21 Aug 2025
The course covers clinical vocabulary for use in consultations and practice to make veterinary services more accessible.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Hannah Perrin with one of her clients.
A veterinary training company has launched a new online course in British Sign Language (BSL) for vet staff and students.
Clarity Professional says the course, British Sign Language and Deaf Awareness for Veterinary Staff, will help make practices more inclusive and accessible for both team members and clients.
The eight-week course features weekly live, one-hour sessions where participants will be taught BSL basics and key vocabulary for use in practice, including greetings, symptoms, consults, treatment, diagnostics, emergencies and administration.
Deaf awareness and deaf culture will also be covered as part of the programme.
Clarity Professional founder and director Hannah Perrin said: “More than 12 million people in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss. How many of those people are our clients, colleagues, or students?
“Learning some simple BSL can make a world of difference in communicating with empathy and understanding.”
According to the company, 1.2 million people in the UK cannot hear most conversational speech, while 150,000 people are primary BSL users.
Dr Perrin added: “Being more aware of how to communicate with people who are deaf or have hearing loss means that veterinary teams will be better able to serve the people they interact with every day.
“These skills will give teams the confidence to welcome deaf clients to their practice and provide inclusive, compassionate service at every stage.”
The course is open for registration now at Clarity’s website, with early bird discounted pricing available for full-time students and charity staff until 31 August.
The company also offers a range of CPD courses for veterinary professionals covering topics such as leadership, recruitment and practice administration.
