Doug Alker

Doug Alker (1940 - 2025) was the former chair of the British Deaf Association and the Royal National Institute for the Deaf.[1][2][3] His self-published 2000 book, Really Not Interested in the Deaf?, is a criticism of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) and the story of his departure from the group.[4]

After leaving RNID Alker set up the radical political pressure group Federation of Deaf People (FDP) in 1998.[5] As the chair, he and the FDP are primarily responsible for pressuring the UK government into officially recognizing British Sign Language.[6] The FDP organised a 4000-strong march to Trafalgar Square in 1999 demanding the recognition of BSL.[5] The march also delivered a petition to 10 Downing Street with 30,000 signatures backing the cause.[5] On 18 March 2003 the UK government formally recognized that BSL is a language in its own right.[7]

He previously worked as a researcher for the BBC television programme See Hear.[1]

Publications

  • Alker, Doug (1 July 2000). Really Not Interested in the Deaf?. Doug Alker. ISBN 978-0953903702.

References

  1. ^ a b Paul Myers (2 December 1994). "Campaigners Hail Charity's Appointment of Deaf Chief". The Guardian.
  2. ^ Laura Noble (19 January 1995). "New chief sends out the right signals Doug Alker's deafness hasn't stopped him taking his organisation's top job. Laura Noble reports". The Independent.
  3. ^ Linda Jackson (1 December 1994). "Charity Names Deaf Chief Executive". Press Association.
  4. ^ David Brindle (5 July 2000). "Blood on the pages: Britain's leading deaf charity riven by warring factions". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  5. ^ a b c Ladd, Paddy (2003). Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood (1st ed.). Multilingual Matters. pp. xxii-30. ISBN 9781847696892.
  6. ^ "Thousands "Sign Up" For Deaf March". PR Newswire. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  7. ^ Stiles, H. Dominic W. (13 November 2013). "Official recognition of British Sign Language 1987-2003 – suggested reading". blogs.ucl.ac.uk/. Retrieved 28 July 2015.


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