23 – 29 September is International Sign Language week

This week 23 – 29 September 2024 is International Sign Language week and to celebrate this wonderful language, Colm McGerigal the RBKC social worker for Deaf people held a BSL teaching session for staff in both Kensington and Westminster Councils on Monday 23 September in Kensington Town Hall.  Colm is qualified BSL level 6.

Each country and culture has its own distinct Sign Language, just as they have their own spoken languages. In fact, there are over 300 sign languages worldwide! These languages are also subject to linguistic variations due to regional differences and cultural influences.

There is approximately 150,000 people in England use BSL to communicate and there is a big BSL Deaf community living in RBKC. 

RBKC runs a Deaf drop-in every Wednesday in Kensington Town Hall from 10am – 1pm and the Royal Association for the Deaf (RAD) have been assisting Colm with the Deaf drop-in since 2010.  Colm is pictured with Lorraine Oaten from RAD.  The Deaf drop-in means that a Deaf person can attend and receive support in their own BSL language. 

Also the RBKC Deaf residents can contact RBKC Council via a BSL video relay service and be connected to a qualified BSL interprater from the comfort of their own home using a smartphone or laptop and communicate with any RBKC Council department in BSL or visit the Town Hall in person and the Council Department would use the BSL video relay service.   RBKC has been one of the first Councils in the UK to provide this service for its Deaf community since 2006 ensuring the importance of recognising and promoting BSL as an official language, ensuring its BSL Deaf tenants gets equal access to the services RBKC Council provides.