A five-member team of academics and experts in sign language from the UCLan and its centre, iSLanDS, the International Centre for Sign Languages and Deaf Studies, is currently in discussions with the IGNOU think-tank about the feasibility of sustained academic development in the area in India.

The second stage of discussion is slated to take place in the week beginning May 11, which, besides the present academics and experts, educators from UCLan's quality assurance wing also might join to validate the degree programme and also probably sign a formal agreement.

According to Prof Ulrike Zeshan, director of iSLanDS, "The first batch of students should be able to start their studies in summer 2009." The pass-outs of the programme will get two degrees, one from the IGNOU and the other from the UCLan. Coordinators also will be two -- Prof Ulrike Zeshan from UCLan and Prof Ramanujam from IGNOU.

Applied Sign Language is a new area of study in higher education. The field is posed at the crossroads between applied linguistics and the study of sign languages and deaf communities. Sign languages are natural human languages which are on par with spoken languages at all levels of linguistic organisation.