Let’s celebrate Sign Language Week 2021

#Sign

Language

For

All

Videos

Day 7 - Sunday 21st March

Sign Language for life

Easthill Home for Deaf People on the Isle of Wight provides residential care for Deaf people who use sign language.

This Deaf-friendly environment embraces Deaf culture and sign language. This ensures the Deaf residents receive the care and support they are entitled to – without any of the stresses, frustrations or challenges of being understood, being included and being recognised.

The residents in our video tell us how they feel included and enjoy the benefits of an environment where everybody uses sign language.

Day 6 - Saturday 20th March

Sign Language and Deaf Clubs

Deaf clubs provide so much more than a space for Deaf people to meet and socialise together. Going to deaf clubs and participating in activities is a way of life for many Deaf people – a way of life that has been passed on through families and generations.

Our video feature a typical social evening at the deaf club in Swansea. Here, the regulars explain the importance of their deaf club and their reasons for attending. Deaf clubs provide vital resources and a support network that everybody can access as equals with sign language.

Day 5 - Friday 19th March

Sign Language and diversity

Sign Language is for everybody, and, is shared and enjoyed by many children, people, families, groups and communities.

Our video shows a Friday (Jummah) sermon in BSL organised by Muslim Deaf UK and the Muslim World League London Office. The Muslim Deaf UK work toward ensuring that Islam is accessible to the Deaf Community in BSL, and to provide support to Deaf Muslims in the development and learning of their faith and culture.

This shows the importance of sign language for access and equal opportunities for all Deaf people, across a wide-range of backgrounds, and beliefs.

Day 4 - Thursday 18th March

BSL Act Now!

A campaign plan is vital for a winning ‘BSL Act Now’ campaign. A strong and clear plan will serve as a roadmap to achieving our ultimate goal of a BSL Act.

The 18th March 2003 was when the UK Government formally recognised British Sign Language as a language in its own right. It also promised to look into a legal status for BSL. Eighteen years on, we’re still waiting. Waiting for the key to the door to a BSL Act. No more.

We’re not waiting any longer.

Day 3 - Wednesday 17th March

Sign Language through history

The British Deaf Association’s archives contain film footage and photographs that show the rich and vibrant history of the Deaf Community. Film footage from as early as the 1930s demonstrate how sign language has always been a vital constant for the Deaf Community.

Our video shows a journey of British Sign Language (BSL) through early footage of special occasions and events, BDA’s events, rallies and congresses, to the BSL Marches that resulted in the UK Government recognising BSL on 18^th March, in 2003.

The journey of BSL continues with the Scottish Parliament passing the British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill on 17^th September 2015, further developments in Wales, as well as Northern Ireland’s BSL/ISL Bill.

Day 2 - Tuesday 16th March

Sign Language in schools

Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children (Camden, London) is a school that operates with a bilingual philosophy – treating the learning of British Sign Language and English with equal importance. The school aims to maximise their children’s social, emotional and cognitive development through the use of British Sign Language with the expectation that children will achieve fluency in BSL, literacy, and age appropriate levels of attainment across the whole curriculum.

Our video shows how sign language can be used in classes by both Deaf and hearing teaching staff and how students are able to fully access lessons and interact with their peers as equals.

Day 1 - Monday 15th March

Sign Language in the home

Dr Kate Rowley (UCL Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre), highlights the issues around language deprivation and the essential role sign language holds for supporting early language acquisition.

Research indicates that up to 19 out of 20 deaf children are born into hearing families, yet families are not automatically offered Sign Language classes.

The British Deaf Association’s ‘Family Signing in the Home’ project recognises that teaching sign language to deaf children, as early as possible, creates a foundation for language which is accessible, and strengthens future language development. The project provides positive role models for the families through regular visits from a Deaf Sign Language tutor.

Day 4 – Thursday 19th March

Sign Language and diversity

Sign Language is for everybody, and, is shared and enjoyed by many children, people, families, groups and communities.

This shows the importance of sign language for access and equal opportunities for all Deaf people, across a wide-range of backgrounds, and beliefs.

Day 5 – Friday 20th March

Sign Language and Deaf clubs

Footage of Swansea Deaf Club – text to follow.

Day 4 - 21st March

With sign language, comes a rich and diverse culture. This is why we often talk about Dr Paddy Ladd’s seminal concept ‘Deafhood’.

Deafhood is all about the process of acceptance and celebration of Deaf identity, and sharing our lives with each other as a community. Deafhood reaches beyond nationality and unites us all, but also recognises and celebrates our diverse backgrounds and identities.

Deafhood is something of which we are proud, and our sense of Deafhood has enabled us to remain strong as a community, defy expectations and break down barriers.

Deafhood exemplifies that with sign language and culture – we prosper!

Day 3 - 20th March

The potential of our young deaf people is boundless.

Every day we see deaf young people achieving great things, and their enthusiasm and skills will make them great leaders of tomorrow.

However, decisions are being made that are putting their futures in jeopardy. We have seen restrictions to funding, early intervention, language access, and access to the Deaf community.

Through programmes such as Deaf Roots and Pride, we reach out to young deaf people, who are often isolated or low in confidence. We provide strong Deaf role models, opportunities to socialise with deaf peers, and language development. In addition, the project provides essential practical support for them, their families, and their schools.

Watch Esha’s story to find out more.

By nurturing our young people through sign language and culture – we prosper!

Day 2 - 19th March

When deaf babies are diagnosed, families are not automatically offered Sign Language classes.

Teaching Sign Language to deaf children, as early as possible, creates a foundation for language which is accessible, and strengthens future language acquisition.

Watch these families’ stories to see how “With Sign Language and Culture we Prosper!”

Find out more about Family Signing in the Home

Day 1 - 18th March

This Sign Language Week we recognise the importance of sign language in the home. For a Deaf child to reach their full potential, it is vital that both the child, parents and siblings learn to sign.

Last year saw the launch of the innovative project StorySign which provides high quality sign language translations of popular early years books.

As partners of the project, the BDA were excited for the potential for encouraging sign language in the home from the very start.

Research indicates up to 19 out of 20 deaf children are born into hearing families. We want to embolden families to know that with sign language and culture – we prosper!

Get Involved

You can support Sign Language Week by sending in videos of yourself or groups signing to the camera any, or all, of the three statements: ‘Sign Language for All’, ‘Sign Language for Me’, ‘Sign Language for You’

Please remember to film these in landscape view rather than portrait and send these to vlt@bda.org.uk. By sending your films in you are agreeing to the British Deaf Association using your film as part of our promotion for Sign Language Week. We want as many people as possible to get involved!

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