Empowered by Learning BSL- Paola Brolis:
Hello everyone!
I’m Paola, a hearing mum who started learning BSL nearly 3 years ago, after my Deaf daughter Everly was born.
In my life before Everly, I didn’t know any Deaf person and knew nothing about Deafness. I started learning level 1 shortly after, and I soon became very passionate about this beautiful language! It’s not easy at the beginning (hearing people lack manual skills – Italians, like me, included haha!), but as soon as some skills are developed the fun begins!
BSL is such a rich language that enables communication at a deeper level – that’s what really draws me to it. The connection and bond I have developed with my daughter is enriched by BSL in ways I could never imagine could be reached by speech on its own.
My classes were in the evening and face to face, I made hearing and deaf friends who joined me in my level 2 after – and with whom I’m still in touch – life is busy but there’s plenty of online opportunities to meet and practice! (Practice is the KEY word when it comes to BSL!)
Getting out and about with Everly is always fun: she’s an energetic little girl who is developing great BSL skills and has a strong will (and lots of requests!). BSL is her first language, and when people see us signing are always curious and tend to either stare at us or come and ask ‘is she Deaf?’ – ‘She is’, I reply – ‘and can she sign?’ – ‘oh yes!’
‘She’s so clever!’ they reply – and I very proudly say: ‘Yes she is’.
I do think signing is a bit like my superpower, and I love signing in public, as it also gives me the opportunity to educate people about it and hopefully inspire some learning (don’t get me started on ‘no BSL is NOT Makaton’ discussion!)
I always say that learning BSL is not about becoming fluent or being able to have a signed conversation on difficult topics – a basic level of BSL can make a little girl’s day! Like when we went to meet Father Christmas last December, and I ask him if he could sign ‘happy Christmas’ to Everly.
She was SO happy and when more staff joined in, people around us got interested and joined in too– a very special moment for us!
It’s true that a little goes a long way!
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Learning BSL empowers me in so many ways: by providing full access to language for Everly, in everyday activities and situations (yes, even during hospital appointments) by sharing my knowledge in educating others; by being able to immerse myself in the Deaf community, learning their culture, history and different lived experiences …and, of course, by surrounding Everly with essential support from her community.
Everly has recently started pre-school at a mainstream nursery, where she is lucky to have 1:1 support of a fabulous BSL skilled person. She’s a confident communicator and is not shy in showing signs to her little friends- who are learning so quickly!
Things for me are getting harder and harder with studying level 3 but seeing her so confident fills me with motivation and will to keep going!
I often imagine (and I’m sure it’s not just me!) a world where Everly has full access to life in the same way hearing people have, without those ‘man-made’ challenges that require daily fights and upset…and when I ask myself: HOW?
The ‘easy’ answer would be…. Learn BSL!
No, it’s not easy…but I promise you it’s worthy if you can give it a try!