What is Canaan Barrie on body sign system?

The sign system was developed at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh.  It is used to communicate with children who have multiple disabilities as well as being visually impaired.

On body signing helps develop a young person’s natural gesture and, in turn, helps them communicate better with their world around them.  Signing also encourages and develops spoken language, giving more meaning to the individual word.

There are universal Canaan Barrie signs but not every child will need every single one of these. Canaan Barrie signs are developed as a relationship between an adult and child grows. Each child’s Canaan Barrie signs are slightly different as they are unique to them.

Sight Scotland is the best place to start-see link below. An illustrated list of signs can be found here: https://shorturl.at/dALP6. You can see videos demonstrating the signs here: https://www.youtube.com/@SightScotland

2 thoughts on “What is Canaan Barrie on body sign system?”

  1. Hi
    I’m going to be starting some language work with a young girl who is registered blind and would like to try some on body signing. Do you have any recommended vocab lists or where we might purchase a book with the signs in.

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