 DCU has launched the first Bachelor's of Education pathway in Ireland to enable deaf and hard of hearing people who use sign language to become primary school teachers. The Bachelor's of Education through sign language will begin on a pilot basis in September 2019 and is open to students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Traditionally the languages needed to enter primary school teaching have been English and Irish, but the new pathway into the BED will offer an increased access and inclusion for all in the classroom, with Leathingsford, Irish being replaced with an entry requirement at similar level in sign language. Okay, so we have a new pathway into the BED here that's specifically for deaf people who use Irish sign language, so when they come into the BED they will take most of their modules along with their hearing peers with the support of an Irish sign language interpreter, but we also have a number of modules in a specialism that are specifically related to deaf education and they'll take a number of additional modules in Irish sign language teaching and to increase their own level of Irish sign language expertise. We're starting in September 2019 and the deadline for CAO applicants is Friday February the 1st. The pathway will include the core modules that are taught in the current full-time four-year undergraduate course and will have modules specific to deaf education also. The programme was formally launched by the Minister of Education and Skills, Joma Q, who said the pathway will open the door to a world of teaching for both young people who use Irish sign language and also for people who want to teach through sign. Karen Gaffney, DCTV News.