BSL Ladder

* Important read *

Fantastic news re Strictly Come Dancing. To anyone who is saying 'I really want to learn sign language', great, go and do it. I can recommend courses and tutors. But -

1. Make sure you learn from a deaf tutor. Do not learn from some hearing person who lacks language fluency because they only have a rudimentary grasp of the language and are using their Hearing Privilege to take work that deaf people do so much better.

2. Realise that BSL is a LANGUAGE. It's the same as learning French, German, any language... bloody hard work.

3. Makaton is not a sign language.

4. Mr Tumble is NOT a role model.

5. You can't separate language from Deaf Culture, so you will need to learn about deaf people, their experience of oppression, and their culture.

6. if you really want to learn BSL, stop talking about it and go and do it.

(via Jules Dickinson).