British Sign Language taster sessions for students and staff

Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity (SWAI) will be marking Sign Language Week (16-22 March) with various opportunities for students and staff to get involved in, including free British Sign Language (BSL) taster sessions.

Sign Language Week is a national celebration of British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language, held every March. 

The aim of the campaign is to encourage people of all ages across the UK to learn some BSL and to develop their understanding of the rich language, culture, and identity of Deaf, Deafblind, and hard of hearing people for whom BSL is their first or preferred language.  

University staff can sign up for a free BSL taster session during the week, led by the British Deaf Association (BDA). The sessions are designed to provide a welcoming and solid introduction to basic BSL skills and are a great way to promote inclusivity on campus. Staff can sign up for a session via the Sign Language Week website.    

Students can also sign up for a free BSL taster session on 18 March, 12-1pm, led by the Leicestershire Adult Learning team. Students can sign up via the GoLearn website. This session is designed to give learners a brief introduction to deaf awareness and BSL and help you to communicate better with someone who is Deaf or hard of hearing.  

At Loughborough, we have approximately 80 students registered with SWAI as Deaf or hard of hearing. Whether you work directly with a Deaf student or colleague, have family or friends who are Deaf or hard of hearing, or want to develop your skills and contribute to a more inclusive and accessible university culture, we encourage you to take part in this opportunity. 

Find out more from SWAI’s Disability Advisor, Mohammed Yusuf, on what this means to him as a Deaf BSL user and learn a few signs at the same time. 

Loughborough University student, Gargi Agrawalla, who has won an international competition for her hearing technology jewellery, shares her experience as a British Sign Language User at the University. 

There will also be a range of information and resources available in Bridgeman Building from 16-22 March to mark Sign Language Week. Please stop by if you are interested in any further information.  

A selection of resources are available below:    

  • Student Services: more information about the support that SWAI can provide Deaf and hard of hearing students 
  • Signature: awarding body for deaf communication and language qualifications in the UK 
  • BSL Dictionary: search and compare thousands of words and phrases in BSL 
  • Greetings in BSL: simple words and phrases that you can use when greeting a deaf student or colleague