Sign language was created by many people around the world. The first evidence of people using hand signs and gestures to communicate dates all the way back to the fifth century.įormally, the history of sign language in Western societies begins around the 17th century.įind out more about the history of British Sign Language. Historians believe that sign language is probably older than spoken language. Some forms of sign language are also used by people with other communication and learning needs, and babies who haven’t yet started speaking. Some people describe themselves as “Deaf” with a capital “D” to express pride in their Deaf identity.įind out more about D/deafness and hearing loss. Sign language is used mainly by people who are D/deaf or have hearing impairments. The most common form of sign language in the UK is British Sign Language (BSL). Sign language is a way of communicating using hand gestures and movements, body language and facial expressions, instead of spoken words.

If you want to learn more about BSL, check out Sense Sign School.

Have a go and don’t worry about getting it wrong.

At Sense, we use whatever combination of speech, touch, sign or visual language works best.

You can communicate using a mix of different ways (we all do!).

Won in sign language