Greater Manchester residents encouraged to learn sign language virtually

Signs4Life pre-Covid

Submitted by Hana Riaz

Residents of Greater Manchester are being encouraged to take up sign language as an extra language and skill.

Initiative, Signs4Life, aims to help people to communicate and engage with children and adults who may have hearing impairments.

Signs4Life is leading efforts towards a society in which people with disabilities have full access and are working to raise the public and political awareness of disability provision.

Hana Riaz, Signs4Life partnerships officer, said: “There are more than nine million hearing-impaired people registered in the UK.

“We have already worked with Manchester Youth Justice, Families Together, the local NHS, and Royal Mail.

“We wanted to open our programmes to the general public, who might also have an interest in learning sign language, especially now that many people are stuck at home during this third lockdown.

“We are offering a free six-week British Sign Language programme, which you can enjoy and access from the comfort of your homes, delivered through Zoom.”

For more details on the free community programme, due to start after Easter half-term, please email Hana, on community@signs4life.org marking your email as ‘Greater Manchester.’