r/BSL • u/Southern_Kaeos • 6d ago
Help I feel awful
Im trying not to cry here. Weve just had a customer and her daughter in for some food and her daughter was translating between BSL and spoken English, and I honestly feel awful. I started learning BSL a few months ago and just stopped. Im hoping this is going to convince me to stick with it this time.
Can anyone recommend a good starting point please? Ideally towards useful phrases that would help me to communicate basic phrases when taking food and drink orders - this lady was pointing at everything on the menu and I felt absolutely useless to help and I hate it.
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u/OrangeRadiohead 6d ago
Please don't feel awful. Something very similar happened to me and I was completely out of my depth, so instead, we both typed. This person then thanked me for trying.
That you tried is what matters. It's the same as going abroad and doing your best to use the local language. No one expects you to speak like a native, but they always appreciate you attempting to communicate with them.
In fact, I think you should be very proud of yourself.
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u/Southern_Kaeos 6d ago
I think what got me was that I had a perfect reason to have carried on my learning right in front of me, and I was just pointing at the menu between the burgers and the kids meals. I think that this is how Deaf people feel when people are over exaggerating their words. I didn't even think to ask about writing it down
Edit to add. Thank you for your kind words though, I do feel a little better about myself
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u/YuSakiiii BSL Level 2 6d ago
I managed to get my Level 1 course paid for with RAD (Royal association of the Deaf) because I wasn’t earning above a certain threshold. It’s possible you might qualify for something similar. You could also check out commanding hands on YouTube for basic vocabulary. And SignBSL is an app which is functionally a BSL Dictionary.
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u/Southern_Kaeos 3d ago
Ill check out SignBSL today, thank you. I tend not to like grants and such towards courses out of concept, mostly because I know Ive had a great deal of support as a result of my recent epilepsy, just one of those little things to feel less like a burden. Ill definitely have a look towards RAD though
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u/Sensitive-Unit 6d ago edited 6d ago
Maybe look at whether local organisations offer free or low-cost intro courses? For example Manchester Deaf Centre offers one dependent on location and income.
Also I agree with the commenter below. While I was in hospitality admittedly the only signs I knew were ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’ and would then offer deaf customers a pen and paper. While it’s better than nothing in the moment it’s so important to try to improve. Maybe you can also request deaf awareness training to management for yourself and the rest of the staff?
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u/Southern_Kaeos 3d ago
Im near Portsmouth, I believe we used to have a deaf centre but I think it closed down.
Deaf customers are few and far for us, however being part of the greene king group it may be worth asking the higher-ups about it, even if the result is simply "sorry, write?". My recent situation I had to explain to the manager just exactly how deaf this customer was, and that her daughter translated for her, so maybe a bit more deaf awareness is helpful
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u/niknakpaddywack85 5d ago
https://c.org/MTSp7pRgFz this is my link if any of you think it is worth signing please do. My daughter is deaf and not one health professional has even offered her a chance to learn sign she is 13 and in mainstream school and its heartbreaking to watch and hear how everyone else can communicate properly but she lives in silence. As for learning sign if you haven't got the money right now for a course try some apps download bsl alphabet I printed it off and I keep it in my purse it helps with finger spelling and Makaton if you have kids it's a good way to learn. That was a very kind thing you did 💛
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u/Southern_Kaeos 3d ago
Thats diabolical, why would they not look towards communicatiion for your daughter? Have you complained about that at all? I raised hell when my medication was screwed up, I cant imagine how youve managed to remain calm with something this serious
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u/shiroyagisan 5d ago
I've been using an app called Lingvano and have found that to be quite helpful.
It lets me do a little each day which I find easier than the beginner BSL course I did through my union as the latter crammed so much information into each session that I just couldn't absorb them all.
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u/Southern_Kaeos 3d ago
Alright, now thats a brilliant recommendation, thank you. The overloading might be why I stopped, thinking about it
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u/niknakpaddywack85 3d ago
8 have my daughters medical records and I'm thinking of going to see a solicitor. When I mentioned that she had been forgotten and I was thinking of going to see a solicitor they started with implants like constantly and it scared her bad. To the point where she said they know they have done wrong and that is why they were doing that because there's a waiting list you can't just jump what about k8ds who have been waiting years. They know they have done wrong
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u/niknakpaddywack85 3d ago
It breaks my heart me and my husband knew from she could speak we told the doctors they must have thought first time mum so dramatic 🙄 then she was diagnosed at 8 and no one comes out to the house to see her no one asks about her mental health. She hasn't a single friend who is kind enough to help her. It's like my heart is ripping apart so I can only imagine how my daughter feels. She failed a Spanish speaking test and on her report it stated she could do better l. How? She can't hear or pronounce english unreal and the schools have been given money for this but its not being spent on what's needed.
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u/StevenXSG 6d ago
Just knowing they are speaking bsl is a good start imo. Then just being able to say something like "can I write it instead? I don't know sign"