A new society has launched that aims to promote British Sign Language

A new society has started at Salford University which aims to teach people sign language.

Bsl is Britain’s most common form of Sign Language, yet the Salford society has found that very few people know about it.

The creator of the society, Hope Bragg, wishes to break the communication barrier between the deaf and the hearing and ensure deaf people feel free in themselves.

She said: “I did my level 1 BSL in 2013 and it was free while I was under 18 and in full-time education and then it became £350 a course.

“So I stopped and started teaching myself for 7 years. Now I’m relatively confident in myself that I can have a pretty decent conversation with someone.

“But there’s still a whole section of a community that many hearing people can’t communicate with”.

Temi, 22, from Woolich decided to join the Salford society after a family member of required sign language for communication.

She said: “As a child, my aunt was deaf and mute. My mom was able to communicate with her but I wasn’t which was quite frustrating”.

But along with the help of her mother and 6-year-old cousin, she began learning sign language and was able to communicate with her aunt.

“I would sign with her all the time but then she moved away and I kind of lost it. It would be so important to learn sign language because I would like to make someone feel a bit more included knowing how to sign”.

Kerry-May, a computer science student, learned sign language after losing some of her hearing.

“I contracted mumps and lost half my hearing and I spent my foundation year here sitting in lectures going ‘i can’t hear a word of what’s being said’. It would be really good to learn because I’ve been that kid who can’t communicate verbally and I know it’s awful.

And now with 20 per cent of people in Salford registered as deaf and many more hard of hearing, Hope wishes the society will spread the need for BSL.

The society is welcoming all students to come down every Wednesday at 2pm, on the North side of the student union. If you would like more information on the society, contact Hope on the facebook page.