Coronation Street brings Deaf Awareness Week to the Rovers Return

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog May 2016, reposted to this blog with permission.)

This week is Deaf Awareness Week and Coronation Street will be playing its part either tonight or tomorrow night on Canadian CBC screens.

Sign language will feature in scenes in the Rovers, bought to life by signing actors Emma Wilding and Haylie Jones, pictured above.

In addition, Asif Iqbal, president of Harrow United Deaf Club is pictured on the Corrie set with Jane Danson (Leanne Tilsley) and Executive Producer Kieran Roberts. They're using British Sign Language (BSL) to spell out 'Welcome to Coronation Street' in British Sign Language

During Asif's visit he met Michael Le Vell, who plays Kevin Webster, and learned how the actor had learned to communicate clearly from his deaf neighbours.  He also chatted to Cherylee Houston, who plays Izzy Armstrong and is a Level 2 BSL user.

And Gateshead man Alex Duguid has been featured online. At 72 he is ITV's oldest employee and is the on screen face of British Sign Language translations for some of the stations well known programmes including Coronation Street.

Deaf Awareness Week reminds us that Coronation Street once featured a deaf character, Freda Burgess as Emily's niece.



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