Doncaster Deaf Trust has launched a free online British Sign Language (BSL) course.
The online course, developed with National Lottery Funding, will enable users to learn Level One BSL and is perfect to pass the time while the country is in lockdown.
Club Doncaster work closely with Doncaster Deaf Trust to ensure that all supporter meetings have a BSL translator and more than 30 staff from across Rovers, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Doncaster RLFC and the Foundation have signed up for the course.
Alexis Johnson, executive principal of Doncaster Deaf Trust said: “We are thrilled to be able to launch this free resource for people during this unprecedented time.
“Our team have been working hard to develop the online course and have brought the launch forward so that people who are at home can access the course and learn a new skill.
“Sign Language is a great communication tool for people to learn and we know that there are many campaigns to have British Sign Language taught in schools.
“This course will teach families, young people and businesspeople the basics of communicating via sign.
“We are sure that this platform will also be useful to people who are helping the Deaf community as the Covid-19 pandemic and government measures regarding social distancing and isolation will mean that some Deaf people will need help and assistance and basic sign language knowledge will help massively in making them feel reassured.”
The first section of the course covers basic signs including greetings, numbers, addressing people, travel and transport and hobbies. The course is not yet complete with further sections of level one being added all the time.
Johnson continued: “It is simple to sign up and you can run through the course at your own pace, doing a little each day and practicing as often as you can.
“Huge thanks to Natalie Pollard who is the course designer and one of the signers, Mike Beslin, the eLearning course producer from the Trust and our signers who have worked tirelessly to make this happen. Without the Lottery Funding this would not have been possible, so a big thank you goes out to them too.
“We are looking forward to seeing lots of people sign up to the course and develop a new skill that will help them to communicate with the Deaf community.
To sign up to the free course visit www.doncasterdeafsign.org.uk