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HomeResponse to allegation about the signs used in Something Special
Designer of Makaton and Chief Executive of The Makaton Charity
I designed the Makaton Language Programme over 30 years ago and the signs we use in the UK are taken from British Sign Language The Makaton Charity have always employed specialist and experienced workers in the Deaf field to advise us on the signs used with Makaton.
The sign for "happy" used with the Makaton Language Programme is a sign from British Sign Language (BSL) and conforms to the sign for "happy" illustrated in the Dictionary of British Sign Language/English (Illustration 1390, page 688 & 689.) Ed. David Brien. Pub. by faber & faber 1992.
Justin Fletcher signs this sign at the beginning of each Something Special programme.
A sign comprises a series of movements. It has a starting position, a specific movement pattern, direction and a final location. The photo of Justin in The Sun on 20th March 2007 is a film still showing only a split second part of the whole BSL sign for "happy". It could be said that Justin's handshape in this still could be from a number of signs, for example the sign for "friend". Therefore to choose the sign for "f**k" is attempting to be controversial and sensational.
It is my view and that of our Makaton Signing Advisor that the sign "happy" as Justin Fletcher signs it in all the Something Special programmes is therefore categorically not the colloquial swear sign in BSL and cannot be construed as this.
21st March 2007
BBC response to allegation about signing language used in Something Special
