Sound Waves Foundation, founded to promote deaf awareness and inclusivity, recently celebrated Sign Language Week by engaging with schoolchildren at Upper Beeding Primary School. On March 13, 2025, co-founder Silvie Koanda visited the school to introduce students to British Sign Language (BSL) through interactive activities, including the launch of their innovative BSL card game.
The after-school club, which began its sessions in January 2025, operates under the skilled leadership of Louise Gibson, who is not only passionate about teaching BSL but also has been deaf since birth. Accompanying her is Paula Hurrell, providing sign language interpretation and support. By maintaining small class sizes of twelve, the program ensures personalized attention, benefiting the youngest participants, who are eight years old. "This is a really good stepping stone for the kids," Koanda noted, emphasizing the importance of visual communication.
Louise Gibson passionately advocates for BSL education, aiming to raise awareness and facilitate connection between deaf and hearing individuals. She highlighted the transformative power of the visual language, especially for children who may be shy or have sensory needs. During the one-hour session at the after-school club, Gibson instructed students and teachers on how to sign various locations and even arranged practice conversations, emphasizing the playful aspect of learning BSL.
Silvie Koanda shared her personal connection to BSL, noting her experience as the mother of two children with hearing impairments. She candidly explained how cochlear implants allowed her children to succeed in mainstream schools, yet emphasized the significance of BSL as a reliable communication tool. "Teaching children the visual language BSL is one way of ... improving inclusivity from an early age," she explained. This sentiment resonates with the foundation’s mission, which strives to challenge stereotypes surrounding deaf individuals and integrate awareness and education across communities.
Gibson and her students enthusiastically engaged with new language concepts, focusing on enjoyment and expression through BSL. The children’s responses indicated their appreciation for this unique learning opportunity, with many expressing how enjoyable it was to learn BSL and participate in games integrating the language.
To address the increasing interest, Sound Waves Foundation has expanded its reach, currently operating after-school clubs throughout the UK. The demand for these programs has surged, reportedly doubling over the past year. Yet, this success reveals another challenge: the urgent need for more qualified BSL teachers. The foundation currently seeks to enlist at least 20 additional instructors to meet the growing interest and offer more sessions.
Gibson also mentioned the potential impact of this educational initiative, hoping it will create stronger connections between individuals regardless of their communication abilities. The after-school club, with its focus on BSL, serves as not only a learning space but as a community builder.
Koanda remarked on the universal appeal of BSL, concluding, "It is lovely to see the children using finger signing. The engagement from teachers wanting to learn is also encouraging; it reflects the collective effort to cultivate inclusivity." By fostering dialogue through sign language learning, Sound Waves Foundation aims to improve accessibility and inclusion for the deaf and hard of hearing. Parents and teachers alike praised the foundations’ encouraging programming, which seeks to integrate BSL education within the community.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Sound Waves Foundation and affiliated educational programs is encouraged to visit their website at www.soundwavesfoundation.org, where they can find additional details on courses and other initiatives aimed at raising deaf awareness.