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BVB first team in sign language
The names of the BVB players might be known far beyond the city of Dortmund itself, but they have never previously been incorporated into sign language. That, however, is all about to change now thanks to a project supported by "leuchte auf".
At the beginning of the 2018 World Cup year, the educational development institution Haslachmühle from Horgenzell in Baden-Württemberg teamed up with the DEAF BVB Fan Club to translate the players' names into sign language. This is a type of language that uses gestures to allow people who are hard of hearing or deaf to communicate with the people in their environment. It combines hand signals with body postures and expressions. The finished product is sign language, a complex communication device that is officially recognised as a full language.
Before the composition of the BVB team poster with the player names in sign language, there was no established hand gesture for the players in the language. "Up until now the names have been spelled out awkwardly or there was no standard translation. But now thanks to the project, the names can be incorporated into the language for everyday use," said Florian Hansing of the DEAF BVB Fan Club, who is delighted about the fact that the new BVB poster allows for a nationwide application of the gestures.
The team poster with the names in sign language can be downloaded as a PDF document here.
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