Equal Opportunties statement

Linda Day:  As BSL teaching expands, Deaf teachers of sign language need to be valued.

 The ABSLTA Team is sharing a post by Duke Notgnille on the ABSLTA Facebook Page to inform all ABSLTA members about Black Lives Matters and encouraging us all BSL teachers to follow these signs for BLACK LIVES MATTERS. Especially as these signs were chosen by the Black Deaf Group members. It is especially important that we all respect the group’s preferred sign for BLACK. 

 Membership of ABSLTA is primarily for supporting BSL Teachers and Assessors. We welcome Managers empowering their BSL teaching staff to become members of ABSLTA as part of their continuing professional development. Membership is open to individual BSL Teachers and Assessors only as we do not run a separate membership for organisations.

ABSLTA is concerned by the quality of some YouTube BSL Tutorials.  We have been alerted to these tutorials by qualified and experienced BSL Teachers and Assessors who have contacted us.

ABSLTA's aim is to support qualified and trained BSL Teachers and Assessors by setting up various workshops and conferences.  We support continuing professional development for all BSL Teachers and Assessors.

In addition to having a teaching qualification and advanced level of BSL and linguistic knowledge and skills, it is the responsibility of all of us to maintain high quality standards of teaching.

ABSLTA is campaigning for a national register of BSL Teachers and Assessors independent of awarding bodies to avoid conflict of interest.

Makaton is not a sign language.  It is a communication tool devised for people with learning difficulties.

Makaton does use some signs borrowed from BSL.  However it is not equal to BSL and cannot replace BSL for Deaf children and adults.

Makaton follows English grammar structure.  BSL is a language with its own grammar and structure.