THE SIGNATURE OFFICE IS CLOSED FOR EASTER AND WILL REOPEN ON TUESDAY 7TH APRIL

Sign Language Week

Sign Language Week will be running from 16th – 22nd March 2026 and is run on an annual basis by the British Deaf Association (BDA). It is celebrated each year in March to coincide with the anniversary of the recognition of BSL by the British Government in 2003.

The theme for Sign Language Week 2026 is: ‘United in Sign’, a celebration of unity, pride, and collective action around sign languages and Deaf culture. 

The aim of the campaign is to encourage people of all ages across the UK to take up the challenge of learning BSL for themselves and finding out more about the language and culture of the Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing British people for whom BSL is their first or preferred language.

The positive impact of BSL on thousands of Deaf and hard of hearing people are often under appreciated. Our goal is to make everyone realise the importance of BSL, and how awareness can make a big difference.

Sign Language Week text in navy blue, with 2 nlue hands on the left signing.

In April 2022 a Bill to recognise British Sign Language as a language of England, Wales and Scotland was passed by the UK Government; to require the Secretary of State to report on the promotion and facilitation of the use of British Sign Language by ministerial government departments; and to require guidance to be issued in relation to British Sign Language.

Get Involved

There are many ways to get involved, whether you are an individual, a school or an organisation:

  • Learn some BSL at home, such as days of the week or how to greet someone using BSL.
  • If you are a school or home educator, sign up to The School of Signs, a free programme of study which is offering a special Sign Language Week lesson on Deaf culture to all schools in the UK. Whether you have taught BSL before or not, this is a great opportunity to learn about the language and the culture behind it.
  • Keep up to date with Signature socials as we share useful learning resources!
  • Spread the word yourself, for example, by learning and sharing how to fingerspell your name using our fingerspelling generator on social media with the hashtag #SignLanguageWeek

BSL Resources

Signature has created a selection of FREE British Sign Language learning resources for you to download and print.

You are free to use these around your schools, offices and at home, we’d love to see a photo if you put them up, share on social media, tag @SignatureDeaf.

These resources include posters, flashcards, activities and videos that you can use to gain some BSL knowledge.

Fingerspelling Charts

Sign Language Poster

Learn British Sign Language with Signature

If you have been inspired to learn British Sign Language with Signature, you can find a centre in your local area that currently offers our qualifications. You can find the centre search tool here.

Our previous Campaigns...

What is Deaf Culture to you?

In 2022 we asked members of our board and the deaf community what Deaf culture was for them.

In 2019, to help raise awareness of BSL, we have enlisted the help of friends of Signature, MP’s, celebrities, sports clubs and notable organisations to create a short BSL video for us to share on social media.

We hope that this shows that support and understanding of BSL continues to grow, and that opportunities for people to get involved and learn are now more accessible than ever.

You can see some of the Organisations, celebrities and MP’s who have got involved below.

Signature Staff

Harry Redknapp

Steph McGovern

Michail Antonio

West Ham United

Marko Arnautovic

West Ham United

Sunderland AFC

Beth Mead

Arsenal and England Womens Footballer

Gillingham FC

Mind Rockets

Rachael Maskell MP

Paul O'Grady

Worcestershire Wolves

ITV SignPost

British Airways

UK Space Agency

Intu Metro Centre

MacMillan Cancer Support

Lillian Greenwood MP

Thangham Debbonaire MP

Scarlette Douglas

Smethwick Fire Service

Blue Watch

Wayne Barrow

Health Watch Dudley

Northants County Cricket Club

Northumbrian Water

Rachel Shenton

Wimbledon

Preet Kaur Gill MP

Jill Halfpenny

Deafie Blogger

Signature Board

Catherine McKinnell MP

Huddersfield Town Football Club

1st Burnmoor Beavers

Learning for Life

Enquiries

Leave your Name, Email and the manner of your enquiry and member of our very helpful team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Skip to content