![a person using sign language](/sites/default/files/styles/homepage_carousel_mobile/public/2024-06/a_person_using_sign_language.jpg?h=369bea62&itok=2nlzNNn-)
British Sign Language (BSL)
Sign Language is a visual means of communicating using gestures, facial expression, and body language.
What is sign language?
Sign language is a visual means of communicating using gestures, facial expression, and body language. Sign language is used mainly by people who are deaf or have hearing impairments.
What is British Sign Language?
Within Britain the most common form of Sign Language is called British Sign Language (BSL). BSL has its own grammatical structure and syntax, as a language it is not dependant, nor is it strongly related to spoken English. BSL is the preferred language of around 145,000 people within the UK (2011). BSL has been recognised by the U government as an official minority language since 2003.