Hello. My name is Erin McCluskey. This is a Wee BSL Blethers video on role models.
You will see I have somebody with me. Could you introduce yourself please?
My name is Margaret McLean.
Marvellous! Do you have a sign name, Margaret?
Just MML.
I’ll call you this sign name today if that’s alright? Okay. So I am going to
interview Margaret about her childhood. Find out what it was like for her growing up,
getting her first job and so on. I’m really looking forward to finding out more.
Margaret, firstly, can I ask what it was like for you growing up?
Well I come from a Deaf family so BSL was used every day at home.
I only have a ran into issues outside of home, with hearing people.
It did make me a bit reluctant to mix.
So growing up things were pretty easy and comfortable in terms of accessible
communication, at home at least?
Easy, yes. Everybody signed every day within my family so there were no issues at all.
So your family were all Deaf then?
Yes.
Parents? Your siblings?
Yes, all Deaf.
And were you all close?
Yes, we were a close family I would say, because of BSL. I was closest to
my father because he would tell me a lot of stuff. I think he was my
role model growing up.
How lovely. Your dad was your role model.
Yes.
He encouraged and supported you growing up?
Yes.
Marvellous. And that’s a perfect link into what I want to ask you about next
because I want to talk about school. When you first went to school, what was it like?
I first went to a local school. One I could walk to from home. I think it was only about
five minutes away. My parents wanted me to go there so I was nearby.
They did not want to send me away to boarding school.
Unfortunately, the focus was very much on speaking and listening so my parents
eventually decided to send me to a school in Glasgow where they used sign language.
Makes sense. So your parents decided to remove you from that local school
because it did not suit you and they had to send you away.
Were you happy at your school in Glasgow?
It was okay. They used sign language there, but the teachers couldn’t really
sign very well. They would speak and throw in a few signs here in there, but not many.
And at that time I guess sign language was very much seen as undesirable, am I right?
Yes. It was a long time ago now and there were very old-fashioned views.
There was no real awareness of the language or its importance.
I think things are very different now of course.
Yes.
So, thinking about school, what was your favourite topic and what did
you really hate learning about?
I really loved arithmetic. Nobody calls it that anymore. It’s become maths hasn’t it.
But we used to call it arithmetic.
Oh really! So you were good at that and enjoyed it?
Yes. I loved arithmetic. I was okay at English. The subject I really hated was sewing.
Really! Why?
Yes! I always used to mess it up and get it wrong. I found it really frustrating.
Maybe you lacked confidence in that subject.
I think you’re right.
So you progressed through your schooling and eventually left school. Did you have any
support to help you find a job. Did you go to college or university?
There was nothing really back then. I do remember meeting with the
Careers Advisor and telling them I wanted to become a Teacher of the Deaf.
They told me I could not do that because I was Deaf myself. What a discriminatory attitude!
I decided to ask the social worker about it and told them the same thing,
that I wanted to become a Teacher of the Deaf. They also told me that I could
not do that job and suggested that I become a machinist. I refused and they
said I would have to go to the DHSS in that case.
What is the DHSS?
It’s what’s known as the DWP these days.
Oh I see.
Similar to the job centre now. So I went along, and they suggested I try for office
work, which sounded okay, but it meant I had to go to college. They helped me fill
in the application forms and I sent them off. I soon heard that I’d been
offered a place which was great. I went to college to learn how to be a secretary,
but I found it really difficult because I did not have an interpreter.
How did you get on?
I managed the best I could. I kept asking the lady sat next to me what we were
supposed to be doing. I think she found it a bit frustrating.
She was fed up that I was taking up her time. I tried my best though and
I did get through the course and luckily, straight out to work.
And you got your certificate? Did you go off and work in an office then?
Yes that’s right. The course was a year and then after that I got a job in an office.
I was there for seven years, then I left to start a family.
So when you became pregnant, you left your job and focused on raising your family.
Did you take on any other work after that?
I did a few little jobs, but nothing interesting until I saw an advert for a
BSL role model essentially. At that time, the role was known as an auxiliary.
It’s changed now. I was not successful the first time I applied for one of these roles.
It wasn’t until my third attempt that I finally got a job.
Do you know why you were unsuccessful the first two times you tried?