Author Imran Najafi says a lack of adequate provisions for deaf people in hospitals leads to an unacceptable lack of communication

WHEN any of us go for a hospital appointment there is always some uncertainty. This is perfectly natural as there's a fear of the unknown. The good thing is we can remove at least some of our anxiety by questioning a consultant.

Jonathan Rimmer rounds up the best new tracks from Scottish artists, or at least artists who are Scotland-based or on a Scottish label - he doesn't judge

Jarlath Henderson - Courting Is a Pleasure

Genre: Traditional, Folk, Singer-Songwriter

County Tyrone-born but Scotland-based songwriter Henderson is a quite sensational vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who deserves to make a big impact this year.

New data published by the Scottish Social Attitudes survey shows stronger support for devolution than independence - but is everything as it seems?

POLLS are essential in providing a backdrop into public opinion. They can cover many different topics such as independence, welfare and foreign affairs. But how much does the language used in polls and the way questions are worded influence someone's opinion?

Festival aims to showcase alternative film culture

GLASGOW is to host a new film festival during the May Day holiday weekend showcasing a variety of works by activists and academics involved in radical film culture.

The Radical Film Network (RFN) - a group set up to bring together filmmakers and activists considered to have a "political affiliation to the radical left, the traditions of socialism, anarchism and environmentalism" - will showcase a diverse range of work in alternative exhibition spaces across the city.

Campaigners and academics give their take on the chancellor's plans to levy the sugar in soft drinks

Anni Donaldson, a member of the a Strathclyde University project team which has just secured the backing of the Scottish Government, explains how the team's work aims to tackle gender-based violence on campuses

Nourish Scotland executive director Pete Ritchie takes a futuristic view of a world with driverless cars under public ownership...

"AND yet it moves" - Galileo's best-known words - could have been the slogan of choice for the first driverless cars; but in the end his 'Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems' became more apposite in what became a defining moment in postcapitalist transition.

Judy Wilkinson of the Ragged Band - a group of allotment plot-holders, growers, cooks, artists and storytellers that operate with co-operative principles - explains how allotments could play a role in enhancing local democracy

ALLOTMENTS SPRING is coming and to Scottish allotment plot-holders it means just one thing - planting their plot. But this Spring, allotments will also be on the agenda for every local authority across Scotland.

CommonSpace columnist and director of Saorsa Ergonomics David Carr explores Scotland's maritime heritage and its potential to revitalise our economy

SCOTLAND has 10,250 miles of coastline. The west in particular has an abundance of islands and fjord-like sea lochs. We are easily reachable by sea from neighbouring countries. We have an abundance of natural resources, from petrochemical deposits beneath our continental shelf to Europe's strongest winds and tides. These are the geographic elements that shape how we carry ourselves.