I work in communications for a charity, and am pushing for more sign language inclusion. All our videos have subtitles as standard but we can go further both on recorded and live events. I also am really behind BSL in the curriculum. Whilst I can still see I want to help make it so that the communities we live in are more inclusive.

About 1 year ago I lost my hearing in one ear. I had no obvious reason to, but I left it 13 days hoping it would get better, I didn’t understand the need to get it checked out. I’m have an MRI this week so I will find out why. After lots of meds and checkups, some hearing has returned. In the last year,  I’ve had to adjust and  I catch myself having to lip read more and my other ear is working overtime.  I even catch myself using my hands for communicating more. This course is to help me , but also my job, as I never even considered before that I could use elements of BSL in veterinary medicine. I’m a registered veterinary nurse and we get dogs and cats with hearing loss or pre/ post TECA surgeries. I use BSL on my cat, even though she can hear.  Just a simple movement or action and she knows where to go/ what it means. (She is having to wear a lot of bells so I can hear her.)So it’s for the animals too. 

Thanks for reading! I hope to be active on here again soon!

My name is Alex and I’m 22 years old. I am not part of the Deaf community, however I work in a charity shop where we sometimes get customers who use sign to communicate. I love having a chat with everyone who comes through the door, and I don’t want anybody to feel left out of that, so I’ve just started an online BSL course so I can connect with my community more. I’m super excited to learn more!

I have thought for a long time about learning sign language, but never ĥad the confidence to follow it through.

I am now unemployed, with 4 years left to official retirement. I met a rep for the deaf on the way to the bus home today from the job centre. Even though I could'nt afford to to donate monthly the young lady thanked me for stopping and showed me 3 simple sighed words, which I will ror some reason always remember. 

When I got home and sat watching TV there was a antiques program on where both people where deaf. This just confirmed the fact that I would love to help, there is so much scope to help the deaf comunity, auctions, schools plus so much more.

How can I learn and get involved?

Martin

I'm excited not just to learn the language itself, but to understand the culture and community behind it. As a future early childhood educator, I want to be able to support every child in my classroom, including those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, or who might simply benefit from visual communication. Learning BSL feels like giving myself one more tool to make sure no child ever feels unseen or unheard in my care.

I'm Tongu as in 'Tongu Silence' (Tongue Silence) also known as Simon. I suffer sporadic situational mutism and am currently in a bout of it. It is very different because not everyone I meet will do BSL. But when it strikes which is normally in an instant it so so depressing I've got to do something. I'm embarking on BSL mainly so I can communicate with my wife more easily.

The History

I'm semi formally diagnosed as on the autistic spectrum due to having a son who is and apparently autistic people are more prone to mutism.

It first occurred at about 35 (now 65) during a phase of nervous exhaustion through massive overwork (12hrs a day 7 days a week for 14 months). I had periods of a few days when I could not speak. My mind has no knowledge of how to form words, so can't even whisper. I can think them and write/type them, but not make any form of mouth movement to say them.

It happened again in my late fifties with three main bouts, one of four months and two lasting five months. since then it just seems to pop up whenever, but truth be known, there is always some sort of stress or external pressure on me just before it occurs.

It is so different from deafness(which must also be devastating) because it is those I interact with who need to accommodate my situation. I guess deaf people can learn to lip read of have medical devices to assist, but for mutism there is nothing. It is also hard to find help because 'generically' it is more common in children, so there is little help for adults and mainly that focuses no therapies to avoid it. But sadly nothing to help when it strikes.

I get by with use of AAC apps on my phone and tablets, which after trying everything I could find, settled on a VERY VERY good one which was most modestly priced. So ,go I could swap profiles and run the counter in a busy garage I ran with it. Customers were only asked to give me a little more time. All were deeply complimentary to me and the garage for demonstrating just what can be overcome if one adapts and tries.

In joining the forum, I'm hoping I might meet some others in the same situation and many more who will nurture my learning over the coming years. I can then use my knowledge to spread the word and attempt to get local organisation to learn some basics and adopt procedures which accommodate those with more hidden accessibility needs.

 I am from UK, born in Skipton, Yorkshire. I was born profoundly deaf, but because my parents decided to send me to hearing schools, I never learnt BSL. Parents had to take me from one school to another.  I was so unhappy in the schools because none of the chldren understood me and I struggled to learn anything from teachers who made no effort to help me understand.  It was a lonely experience being in hearing schools in those days. Now, as an elder, the little hearing I have is worsening, because I have tinnitus. So, I am studying the online British-Sign course to learn BSL. In the past I never saw my deafness as a handicap, but more as a gift. Being Deaf  enabled me to find out who I truly was. I became a professional ballerina despite being profoundly deaf, and later in life I taught many deaf and hearing people to dance and to gain confidence; to believe in themselves. I was recently on an episode of 'See Hear.' Series 45, Episode 1, called Love and Dating. My professional name was Nina Falaise. My married name is Nina Cooper.  These days, I use my visual skills in art and in my observation and love of nature. 

Best wishes to you all,

Nina 

Hi everyone! Here's my introduction in BSL. Grateful for any feedback on my signing. I'm very much at the beginner stage. I'm learning BSL as one of my best friend's sisters is Deaf and I'd like to be able to chat to her in BSL.

I'm Katherine also known online as YoshiStrawbz. I got told a few months ago I was profoundly deaf, turns out the audiologist might have been wrong getting a second opinion but with my pip I signed up for BSL Level 1 Course.

I am dyslexic, ADHD, got Auditory Processing Disorders and moderate still to be confirmed profound hearing loss.

So far I have learnt:
My age is..
My name is...
I live...
I have a dog called...
Basic greetings
Basic fingerspelling (dyslexia causes a struggle ngl)
Basic questions etc Help how? Live where? Name what? 
Colors
Pets/Animals
Basic numbers

Nice to meet you all! I am loving the fingerspelling activity :)