Sign Language Week
Sign Language Week will be running from 15th - 21st March 2021. Sign Language Week is celebrated each year in March to coincide with the anniversary of the recognition of Sign Language by the British Government in 2003.
Sign Language Week is run on an annual basis by the British Deaf Association (BDA)
This year's theme is 'Sign Language for all'.
The goal for the week is to show that Sign Language is for everybody, and, is shared and enjoyed by many children, people, families, groups and communities.
The positive impact of BSL on thousands of Deaf and hard of hearing people is often underappreciated. Our goal is to make everyone realise the importance of BSL, and how awareness can make a big difference.
Get Involved
We'd love you to get involved with Sign Language Week. You can follow and interact with us across social media where we will be sharing plenty of posts - and don't forget to use #SignLanguageWeek so everyone can see it.
The Campaign
Sign Language Week is run on an annual basis by the British Deaf Association (BDA)
This year's theme is 'Sign Language for all'.BSL Resources
Signature BSL Resources to download and print.In 2019, to help us raise awareness of BSL, we have enlisted the help of friends of Signature. MP’s, celebrities, sports clubs and notable organisations signed 'Sign Language Week' to camera for us.
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.FAQs about British Sign Language
What is British Sign Language?
British Sign Language (BSL) was recognised by the government as a language in its own right in March 2003. BSL is the first or preferred language of an estimated 70,000 Deaf people in the UK. BSL is a visual-gestural language, with its own grammar and principles, which are completely different from the grammatical structure of English.
We offer qualifications in British Sign Language from Level 1 to Level 6. Since 2015 Signature have been working towards a GCSE in British Sign Language. You can read out latest update on this here - Read updateWho uses British Sign Language?
There are some 150,000 Deaf adults and children in the UK who use BSL and for 70,000 of them, BSL is their preferred means of communication.
Why is British Sign Language important?
Many people view sign language as a means of communication for someone who has been profoundly deaf from childhood. It is important for us view BSL as a language in its own right, used by both Deaf and hearing people in the UK.
There are currently 10 million people suffering from hearing loss in the UK and more than 800,000 are either severely or profoundly deaf.Where can I Learn British Sign Language?
Signature has centres across the UK. To find your local Signature centre enter your postcode below:
British Sign Language Stats
Stats below from research by Action on Hearing Loss
There are 11 million people with hearing loss across the UK, that's around one in six of us. By 2035, we estimate there'll be around 15.6 million people with hearing loss across the UK - that's one in five. There are 50,000 children with hearing loss in the UK. Around half are born with hearing loss while the other half lose their hearing during childhood. An estimated 900,000 people in the UK have severe or profound hearing loss. We estimate that there are at least 24,000 people across the UK who use British Sign Language (BSL) as their main language (although there are likely to be more that we don't know about). More than 40% of people over 50 years old have hearing loss, rising to 71% of people over the age of 70. Around one in 10 UK adults has tinnitus.Why choose Signature to learn British Sign Language with?
Signature is the leading awarding body for deaf communications qualifications in the UK.
Since beginning our work to promote and teach British Sign Language (BSL), we have supported more than 430,000 people to learn the British Sign Language. We create qualifications that provide our learners with the skills they need to build successful careers. While as a charitable organisation, we work tirelessly to improve communication, by creating learning opportunities for every stage of life. Signature was named ‘Awarding Organisation of the Year’ at the 2019 FAB Awards. The FAB Awards are run by the Federation of Awarding Bodies.What career paths could I follow?
Completing a Signature qualification could lead you on the path to a number of exciting careers.
TV Presenter British Sign Language Teacher Sign Language Interpreter Sign Language Translator Communication Support Worker Lip Speaker Notetaker Deafblind InterpreterLearn 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.