The British Deaf Association is seeking partnerships from within the educational sector for their new heritage project. The BDA has secured initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and is now in the process of undertaking the research and finalising the plans for the full three-year project. 

The BDA is in possession of a wealth of film footage, some dating back to the 1930s, that captures the use of BSL in a variety of settings and environments throughout the twentieth century. The aim is to digitise these clips and make them available online, accompanied by testimonies and interviews from Deaf community members, academics and historians. 

While this online resource will be invaluable for raising awareness of the Deaf community’s rich heritage, a large part of the project  will be dedicated to developing a UK-wide educational outreach programme for Deaf schools, mainstream schools with Deaf pupils/units, and mainstream schools. 

Teaching packs supporting this programme will include a DVD of films clips, learning resources and lesson plans, and will have significant and numerous links to both the Citizenship and Deaf Studies curriculums. The BDA wants this programme of learning to be as accessible, relevant and beneficial as possible for teachers – and we would like your help in ensuring we meet this goal.

To get involved, take place on one of our pilot programmes*, or would simply like more information please contact Jemma ([log in to unmask]) to express your interest in the project.


* The BDA is planning a series of pilot projects for Spring 2013, focused around a selection of film clips and a lesson plan/learning resources that will be provided.