We recognise individuals in honorary roles who have been important to our charity in various ways. These roles are ceremonial and acknowledge past involvement and support. They do not involve decision-making or current responsibilities within the charity.

We also recognise the importance of deaf BSL Teachers and Assessors in the past who have contributed to the ABSLTA. More information and acknowledgments can be found below.

Clark Denmark, Honorary President of ABSLTA, has been a major force in British Sign Language (BSL) education. He was born in Scotland and has made a huge impact on how BSL is taught and understood.

Key Contributions:

Curriculum Development: After meeting someone who learned American Sign Language (ASL) through the Vista Curriculum Series – Signing Naturally, Clark adapted this approach for BSL and created several new BSL teaching materials, including the BDA SignCommunity curriculum and the BSLQED project.

British Sign Language Dictionary: Helped create a dictionary with over 1,800 signs and their meanings, published in 1992.

University Courses: Helped set up the first university BSL teacher training courses in the UK, starting in 1985.

Media Presence: Became the first Deaf person to interpret BBC news live in BSL in 2017 and taught Princess Diana BSL, leading to her introduction in the British Sign Language Dictionary.

Clark Denmark has played a key role in advancing BSL education and promoting Deaf culture.

Emma Iliffe has been a key figure in BSL teaching for many years, covering Levels 1 to 6. She joined the ABSLTA committee in 2013 and was nominated as the 6th Chair by David Pilkington in 2014. Before becoming Chair, Emma was already a long-time member of ABSLTA and had taught at Chicken Shed Theatre, Blanche Nevile School for Deaf Children, and CityLit. Although she initially aimed to be an illustrator, Emma discovered her passion for BSL teaching.

Emma’s journey in BSL education began with the British Sign Language Training Agency (BSLTA) course at the University of Durham in 1987. She later enrolled in the Sign Language Teacher Training Course (STTC) at CityLit in 2001.

Under Emma’s leadership, ABSLTA’s membership grew from 22 to over 100 by 2023, and the organisation became a registered charity. She transformed ABSLTA by establishing a Facebook Page and Group, and stepped down as Chair in March 2024 at the 35th AGM.

Emma was honoured with an award at the BSL Horizon Conference for her outstanding contributions to ABSLTA during her ten years of leadership. She has also received numerous teaching awards from Signature and the Festival of Learning Awards for her exceptional work in BSL education.

Interesting Fact: Her mother, Lady Winifred Tumim CBE, was a prominent figure in Deaf advocacy, serving as Chair of the board of trustees for RNID and CACDP (now Signature) during the 1980s and 1990s. She was also a founder of the Charity Commission, which regulates charities in the UK.