👐 Sign Language Support for Immigrant Communities in the UK
At Ability Action CIC, we are deeply committed to creating an inclusive society where every voice is heard — including those who sign. One of the most overlooked and under-supported groups in the UK are Deaf and hard-of-hearing immigrants who use foreign sign languages, particularly those from conflict-affected regions such as Sri Lanka.
🌍 Why This Matters
Over the past several decades, many Sri Lankan individuals and families migrated to the UK — often as a result of the long and devastating civil war. During the conflict, many people experienced trauma, injury, and displacement, which led to life-altering disabilities, including hearing loss.
Some of these individuals have now been in the UK for 20 to 30 years, yet continue to face significant language and accessibility barriers — not just in spoken English, but in sign language.
❗Sign languages are not universal.
Sri Lankan Sign Language (SLSL) is completely different from British Sign Language (BSL). As a result, many Deaf Sri Lankan immigrants are cut off from essential services, healthcare, and community life because interpreters in their native sign language are almost impossible to find.
🤝 What We Do
Ability Action CIC works at the intersection of language access, disability inclusion, and community empowerment. We:
- Provide interpreting and communication support in underrepresented sign languages such as Sri Lankan Sign Language
- Collaborate with local authorities, NHS trusts, GP centers, DWP, housing offices, and other service providers to ensure accessible communication for all
- Help Deaf immigrants navigate support systems, such as healthcare, education, benefits, and legal aid
- Run outreach programs and awareness campaigns to highlight the importance of supporting Deaf immigrants who sign in languages other than BSL
🧠 Training the Community to Support Themselves
One of the biggest barriers is the lack of qualified interpreters in rare or non-UK sign languages. That's why we launched our Community Sign Language Empowerment Project — a unique initiative that:
- Trains bilingual members of immigrant communities who already use both BSL and their own native sign language (like SLSL)
- Offers pathways into careers as communication support workers, interpreters, or cultural mediators
- Equips trainees with the tools to bridge the gap between public services and the Deaf individuals they support
- Creates economic opportunities for those often left behind in traditional workforce models
💬 For example, a young woman from a Sri Lankan family who grew up in the UK learned both BSL and SLSL to communicate with her parents. Through our program, she now works part-time supporting Deaf Sri Lankan elders at GP appointments and helps them access community events. She’s now pursuing interpreter training — turning her lived experience into a professional pathway.
🌱 The Bigger Picture
This is more than just support — it's about belonging, dignity, and economic empowerment.
When we help someone access their GP, fill out a housing form, or apply for benefits in a language they truly understand, we’re doing more than just translation — we’re breaking cycles of isolation and creating opportunities for independence and inclusion.
And when we train individuals from these communities to become support workers themselves, we’re helping to build leadership, representation, and generational progress.
📣 We Need More Voices
If you're:
- A member of a community who uses a non-UK sign language
- A bilingual signer looking to grow your career
- An organization or public body in need of support for Deaf immigrants
- Passionate about equity and inclusion
👉 We want to hear from you.
Contact us at info@abilityact.com to learn more about our training, partnerships, and support services.
