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Belfast Telegraph columnist Bob McCullough has won a special award for his journalistic contribution to the deaf community over the past 25 years.Bob received the Centenary Award for his Belfast Telegraph column Deaf Talkabout during an event to celebrate 100 years of Deaf Heritage in Belfast's Wilton House - Northern Ireland's only deaf cultural and community centre.Wilton House is the administrative base for the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, National Deaf Children's Society, Northern Ireland Deaf Youth Association, Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People and the Ulster Deaf Sports Council.Up to 400 members of Ulster's deaf community joined the celebrations in Belfast City Hall at the weekend.The evening celebrated British and Irish sign languages, which are an integral and significant part of deaf culture.These languages were officially recognised in Northern Ireland by the Secretary of State in March 2004. Since then a number of deaf organisations and government departments have been working to establish local training courses for budding interpreters and tutors. The aim is to increase the current quota of 10 interpreters to 40, to enable the 5,000 sign languages users living in Northern Ireland to gain equal access to communication and information in healthcare, education and employment.Brian Symington, director of RNID NI, said: "This celebration evening was a wonderful event, highlighting the very best of the often hidden talents of local deaf people. Belfast's heritage and culture has been enhanced over the last 100 years by this thriving deaf community and we look forward to the next 100 years when local deaf people will become even more prominent in local society."Other awards to mark the achievements of local deaf people went to Alfred Hagan, who was presented with the Lesley Dickinson Award for volunteering, and John Carberry, who won the Wilhelmina Tredennick Award for improving communication between deaf and hearing people.In addition, the Francis Maginn Award for lifetime achievement for services to the deaf community was presented to Malachy McBurney.