Tactile signing

Tactile signing is a method of communicating using touch that may be used by some children who have both a hearing loss and visual impairment. This is usually referred to as a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) or deafblindness. 

There are a range of tactile ways to access signing and communication. 

Tactile signing may be based on British Sign Language (BSL), a sign system like Makaton, or a totally individual sign system, developed organically. 

Hand-under-hand communication

In this system, the deafblind child places their hands over those of the signer to follow what’s being communicated through touch and movement. When it’s the deafblind child’s turn to communicate, they put their hands underneath. This technique is sometimes referred to as hand-under-hand communication. 

Read more about hand-under-hand signing on the Sense website.

Hand-under-hand communication - Sense

Deafblind manual alphabet

The deafblind manual alphabet is based on the BSL fingerspelling alphabet. With this method, the signer signs each letter of each word onto the palm of the hand of the child. 

Deafblind Manual - Sense 

Block alphabet 

The block alphabet is another tactile communication approach where words are spelt in block capitals on the palm of the child’s hand. In the UK, this method uses the English alphabet.

Block alphabet - Sense

Tadoma

Tadoma is a method of lip-reading through touch. This method may be used in conjunction with other systems listed above. For example, a deafblind person could use one hand to process lip-reading and the other to receive words spelled onto the palm using the block alphabet.

Tadoma - Sense 

Other approaches

Depending on an individual child’s needs and preferences there are other tactile systems which support communication, such as using touch cues and on-body signing. One example is Canaan Barrie, an on-body sign system developed at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh.

An introduction to the Canaan Barrie On Body Sign System | Sight Scotland 

With thanks to the Seashell Trust for contributing this information.