Amanda Smith

• Sign language teacher

Amanda Smith is a Deaf British Sign Language user, with experience teaching BSL for over 25 years.

As an Associate Professor at York St John, she teaches British Sign Language modules at all levels of study, teaching students who may never have signed a word, as well as those who already have some fluency in BSL. She includes aspects of the Deaf lived experience into her teaching, to help raise awareness of Deaf people as a cultural as well as linguistic minority.

In 2011 she was awarded National Teacher of the Year by Signature and, in 2012 York Adult Tutor of the Year by City of York Council’s York 800. In 2019 she was nominated for the Inspirational Teaching and Most Supportive Staff Member of the Year awards by York St John University Students' Union.