It’s been a year since the BSL Act recognised BSL as a language for the first time in England, Scotland and Wales.

A new British Sign Language (BSL) Advisory Board has been set up to advise the government on key issues impacting the Deaf community which is good to see.

But there are many challenges which Deaf people continue to face. This year’s Deaf Awareness Week aims to promote greater awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by the deaf community in accessing communication. These barriers can include a lack of access to sign language interpreters, limited captioning and subtitling in videos and online content, and a general lack of awareness of the communication needs of deaf individuals.

I hope that more organisations will undertake Deaf Awareness training and more people will learn to sign. It makes a big difference for Deaf people.

Kathleen