Have you ever wanted to learn sign language? Whilst we #stayhome during this Covid-19 pandemic, are you looking for a new language to learn, perhaps even with your children? Well, Doncaster Deaf Trust are offering a free online course to learn BSL Level 1. https://www.deaf-trust.co.uk/news/doncaster-deaf-trust-launch-online-british-sign-language-course
This is a fantastic opportunity to learn a new language that would ordinarily be classroom based and be at a cost.
Over the last week, members of the Deaf community have expressed their concern over the lack of recommended sources of information about Covid-19 being available to them. We take it for granted that in an era of such sophisticated technology that everyone has the same access. As we continue to follow the Government advice to socially distance and stay at home, those of us with normal hearing or wearing hearing aids, find ourselves in the fortunate position of being able to pick up the phone to businesses and organisations to try and find solutions to some of the problems that Covid-19 is placing on us.
We have some amazing platforms that we can use that allow us to communicate with each other but if you're a signer, what then? The daily updates we are receiving and at the pace at which companies are updating their terms to help us during this troubling time helps to reassure us but if you aren't receiving this information in your own language, the anxiety and worry must be so much worse. Being Deaf or hard of hearing can often leave a person feeling vulnerable so we hope that the sign language relay service is provided across all services so that we all feel like we're being looked after.
Whilst you may not need BSL day to day, consider the benefits of being able to communicate even on a basic level with our BSL community. There has never been a better time.