WEBVTT 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Hello. My name is Erin McCluskey. This is a Wee BSL Blethers video on role models. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You will see I have somebody with me. Could you introduce yourself please? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 My name is Margaret McLean. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Marvellous! Do you have a sign name, Margaret? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Just MML. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I’ll call you this sign name today if that’s alright? Okay. So I am going to 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 interview Margaret about her childhood. Find out what it was like for her growing up, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 getting her first job and so on. I’m really looking forward to finding out more. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Margaret, firstly, can I ask what it was like for you growing up? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Well I come from a Deaf family so BSL was used every day at home. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I only have a ran into issues outside of home, with hearing people. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It did make me a bit reluctant to mix. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So growing up things were pretty easy and comfortable in terms of accessible 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 communication, at home at least? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Easy, yes. Everybody signed every day within my family so there were no issues at all. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So your family were all Deaf then? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yes. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Parents? Your siblings? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yes, all Deaf. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And were you all close? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yes, we were a close family I would say, because of BSL. I was closest to 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 my father because he would tell me a lot of stuff. I think he was my 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 role model growing up. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 How lovely. Your dad was your role model. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yes. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 He encouraged and supported you growing up? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yes. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Marvellous. And that’s a perfect link into what I want to ask you about next 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because I want to talk about school. When you first went to school, what was it like? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I first went to a local school. One I could walk to from home. I think it was only about 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 five minutes away. My parents wanted me to go there so I was nearby. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 They did not want to send me away to boarding school. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Unfortunately, the focus was very much on speaking and listening so my parents 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 eventually decided to send me to a school in Glasgow where they used sign language. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Makes sense. So your parents decided to remove you from that local school 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because it did not suit you and they had to send you away. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Were you happy at your school in Glasgow? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It was okay. They used sign language there, but the teachers couldn’t really 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 sign very well. They would speak and throw in a few signs here in there, but not many. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And at that time I guess sign language was very much seen as undesirable, am I right? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yes. It was a long time ago now and there were very old-fashioned views. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 There was no real awareness of the language or its importance. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I think things are very different now of course. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yes. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So, thinking about school, what was your favourite topic and what did 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you really hate learning about? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I really loved arithmetic. Nobody calls it that anymore. It’s become maths hasn’t it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But we used to call it arithmetic. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Oh really! So you were good at that and enjoyed it? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yes. I loved arithmetic. I was okay at English. The subject I really hated was sewing. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Really! Why? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yes! I always used to mess it up and get it wrong. I found it really frustrating. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Maybe you lacked confidence in that subject. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I think you’re right. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So you progressed through your schooling and eventually left school. Did you have any 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 support to help you find a job. Did you go to college or university? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 There was nothing really back then. I do remember meeting with the 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Careers Advisor and telling them I wanted to become a Teacher of the Deaf. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 They told me I could not do that because I was Deaf myself. What a discriminatory attitude! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I decided to ask the social worker about it and told them the same thing, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that I wanted to become a Teacher of the Deaf. They also told me that I could 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 not do that job and suggested that I become a machinist. I refused and they 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 said I would have to go to the DHSS in that case. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 What is the DHSS? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It’s what’s known as the DWP these days. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Oh I see. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Similar to the job centre now. So I went along, and they suggested I try for office 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 work, which sounded okay, but it meant I had to go to college. They helped me fill 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in the application forms and I sent them off. I soon heard that I’d been 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 offered a place which was great. I went to college to learn how to be a secretary, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but I found it really difficult because I did not have an interpreter. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 How did you get on? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I managed the best I could. I kept asking the lady sat next to me what we were 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 supposed to be doing. I think she found it a bit frustrating. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 She was fed up that I was taking up her time. I tried my best though and 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I did get through the course and luckily, straight out to work. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And you got your certificate? Did you go off and work in an office then? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yes that’s right. The course was a year and then after that I got a job in an office. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I was there for seven years, then I left to start a family. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So when you became pregnant, you left your job and focused on raising your family. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Did you take on any other work after that? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I did a few little jobs, but nothing interesting until I saw an advert for a 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 BSL role model essentially. At that time, the role was known as an auxiliary. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It’s changed now. I was not successful the first time I applied for one of these roles. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It wasn’t until my third attempt that I finally got a job. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Do you know why you were unsuccessful the first two times you tried?