Elizabeth Bojas was awarded the Signature Teacher of the Year award for the Yorkshire and the Humber region.
Elizabeth who lives in Yeadon in Leeds originally worked with profoundly Deaf children in the Deaf and Hearing Impaired Team in Education Leeds. She loved teaching the children and their families sign language so the children could learn the things that hearing children often take for granted.
But Elizabeth had another passion and this was to teach sign language to adults who were not Deaf. So she took the brave move of leaving her job and establishing Reflect BSL, an organization focused on teaching high quality British Sign Language to hearing people.
Elizabeth said – “I knew of many Deaf people who struggle to communicate with their neighbours and friends. It’s sometimes even more difficult for Deaf people to communicate when they meet hearing people they don’t know which happens every day. I knew that if these hearing people know just a little sign language the lives of Deaf people would be much better”.
Since its inception Reflect BSL has taught over 100 people British Sign Language and Deaf awareness and is looking to grow to make a real difference.
Elizabeth said “it was a real honour to win this award and see the support from the students. I get a lot out of teaching when I see the students develop and we have a lot of fun together as well, so to get this award is a real bonus.”
Her students who had supported the nomination said she is a “fantastic and dedicated teacher”.
