Vadodara: Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) and University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), UK set to start three-year BA (Hons) programme in Applied Sign Language Studies from July this year.

The course structure includes English reading skills, IT and numeracy, signing skills, text composition skills and personal development planning. The additional one-year foundation programme associated with the BA programme focuses on intensive English literacy skills as well as other skills required for higher education.

The programme is certified both by the UCLAN and Ignou. It will follow the UCLAN curriculum, assessment and grading system and will be taught and administered according to the UK education system.

The BA programme hopes to create job opportunities for hearing-impaired deaf students in various fields, mainly in the field of academics as teachers, interpreters and sign language instructors.