We are pleased to share the outcome of the BDA's Huawei Literacy Skills Project in partnership with Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children. This ground-breaking initiative was made possible through a grant from Huawei, facilitated by the European Union of the Deaf (EUD). The central aim of the project was to significantly improve the literacy skills of Deaf children of colour by honing their ability to translate BSL into written English.
This project did more than just focus on literacy; it reshaped children's aspirations by exposing them to new opportunities and career paths that they might not have encountered before. They met Deaf role models of colour in various career fields, broadening their horizons and aspirations.
The project allowed children to express their ideas and thoughts in BSL; their preferred language, which was then carefully translated into written English in an innovative way, requiring an understanding of the complexities of English grammar and sentence structure. This method developed essential skills in children to utilise in their future academic and professional settings.
We would like to thank David Ellington for directing and editing the film, role models, Huawei and the EUD for making this project possible and of course, the amazing staff and pupils at Frank Barnes School.
