In recognition of Sign Language Week, Tinder is releasing a new guide to help singles sign common dating terms.
Sign Language Week, which takes place from the 13th to the 19th of March, raises awareness about individuals who are hard of hearing and how they communicate. In the UK, only 150,000 people know British Sign Language, and Tinder is looking to help boost those numbers.
The dating app will produce a sign language series, in partnership with Hermon and Heroda, twin sisters who are content creators and deaf. They’ll be teaching singles how to sign phrases such as “I like your smile” and “I’d like to see you again”.
Tinder is also promoting charity Deaf Action, which is deaf-led and raises awareness about the deaf community. It is sharing information about Deaf Action’s introductory courses on British Sign Language, which run for six weeks at a time.
“Dating can be daunting, but being deaf can feel ten times more challenging because people can be very judgmental about deafness”, said Hermon and Heroda.
“We’re teaming up with Tinder to encourage anyone who is interested in learning sign language and deaf culture to absolutely go for it. Be open-minded and patient, deafness doesn’t have to get in the way of true love”, they added.
Philip Gerrard, CEO at Deaf Action said: “Being born into a deaf family and having BSL as my first language, I take pride in having such a strong cultural deaf identity”.
“Every year, National Sign Language Week celebrates when BSL was recognised as a language in the UK. We’re thrilled to be working with Tinder on this opportunity to spread deaf awareness, which will make a real impact on the challenge’s deaf people face particularly when it comes to dating”, he shared.