Campaign urges all schools to teach sign language

A petition calling for all schools to teach basic sign language has had nearly 100,000 signatures.

Set up by 18 year-old Jade Kilduff, the campaign started after seeing how basic sign language had transformed her younger brother's life.

Her four-year old brother Christian has brain damage and cerebral palsy and his family were told he would never be able to communicate, so Jade spent two years teaching him sign language.

Jade told Sky News: "Christian communicates by using sign language and a lot of people when talking to Christian would have to talk through me."

"And I thought it was unfair that he could only communicate to me and a few of our family members and I thought if everybody just knew a little bit of sign then it would make the world more inclusive."

Her petition could have a wide impact as there are 12 million people with hearing loss in the UK. There are 50,000 children in the UK with hearing impairments but very few mainstream schools that teach British sign language.