Richard Walklett

My name is Richard and I'm hard of hearing (deaf).

I was born with mild hearing loss, but over the years it's deteriorated. To help me communicate and understand the world, I wear two hearing aids. Before the pandemic, I managed just fine. But when we all had to wear masks and stay socially distant, communicating became a real challenge.

That's when I decided to dive deep into British Sign Language (BSL) - it's not only a necessity for me, but communicating through sign language is also just so much fun!

Picture this: you're at the end of a long workday, enjoying a cup of coffee with your partner. You're chatting away, laughing and sharing stories of the day - and here's the best part - you haven't made a sound!

Even though my wife can hear perfectly fine and I can hear most things, we still communicate in sign language about our day, where we should go on holiday, and how delicious our meal is! Honestly, if I had known how practical, helpful, expressive, and joyful BSL is, I would have learned it years ago.

And that's why I decided to start teaching British Sign Language. I want people like me to be able to sit in a room with friends or colleagues, keep up with conversations, and feel included, even in a noisy space. Learning sign language is empowering and a wonderful skill to have in our ever-changing world where inclusion, acceptance, and connection are so important.

So why not join me today and start your journey into learning British Sign Language?