TU Dublin Creative Digital Media Students Create Irish Sign Language Resources for Schools

Three of our third-year Creative Digital Media students recently completed an impactful professional project in collaboration with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), developing essential Irish Sign Language (ISL) educational resources that are now being used across Irish schools.

The third year Professional Project, which aligned perfectly with our programme’s emphasis on real-world experience, saw our students working directly with NCSE’s ISL Advisory team to create both print and video materials for the 27th FEAPDA Congress in Dublin and for nationwide educational use.

Working in the Blanchardstown campus film studio, our students captured and produced professional-quality photographs and videos of ISL handshapes and signs. They then applied their advanced graphic design skills to create posters featuring the ISL alphabet and another showcasing common words and phrases. These materials were developed through an iterative design process, with our students incorporating feedback from both the NCSE team and the publishing house to meet their requirements.

Students applied their advanced graphic design skills to create posters featuring the ISL alphabet and another showcasing common words and phrases.

The Collaboration

Beyond the technical deliverables, our students gained invaluable professional experience. Before beginning the project, they participated in deaf awareness training and received an introduction to ISL, helping them better understand their client’s needs and the deaf community’s culture.

The success of this collaboration has led to it becoming an annual partnership between our Creative Digital Media programme and the NCSE, with this being the second year of producing ISL resources together. The project culminated in our students presenting their work to their peers, sharing their technical achievements and their insights into working with clients and creating inclusive educational materials.

The resulting digital assets are now available on the NCSE’s YouTube channel and are being used across Irish schools, demonstrating how our students’ work is making an impact.

Work with Creative Digital Media Students

Each year, from February to May, third-year Creative Digital Media students at TU Dublin, Blanchardstown collaborate with industry and community partners on 12-week professional projects. Contact sinead.curran[@]tudublin.ie to find out more.