In the community
We drive lasting social change and support families to make sure deaf children are included in their communities.
British Sign Language GCSE
We celebrated a breakthrough in the campaign for a GCSE in British Sign Language (BSL) in England when the government published a consultation on proposed course content.
We urged families to have their say on the consultation and provided our own response, in partnership with other deaf organisations.
The Department for Education published the final course content in December 2023, and Ofqual, which oversees qualifications in England, is now in the final stages of creating its assessment frameworks.
The new British Sign Language GCSE will be aimed at deaf and hearing learners and educate students about deaf history.
The new British Sign Language GCSE will be aimed at deaf and hearing learners and celebrate deaf history.
“I’m so pleased to finally see the BSL GCSE becoming a reality. It’ll be a step towards equality and will have a positive impact on both Deaf and hearing students as communication barriers are broken down.”
Dan (18) is profoundly Deaf.
Cadbury Fingers partnership
Since 2022, we’ve partnered with Cadbury Fingers to encourage more people to learn British Sign Language (BSL), with two campaigns running across TV, social media and in newspapers.
In 2023/24, as part of the partnership, Chelsea FC got involved. At their match on 28 October 2023, Chelsea FC offered free tickets to deaf children and invited a signed choir to perform the club’s anthem in BSL, raising awareness amongst the 39,575 spectators.
The campaign event contributed to a 47% increase in website traffic. Additionally, three of our staff provided training for Chelsea FC staff. Chelsea then launched a monthly BSL-interpreted stadium tour.
47% increase in website visits during our partnership campaign with Cadbury Fingers.
Local groups
Local groups bring families together for friendship and support, as well as offering activities for deaf children.
In 2023/24, we supported 83 local groups across the UK, run by parent volunteers, and worked with another 20 informal groups and networks.
We held two ‘Connect’ days for volunteers to meet one another and get advice and inspiration to take back to their groups.
We also awarded over 40 local groups with grants to offer events and activities to local families. These events, including BSL-interpreted pantomimes, swimming lessons, pottery painting and pizza making, helped to bring families together and boost deaf children’s confidence.
After extensive discovery work in 2023/24, we’re going to build on our support for families in their local communities. In the next financial year, we’ll be introducing new initiatives that will put parents and volunteers at the heart of every activity, giving them the knowledge, tools and know-how to connect and drive change in their communities.