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Sign Language Week

BSL Rally at Trafalgar Square

Sign Language Week 2025

17 - 23 March 2025

Sign Language Week in the UK, scheduled for 17 to 23 March 2025, is an annual event dedicated to celebrating and promoting British Sign Language (BSL). Organized by the British Deaf Association (BDA), this week commemorates the UK Government’s recognition of BSL as a language in its own right on 18 March 2003. The campaign aims to raise awareness about BSL, encourage more people to learn it, and preserve it for future generations.

Businesses can take advantage of Sign Language Week to invest in British Sign Language (BSL) learning opportunities, benefiting both Deaf employees and customers.  Businesses can enroll employees in online or in-person BSL courses to build long-term accessibility. Learning BSL not only enhances customer service by making interactions more inclusive but also fosters a more welcoming and supportive work environment for Deaf employees. By demonstrating a commitment to learning BSL, businesses can improve staff confidence, strengthen brand reputation, and contribute to a more inclusive society.

Beyond participating in Sign Language Week, businesses can implement ongoing strategies to support Deaf individuals. Providing Deaf awareness training helps staff understand the challenges faced by Deaf people and how to communicate effectively. Offering BSL training for customer-facing teams can significantly improve interactions with Deaf customers. Reviewing workplace policies to ensure inclusivity, such as providing BSL interpreters for meetings, using captions on videos, and ensuring website accessibility, demonstrates a commitment to creating a supportive environment for Deaf employees and customers.

This year’s theme:

More than a language: culture, community and belonging

“British Sign Language (BSL) is so much more than a language; it is the heart of our living, cultural heritage.

It is a place to belong, and feel seen. A place that is rich with history, humour and activism. And stories. And we want to share those stories with the world.

So this year we are asking everyone to share their stories with the hashtag
#SLW2025.

Together, we can change the narrative on our language, and our community so that future generations inherit a stronger, more inclusive society.”

British Deaf Association, 2025

The Deaf Flag

The slw theme colour is turquoise, 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.

To find our more about Sign Language Week – take a look here – https://signlanguageweek.org.uk/.

                                                                            

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