Will you give BSL a future?
British Sign Language (BSL) is a rich, visual language that connects Deaf people to culture, community and identity.
For over 135 years, the British Deaf Association (BDA) has championed the rights of Deaf people across the UK, working to ensure BSL is recognised, protected and passed on to future generations.
Make a Christmas gift
This Christmas, your gift could help a parent sign their first story to their child, or support a young Deaf person to become a future leader. Every donation to this appeal helps protect the future of BSL and ensures Deaf children and young people can thrive without barriers.
Please use the secure form below to make your donation.
About the British Deaf Association
The British Deaf Association (BDA) is the only national organisation that represents Deaf people whose first or preferred language is British Sign Language (BSL) – or Irish Sign Language (ISL) in Northern Ireland.
The BDA was established in 1890 to fight for the rights of Deaf children to use sign language in educational settings. This followed the seismic decision by the International Conference of the Education of the Deaf (ICED) ten years earlier to ban sign language at school and introduce an inaccessible form of communication known as “The Oral Method”.
Decisions made by those educators a century and a half ago still shape Deaf people’s lives in Britain today. It was this event which gave birth to the BDA, and we have been fighting for equal rights for Deaf people ever since.
Our mission today is to protect, preserve and promote BSL and to campaign for our equal rights as a linguistic and cultural minority.
By supporting this Christmas appeal, you are helping to secure the future of BSL and investing in the next generation of Deaf children and young people.
If you can, please consider making a gift today. Whether you give a little or a lot, your support helps create a more inclusive society where Deaf people can live, learn and lead without barriers.