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Sign Language Week is an annual national campaign led by the British Deaf Association. This week is for British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL), celebrated every year in March to commemorate the first time BSL was acknowledged as a language in its own right by the UK Government on 18 March 2003.

The aim is to encourage more people to start learning and to protect and preserve for future generations to come.

BSL was legally recognised in law by the UK Government on 28th April 2022. This followed similarly ground-breaking legislation in Scotland - the BSL Act (Scotland) (2015). 28 April is now known annually as ‘National BSL Day’.

This year’s Sign Language Week will run from 17 – 23 March 2024. The theme is “Promoting BSL and ISL as an Indigenous Language of the UK” with vibrant turquoise as our theme colour, inspired by the Deaf flag.

Last summer, members of the World Federation of the Deaf, including the BDA and other National Associations of the Deaf, approved the Deaf flag. The Deaf flag is a powerful symbol for Deaf communities around the world.

Turquoise Blue represents the deaf community and Sign Language, pride and unity.

Yellow represents the colour of light, an enlightened spirit, life and “thriving in unison”.

Dark Blue represents the earth, humanity and living in accordance with the planet. Dark Blue also indicates Deafhood, an individual and collective journey to combat audism and embrace Deaf gain. The concept of Deafhood was introduced by Dr. Paddy Ladd who also established the Blue Ribbon ceremony to commemorate the experiences of Deaf people around the globe. Dark blue is also the colour used by the World Federation of the Deaf.

Ways to get involved

What is BSL and ISL? Find out more and download a copy of their BSL and ISL fingerspelling cards.

To find out more and watch in sign language, please click here: https://signlanguageweek.org.uk/

Are you interested in learning BSL?

The Department for Language Studies offer BSL classes at lunch times and evenings. These are aimed at the general public, offering the opportunity to study a language alongside university students and staff. Further information about the courses available, including tuition and assessment fees are available through the webpage linked above.

Subject to sufficient uptake, there will be free BSL taster sessions run on: 

• Thursday 3rd April, 4-5pm
• Friday 4th April, 12.30-1.30pm
• Monday 7th April, 12.30-1.30pm 

The sessions are open to students and staff to come and find out more about opportunities to learn BSL at the University of Sussex. Please register your interest here: https://forms.office.com/e/3S0XdeZzGi, and you will be contacted with further information about the taster sessions. Contact Laura Mark (l.s.mark@sussex.ac.uk) for any queries.

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