Learning to communicate with deaf people can open up a world of opportunities
Signature, the UK’s leading awarding body in deaf communication will be at the Education Show in Birmingham from 20-22 March. Come and meet us at stand F1 to find out about our qualifications and learning with us.
British Sign Language (BSL) is a fun, visual language to learn. Signature student, Louise Gavin, said, “One of the best things I’ve ever done in my life! Learning British Sign Language has opened my eyes and changed me as a person in a really positive way”.
You can learn at more than 500 locations across the UK, so finding a course near you is easy. When you start to learn, you will have a wealth of support materials, including an online homework package,at your fingertips. Visit us for your chance to win a BSL Homework package.
There are more than 10 million people in the UK living with some degree of hearing loss.Employers, whether in the public, private or voluntary sector, are now acknowledging that they need to offer a better service for deaf and deafblind people. They are looking to employ people who have the skills to improve the experience of their deaf customers
We are also urging teachers to study BSL. Signature is confident that our campaign for a GCSE in BSL will be successful and that the subject will become part of the National Curriculum in the very near future. Jim Edwards, Signature chief executive, said, “We are very excited that a GCSE BSL is on the horizon. We are aware, however, that there is a real shortage of teachers who have the necessary language skills to teach BSL, and would encourage people to start learning today so that they are prepared when the time comes”.
Learning to communicate with deaf people can open up opportunities for integration into a whole new language and culture. Visit Signature at Education Show to find out more.
Notes to Editors
The Statistics
1 in 6 people in the UK are deaf or have a hearing loss, that’s 10 million people (Action on Hearing Loss - 2011 Census)
The achievement level of Deaf learners lags well behind the national average. Department of Education statistics show that only 37.7% of pupils with hearing difficulties achieve 5 A to C GCSEs, which means that 62.3% of such pupils leave school without the necessary qualifications to progress to further study. This figure is 20% lower than the national average of pupils obtaining 5 A to C GCSEs at 58%. Research in 2007 into the employment experiences of severely and profoundly deaf people, found that at a time of near full employment, deaf people were four times more likely to be unemployed than the general population, with negative attitudes from employers seen as the main barrier to getting a job (RNID, Opportunity Blocked, 2007).
About British Sign Language (BSL)
BSL is a visual, spatial language that uses movement of the hands, body, face and head. The language has its own sentence structure, expressions, and regional variations, and has been an officially recognised as a minority language since 2003.
About Signature
Signature is a national charity which campaigns to improve the standards of communication with deaf and deafblind people in the UK. Its vision is of a fully accessible society, powered by a greater understanding of the languages and communication methods used by deaf and deafblind people. A leading authority in the sector, Signature advises government and business; publishes educational resources; campaigns and lobbies. Signature also recognises best practice in the provision of nationally recognised qualifications which ensure British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters are of a sufficiently high standard to meet the needs of deaf people.
For more information please contact Clare Towns, Communications Co-ordinator, Signature – Tel 0191 3837922 or e-mail .