In Devon our Sensory and Physical Team support more than 1,000 children or young people, from birth through to 25 years old, who are deaf or have hearing loss. This week, Monday 18 September to Sunday 24 September, is International Week of Deaf People and the theme is a world where Deaf people can sign everywhere. So we’re sharing ways people across Devon can discover more about British Sign Language (BSL), including how to learn it.
Did you know British Sign Language (BSL) is now an official language of the UK? And that there are 300 different sign languages in the world? This year the World Federation of the Deaf are celebrating the unity created by sign languages. Watch this video clip from Debra May, our Advisory Deaf Inclusion Worker, to learn how to sign ‘World’, ‘Deaf’ ‘Sign’ and ‘United’ for this year’s awareness week.
Did you know:
- There has been a government consultation on having a GCSE BSL qualification in schools? Read more about Ofqual’s proposal for GCSE qualifications in British Sign Language.
- 200 new signs have been launched with a focus on biodiversity, ecosystems, physical environment and pollution. Find out more at the Scottish Sensory Centre Home.
You can learn more about BSL and whether society is adapting fast enough to allow equality amongst the deaf and hearing worlds in this powerful documentary by Strictly Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis. BBC One – Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change.
If you would like to start learning BSL, there are lots of ways to get started.
Watch Debra sign the vocabulary for greetings.
And the National Deaf Children Society has a list of apps to help you learn BSL.
Our Sensory and Physical Team have also created an e-learning course – Introduction to BSL – which is suitable for anyone who wants to learn the basics of BSL. Watch a signed intro to the course here.
If you are a parent or carer of a child under five who is deaf or has hearing loss, our Sensory and Physical Team hold a Happy Hands session once a month in Exeter. This is an opportunity to get together with other parent/carers to support each other whilst also providing a stimulating environment for your child. You also get the opportunity to meet other professionals that may be involved with your child such as audiologists or speech and language therapists. More details about Happy Hands are on our website.
The Buzz is a website that gives deaf children and young people a safe and positive online space of their own. It is run by the National Deaf Children’s Society and gives deaf young people the opportunity to make new friends, check out the latest information, and to raise and chat about issues that matter to them. Learn more about the Buzz.
If you are an educator in Devon who would like to learn more about supporting children and young people who are deaf, contact the Sensory and Physical Team. We also have a range of short videos in BSL, such as the BSL for people and things in the Star Wars universe, or a reading of the story ‘Goose’.