Vicky Meets: Russell and Rachael Fowler, founders of BSLcourses.co.uk, Bognor Regis

Rachael: We met on a date in 2007. I explained that I was travelling the UK running courses in British Sign Language [BSL]. Russell suggested I set up online, but I didn’t think I could.

Then, when we got married and had children, I thought why not? Russel’s brother was a computer programmer and built our website. We did a trial course with two students, and it went well.

Back in 2011 webcams were a bit basic and Wi-Fi was much slower, but it’s much better today. We’ve really grown since then.

Russell: With my computer background I thought we could marry our skills up. It took a long time to film the content – we did it in our living room to start with! – but the training material was really good quality.

It was a slow start, but I had big belief that it would work.

Do you have a broad student base?

Rachael: Yes. Police, ambulance drivers, social workers, doctors – all sorts. We have students all over the world, ranging in age from seven to 70.

Some people even learn while they are travelling.

What were your career paths?

Russell: I was born deaf but went to a hearing school. It was very isolating.

At college I did computers, but I still wasn’t finding my identity, which was very lonely.

Thankfully, my Mum discovered that my audiologist had a deaf son who, like me, played golf.

When we first played together he signed the whole time to me.

It was the first time I ever saw sign language and I was 17 – it was like a punch in the face.

I started to learn from him and he introduced me to a deaf club.

We went to the pub and it was full of deaf people signing. It gave me goose bumps.

To allow other people to make friends and experience finding their own identity as I did is something that I am passionate about.

Rachael: I was also born deaf. I always wanted to become a teacher of the deaf.

I went to Chichester University to do a BA in Arts & Education, but there were barriers – there wasn’t enough funding to support me with things like interpreters.

I did finish my degree, but then I changed course and did a PGCE so that I could teach adults.

I was told that I should teach sign language, but I was very unsure because when I was at school it was banned. But now BSL is a formally recognised language.

What should people know about BSL?

Rachael: If you’re born deaf you’re not limited. People just need to learn how to communicate with you.

Teaching a deaf child to speak is really hard and isn’t always successful. Learning sign language is much easier.

Russell: There are lots of services that could do with learning basic sign language. It would really help them and it would do the deaf community a massive favour.

More information: www.bslcourses.co.uk