Sign language for climate change

Sign language for climate change - 2nd October 2023

There are 200 new signs for climate change in British Sign Language (BSL). These new signs will include members of the deaf community in climate talks.

These new signs include signs for "carbon footprint" and "greenhouse gases". The sign language project's trying to create perfect signs for complex scientific ideas.

BSL users used to have to spell complex words because there were no signs. But these new signs will aid deaf scientists to communicate more easily at international conferences. Dr Audrey Cameron is a deaf scientist who's leading the project. She's done research for 11 years but couldn't communicate with others during meetings.

The sign language project is part of the Royal Society. Since 2007, the science department has added 7,000 signs to BSL. It aims to add 200 more signs about energy and climate change.

A science workshop in Glasgow, which helps deaf students, has started using the new signs. A 13 year old student, Melissa, explains that the new signs have made the topic of climate change easier and quicker to understand.

Jeremy Sanders is a manager at the Royal Society. He would like the new signs to help educate deaf students about climate change, and for deaf scientists to share their knowledge with the world.