To mark the beginning of Sign Language Week from 17-23 March, Shell Roca, Head of the Caritas Deaf Service, reflects on the importance of Sign Language as a means towards inclusion for the Deaf Community, in the Church and beyond.
‘Blindness separates people from things; Deafness separates people from people.’
Thus said Helen Keller, an early disability rights advocate who became Deaf and blind following an illness at 19 months old.
One way of reversing the separation that Deaf people experience is by learning and using Sign Language. If you have ever been to a diocesan liturgy at the Cathedral, you will likely have seen the Caritas Deaf Service team interpreting for members of the Deaf Community.
For Deaf people to be fully included in parish life, having an interpreter at Mass is just a small part of the bigger picture. In the words of one member of our community: ‘It is so important to have access to my faith in Sign Language so I can truly understand what it means.’
Another commented: ‘When the priest reads his homily, I feel so lonely and isolated when there is no BSL interpreter there. He could give me a copy of his homily afterwards but never does.’
It is also important for Deaf people to feel part of the social aspect of the Church. Whether it’s participating in pilgrimages and trips, chatting over tea and coffee after Mass, or giving and receiving support in difficult moments, it is having people in the parish who can sign that allows Deaf people to feel like full members of the community: ‘Seeing someone sign as I arrive at church makes me feel welcome.’
As one of the younger members of the Deaf Community (pictured) put it:
Being 8 years old and profoundly Deaf, it’s important for me to have an interpreter signing BSL, as it helps me understand my faith. I am an altar server now and would not have been able to learn this effectively without BSL, as well as completing the Sacrament of Holy Communion. I feel included and closer to God because I can follow along just like everyone else.
Sign Language Week is the perfect time to consider if this is a ministry that God is calling you to, as there will be lots of opportunities to find out how you can help and try out learning British Sign Language (BSL). If you’re interested in learning more, visit signlanguageweek.org.uk.
We should not, of course, overlook the other half of Helen Keller’s quote. I invite you to make a note of Blind Awareness Month in October and the International Day of the Blind on 13 November 2025, to make sure we all include and celebrating the gifts of those who are visually impaired.
We are all created in God’s image, but we are made differently. We all want to hear the Word of the Lord. In the words of the famous Deaf poet Dorothy Miles, ‘Deaf people hear with their eyes and hearts.’ Let us then open our hearts to the needs of the Deaf Community, and ensure we are able to communicate in a way that makes this possible.
The Caritas Deaf Service works to enable individuals who are Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing to participate fully in the life of the Church. It does this by running regular Signed Masses, Bible Study sessions, social events, trips and pilgrimages tailored to the needs of the Deaf Community.
Support the Caritas Deaf Service here.
