Welcome

The Plymouth School of British Sign Language is committed to upholding the high principles and aims held by the British Deaf Association (BDA) and to teach British Sign Language (BSL) in full accordance with the curricula and guidelines laid down by the BDA’s BSL Sign Academy.

The BDA is a high profile national charity with a local presence throughout England, Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland. The BDA operates in a fast-paced, politicized environment, dealing with complex and often controversial social issues and with multiple stakeholders.

The BDA is the member-led organization of the Deaf Community in the United Kingdom, and is united by shared experiences, history and, most importantly, by British Sign Language.

On 18 March 2003 British Sign Language was recognised as an official British Language, but it still does not receive Government recognition in respect of Equal Opportunities. The consequence is that Deaf BSL users do not have full access to vital information and services, including education, health and employment. The BDA wishes to see an end to discrimination and is campaigning for full equal opportunities for BSL users. They are also working to gain the right for all deaf children to receive bilingual education, using BSL and English.

Whilst the Plymouth School of British Sign Language remains an independent and private body, we fully support the BDA in achieving these ends.

Our teachers, who are profoundly deaf, have trained and qualified with the BDA BSL Academy. Also, the courses taught by our teachers are aided and supported with the use of the BDA’s Sign Academy Learner’s Course Guides and Course DVDs.

By aligning ourselves with the high principles and aims held by the BDA and for teaching BSL in accordance with the curricula and guidelines laid down by the BDA’s BSL Sign Academy, the Plymouth School of British Sign Language is proud to have received the BDA’s accreditation.