Unless you are deaf or partially hearing, you cannot begin to imagine what it’s like to neither be able to hear a pin drop or a jumbo jet take off; the nothingness, the isolation, the social exclusion and resulting mental ill health that comes with the sound of silence as well as feeling different.
People often underestimate the power of conversation and regular social connection, whether accidental or intentional but it is a significant factor in protecting good mental wellbeing.
The deaf community don’t have the same opportunities for chit chat when they are in work or out and about. That’s the reason why we at Sign Source are on a mission, using our lived experience of being deaf or living in a deaf family to change things for the better.
Our first port of call is campaigning to ensure BSL is introduced to the school curriculum in the early years when children can pick it up naturally and fast. These amazing young people are the future and that’s why we want to equip them with the skills to be able to hold a good conversation in BSL.
We are also on a mission to become the leading resource for parents throughout the UK to access free BSL courses. Currently, parents to a deaf child have to find their own funding, with limited government support and it’s expensive. We’ll be bringing you more on that in the weeks and months ahead.
This is just one of the barriers BSL users experience every day. But think, just by learning BSL, you’ll be able to communicate with deaf people and make your own personal contribution to a society where deaf people are included.
Following are five reasons to be cheerful about learning BSL.
- It helps you to become deaf aware and celebrate the rich diversity within the deaf community. It also improves relationships because hearing loss can affect anyone. By learning basic signs, you will be able communicate better, break down barriers allowing you to be a better friend, colleague, partner and family member to deaf people around you. Even if you aren’t perfect, the effort will be appreciated and will go a long way.
- BSL like tuna fish is good for the brain. It makes you smarter, more observant, and aware. Learning BSL is great gym training for the grey matter. As a cognitive workout, it helps to develop abstract and creative thinking capability, increases problem solving abilities and strengthens overall communication skills and not a bead of sweat in sight.
- It might be difficult to believe at first, but BSL will make you a better person. It raises your awareness about the challenges the deaf community has to face on a daily basis and think more about what you can do to become an ally. In an emergency situation, you’ll also be better equipped to step in and help out. By signing up for our courses, you as an individual, community group, business, or organisation, can help remove the stress and frustration from everyday communication.
- BSL could also improve career prospects landing you a fantastic job as a British Sign Language interpreter. Stand out from the crowd in your place of employment by adding another language on your CV. As an employee, learning a new language can improve your skill set as well being beneficial to the business. Learning BSL can open up job opportunities within deaf organisations too. The employability of interpreters is growing and what a fascinating job it would be.
- It’s fun. By learning basic signs, you will be able to communicate with deaf people around you opening up a huge pool of new friends who will be only delighted to welcome you into their community. You’ll meet people on your BSL course too, so it’s a great chance to meet new people, introduce yourself to colleagues you might not otherwise interact with, practice together and have a laugh. What’s not to love about BSL?
Learning a new language can take time and there’s always challenges but you’ll feel rewarded when you start to put it into practice.
At Sign Source, we hope we have inspired you to consider learning BSL. Our online courses are the perfect way to get started. For more information, please visit our website here.