Hello, I’m Kate Rowley and I am a lecturer at the Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre (DCAL).
I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been awarded a £1.4 million grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to lead a five-year research project exploring tactile British Sign Language (BSL) – also known as “hands-on” signing – used by deafblind individuals across the UK.
This project will be the first of its kind to deeply investigate tactile BSL: who uses it, how accessible it is, what it looks like in practice, and how it’s processed in the brain. Our goal is to better understand and support the communication needs of the deafblind community.
I’ll be working closely with deafblind individuals and organisations throughout the project. An advisory board – made up of deafblind people, professionals, and advocates – will help guide the research to ensure it reflects lived experiences and community priorities. We’ll also begin with focus groups to learn directly from tactile BSL users about best practices for inclusive and respectful research.
Excitingly, the project will create new job opportunities:
- Research Assistant
- PhD student
- Postdoctoral Researcher
Full time and part time options are available.
The project officially begins in January 2026, and recruitment for the Research Assistant and PhD student will start soon. Deafblind and deaf sighted people who are fluent in sign language are especially encouraged to apply.
Stay tuned for job postings and updates – we’re building something meaningful, and we’d love for you to be part of it. Follow updates on DCAL’s website and social media channels