British Sign Language (BSL) teacher Cath Smith is aware of the ignorance around her speciality. She recalls, 'When we put up posters with finger-spelling at a recent exhibition, teachers were coming up and asking us what they were. They'd ask if it was Makaton - a sign system derived from BSL - but they weren't really interested in the difference.'
There is a lot of confusion about different systems using signs and gestures to communicate. As a BSL specialist, Cath Smith is particularly concerned because, as she puts it, 'BSL is a proper community language, and should be treated accordingly'.
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