Sign Language Week 2021

“British Sign Language (BSL) is the preferred language of over 87,000 Deaf people in the UK” – British Deaf Association

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This year marks 18 years since BSL was officially recognised as an official language by the UK Government (18th March 2003). Sign Language Week is a week in which people come together to raise awareness around the issues faced by sign language- users, as well as the general wellbeing of the Deaf Community.

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Hearing Impairments and the Access Card

Here at The Access Card, we support many cardholders to help them discreetly communicate the barriers they might face when out and about or visiting shows, events or tourist destinations and have provided some more information about some of the typical access requirements we have processed.

Everyone is different and experiences their needs in different ways, but here are some examples based on our experience.

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Accessing Audible Information

silhouette of hand pointing to an outlined ear

We have a symbol specifically for people who find it hard to access audible information. Different providers have different systems in place to facilitate this access requirement.

red text reads city varieties, blue text reads music hall leeds

For example, City Varieties Music Hall has an induction loop installed and BSL-interpreted and captioned performances are available. For more information, please visit the venue’s website.

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Essential Companions

+1 in bold black text with a square black border around

For those that require a substantial amount of support from another person, such as a BSL interpreter, we also have the ‘+1’ symbol which indicates to providers that you would need a substantial amount of support to be able to access their facilities.

For example, Legoland Windsor Resort offers a free companion ticket to Access Card Holders who have a ‘+1’ symbol on their Access Card.

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Thinking of applying for a Card?

If you think the above would be useful for you and would like to apply for your Access Card you can do so quickly and easily by completing our short online application form and uploading some supporting information confirming your needs.

All applications received from people with a hearing impairment during Sign Language Week 2021 can use the discount code ‘bslweek21’ to get £5 off a three-year Access Card.

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Further Sources of Information, Advice, and Support

Check out our full directory for how these symbols apply at over 1,000 venues in the UK and beyond.

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The British Deaf Society

The BDA is the UK’s leading membership organisation and registered charity run by Deaf people for Deaf people. The BDA delivers a range of services to achieve its aims of empowering Deaf people to overcome difficulties that they face on a daily basis.
The British Deaf Society

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Text/FaceTime: 07795 410724

Web: https://bda.org.uk/

Email: bda@bda.org.uk