Play area signage encourages Sussex children to sign

Sussex children will now be able to learn British Sign Language (BSL) while playing with friends, after a council-funded initiative saw signage placed in playgrounds across the county.

Signage teaching fingerspelling and play-specific terminology were erected in five play areas in the last week of May, with the aim of “[breaking] down some of the barriers” faced by sign language users “when out and about”.

Lindsay White, founder and CEO of the charity Community Supporters, told The Limping Chicken: “This project came about for several reasons, struggling with my own hearing I know how important communication is and how a lack of communication can affect a person’s way of life and wellbeing.

“As an education charity that mainly focuses on the environment and getting people outdoors, we thought bringing BSL to outdoor locations such as play parks would be a unique and effective solution.

“The aims of this project are, first and foremost, to get everyone talking about the many ways we communicate, and for hearing people to begin to understand deaf culture.

“We also hope that this project will help children, and adults, make new friendships and break some of the feelings of isolation deaf or hard of hearing people have.”

The project was funded by Rother District Council, with support from the volunteer group DeafCOG.

Christopher Wyer of DeafCOG added: “[We] felt it was important to be present to support understanding of deaf perspectives. Explaining BSL is a language and forms part of a cultural, marginalised community.

“We hope our support to Community Supporters will promote better understanding of BSL as a fully functioning language, which belongs to a cultural group of people. Our aim is to create a cohesive and more equal society, through educating and supporting learning and avoiding misrepresentation.

“The more people learn, the more we will appreciate why sign language is so important for the deaf community and how it can benefit us all.”

The signage can be located in play areas in Bexhill, Sidley, Bodiam, Battle and Rye.

Photo: Community Supporters.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.