British Sign Language (BSL) is a visual means of communicating using gestures, facial expression and body language. It is used mainly by people who are Deaf or to support those who have a hearing loss. BSL was recognised by the British Government as a language on 18 March 2003.
There are currently 10 million people who have a hearing loss in the UK and more than 800,000 are either severely or profoundly deaf. Around 150,000 of these people use BSL to communicate on a daily basis.
With almost 40 years experience, Signature is the leading awarding body for deaf communication qualifications in the UK. Since we began our work to promote and teach BSL, we've supported more than 420,000 people to learn the language.