Welcome to the second in my The History of… series, where I’ll be looking at the history of topics affecting or involving the disabled community.
Future posts will include wheelchairs and epilepsy, but the second is sign language, which has been on my to do list for a while, and was pushed forward by my recent review of Listen… Can you hear me now?
In my early twenties when I started losing the hearing in my right ear, the NHS sent me on a crash course in British Sign Language (BSL) because they couldn't be sure what was causing the hearing loss or how much worse it would get. It turned out to be a dislocated malleus (one of the lesser-known symptoms of Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD), and so my hearing loss did stabilise at around 30%. As that is relatively low and the surgery to treat it carries a high risk of full and permanent loss, I haven't had it.
The bright side to my hearing loss was meeting so many wonderful people who are part of the d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HOH) communities and learning to sign BSL, which cannot, despite the good intentions of the NHS, be learned in a two-day seminar.
The origin of sign language is unknown and, contrary to what many people believe, there are as many sign languages as spoken languages throughout the world. We do know however that sign language has existed for centuries, with the first known documented example being the marriage certificate of Thomas Tillseye from 1575, which describes how he signed his wedding vows to his bride:
Up until the 1940s, use of sign language was actively discouraged in British schools. It was seen as preferable to teach children to lip-read and finger-spell. For children who are born d/Deaf or are non-verbal for other reasons, teaching sign language in early childhood is beneficial to their overall development and helps them to build relationships with the people around them. Many signers who are not part of the d/Deaf, HOH, or non-verbal communities are related to people who are, meaning that the pool of signers is quite narrow compared with speakers. There have been a number of discussions around adding BSL to the British curriculum so that all children in primary education would learn at least a basic fluency in the language, reducing the isolation that people in the signing communities can experience due to the lack of signers around them.
It's also important to remember that sign languages are not just signed versions of the local language, and each sign language has its own vocabulary and grammar. For example, the word "right" in spoken English can mean both the opposite of left and the opposite of wrong, whereas these two concepts have completely different signs in American Sign Language (ASL), so when a signing person is taught a spoken language in written form, they are in fact learning a second language.
As technology has developed, new signs have been added to BSL in the same way that new words are added to spoken English. Some of the newer signs are also a great reminder that BSL may be much easier to learn than some people realise, with some signs even being part of speakers' daily body language without them realising. For example, the sign for "computer" is: Both open hands held next to each other in front of body with palms facing down. Fingers wiggle.
This gesture is already used daily by many people who don't sign to symbolise computers, typing and other associated actions.
Signing began being used on television in the 1980s and many people are aware of Rose Ayling-Ellis, Strictly Come Dancing's first ever deaf contestant. Despite developments in media and education however, BSL was not recognised as a language in its own right until 2003 and it wasn't until last year on 28 April 2022 that it was recognised as an official language in England and Wales, meaning that it now has legal protections, such as the requirement for medical and legal institutions to provide interpreters for signers rather than them needing to bring their own interpreter or a relative to interpret for them.
It’s important to remember that there are many different sign languages throughout the world, and even countries that share a common spoken language do not necessarily share signs. For example, even though American English and British English are similar enough for speakers to understand the vast majority of each other's language without explanation, ASL only has 31% signs which are identical to those used in BSL. One difference which is immediately obvious is that the ASL alphabet uses one hand whereas the BSL alphabet uses two hands. A lot of people have commented that it would be much easier if both countries made the effort to use the same signs, but you could also say that it would be much easier if we started saying sidewalk and dropping the letter U from words like colour. ASL and BSL are two completely different languages with their own history and cultural associations and users of these languages shouldn’t be expected to just give them up to make life easier for people outisde of their communities. There are also dialects within sign languages and some signs are even isolated to family groups who may develop their own signs for things they may need to finger-spell for someone else, such as a pet or a favourite mug.
Another signed language is Makaton, which I learned to communicate with a non-verbal family member. Makaton was specifically developed to help people living with some disabilities, learning differences and/or neurodiversity to communicate effectively. It is not currently recognised as an official language. Difficulties with communicating can be very isolating and frustrating and Makaton allows people who find verbal communication difficult to express their wants and needs to those around them. Makaton is used in over forty countries around the world and is often combined with the local sign language to enhance the cultural references of the signs and expand the vocabulary available to use.
What can you do to support signers?
Be mindful of your language
People will often say to a speaking signer that they didn't know they "spoke" sign language when, in fact, nobody speaks sign language. Be careful not to assume that all sign languages are identical and that someone who signs BSL can easily communicate with someone who signs ASL or another sign language. Do not use outdated terms such as "hearing-impaired" as this can be upsetting for people who are part of the d/Deaf or HOH communities.
Be mindful when booking seats at signed events
There are some theatre shows which are designed to be fully sign language accessible and at these events, either all the performers will sign themselves, or some members of the cast will sign on their and other people's behalf. However, separate sign language interpreters may also present at events where all the cast are speaking, and they are usually placed either the far stage left or far stage right. When booking tickets for these events, the theatre website will often state where the interpreter will be located so that audience members who would benefit from interpretation can sit in a location where they can easily see the interpreter while enjoying the performance. It's therefore beneficial if hearing members of the audience can book seats outside of this area, though most theatres don't make this mandatory at present, or even point out that it would be helpful, so many people just don't even think about it. It's supportive to consider this if you are booking a seat at a sign language interpreted event.
Support the teaching of sign language in UK schools
Some schools in the UK currently teach BSL and/or Makaton to their students, but for most children they will only learn to sign if they are d/Deaf, Hard of Hearing or would benefit from communicating using Makaton because they are neurodiverse, have a disability or a learning difference which makes spoken communication difficult for them. This can be very isolating for children who are at primary school and only able to communicate with the pool of children who have also been taught to sign – I know one individual who could only communicate with three people in their primary school up until being around eight years old. They are still affected by this early isolation now they are in secondary school. Teaching sign languages instead of or alongside foreign languages can be beneficial to all children and will reduce the seclusion that signing children currently experience in schools where most children are speakers.
Learn sign language, or at least the basics!
Learning sign language is a rewarding experience which has many benefits. It does however take time and can be difficult due to the number of speaking signers teaching BSL or Makaton as a second language being limited. However, learning some basic signs can help you communicate with signers in your community.
Take care,
Donna
Sources used for research include:
Self-care snippet
We’ve all been in those situations where someone has had something happen to them and they have had to not to do something and they then apologise for letting us down. We then reassure them that of course they haven’t let us down, but when the same thing happens to us, we then apologise for letting everyone down, and it goes around in circles.
I’ve been on both sides of this recently and it’s really important to remember that in these situations, most of the time no one feels like you’ve let them down and, if they do, it’s probably their issue anyway.
Things I’ve seen, heard, read and talked about
Woman accused of faking symptoms of debilitating illness dies aged 33 This is a heartbreaking story which is far too familiar - my own symptoms and those of far too many friends have been referred to psychiatrists… The explanation of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome in the article is also extremely troubling: “EDS is extremely rare: Only one in every 5,000 people have it.” Firstly, one in every 5,000 people is not “extremely rare” and, secondly, as the article itself implies, it is far more common that actual diagnoses indicate because it is rarely diagnosed. Something being ignored often does not make it rare. The health sector and the media both need to do better.
Proof that accessibility helps everyone - I do keep saying this.
Uneven playing field: new board game highlights inequalities in dementia care A nice piece about an educational board game which explores dementia care.
Premier Inn: Disabled woman 'left behind' during hotel fire alarm A shocking piece from the spring which was recently shared with me after a friend stayed in this same hotel and had issues with accessing the building. It’s awful how disabled people can be treat sometimes and I’m so glad that this story didn’t have a much more tragic outcome, which is eminently possible.
Jasper Williams: Being part of an inclusive dance project with professional deaf dancer Chris Fonseca (BSL) A really positive and enlightening piece about being part of an inclusive dance project which reinforces that creativity really is for everyone.