Timeline

1880, 6th – 11th September
Milan Conference. The infamous Milan Conference in 1880 ruled that deaf people across the world should be taught using only the oral method banning sign language for the deaf from schools.

1890
British Deaf Association founded by Francis Maginn to protect British Sign Language and the Deaf community following the Milan Conference. The British Deaf Association aimed to protect and preserve British Sign Language and the Deaf community.

1960s
American Sign Language is recognised as a language in its own right setting the trend for the rest of the world to follow.

1976
Department for Health and Social Security grant the British Deaf Association £133,000 for a Communication Skills Project. The project focuses on teaching people British Sign Language as there was much concern that British Sign Language was in decline.

1980, December
After the success of the Communication Skills Project, an organisation called the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People (CACDP) is formed. CACDP establish a register for BSL interpreters and CACDP push for more people to learn BSL.

1988, 17th June
The European Parliament vote unanimously in favour of a resolution that asks all member states to recognise their national sign language as an official language. However it takes the UK 15 years to acknowledge the request.

2001, 1st October
CACDP launch accredited qualifications in British Sign Language encouraging hearing people to learn BSL and continue its development as a language.

2003, 18th March
British Sign Language is recognised in the UK as a language in its own right. However it isnt recognised as an official language of the UK.

2004, 30th March
Northern Ireland gives official recognition to British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language.

2009, 5th January
CACDP changes its name to Signature in an effort to further push BSL qualifications and encourage more people to become interpreters or communication support workers.