenging had the support not been put in place.