I am seeking some help, advice or support to disseminate information from a project that has been co-funded by some of the science learned societies, including ourselves (the Institute of Physics), The Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

We funded the Scottish Sensory Centre to develop around 200 new BSL signs for physics and Design and Technology, at GCSE level, to communicate topics such as movement, the universe, radiation and energy. The aim was to give 11-16 year olds with hearing difficulties better opportunities to engage with physics and engineering as many deaf students have to rely on either temporary arrangements with their teachers or fingerspelling for complex physics and engineering terms. The project has also developed, in British Sign Language, definitions for each term. These definitions explain the meaning of the term or provide an example of how it can be used. The new signs complement those that already exist in chemistry and biology. You can find short video clips for the physics signs and their definitions on the Scottish Sensory Centre's website at http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/bsl/physicshome.html

Our main focus now is to disseminate these signs as widely as we can, to ensure that teachers and students know that they exist. I am looking for some advice and support to highlight the signs to teachers and students and what works best when trying to get new signs into the classroom? We have a small budget for this dissemination work so we are happy to take advice on how we can best promote this project.

Any help or advice you can provide on this matter would be greatly appreciated

Best wishes

Jenni

Jenni Dyer

Diversity Programme Leader

Institute of Physics

76 Portland Place

London

W1B 1NT

E-mail: [log in to unmask]

Direct tel: +44 (0) 20 7470 4863

www.iop.org/diversity