The first academic website in the world to use British Sign Language (BSL) will be launched at 12pm today (Friday 5 May) during Deaf Awareness Week.

The pioneering website www.bris.ac.uk/deaf/ has been developed thanks to staff and students at Bristol University’s Centre for Deaf Studies (CDS).

The aim was to create a website using BSL for the Deaf and hearing community and to attract potential students to study at the Centre.

An on-screen video display allows people to go on an online tour of the Centre with a BSL interpreter.

There are also a number of online resources including Deafstation, a daily news programme in BSL for BSL users, which is available as a podcast.

The website will be officially launched by Professor David Clarke, Pro Vice-Chancellor during a visit to the Centre.

Jim Kyle, Harry Crook Professor of Deaf Studies in the Centre, said: “We are delighted to launch the website during Deaf Awareness Week. Our commitment was to give Deaf sign language users access to the information on our courses, research and other activities in their own language.

“We will also shortly offer a version in International Sign for Deaf people from other countries. As a bonus there is a link to our daily news service in BSL. This is a major step forward for the University in its commitment to Deaf people.”

Professor David Clarke, added: “I am thrilled to be involved with the launch of the new website. The website has lots of interactive pages for the Deaf as well as the hearing community.”