For the national 2.6 Challenge, the team at Disability Together (then Living Options Devon) set themselves a simple but meaningful goal – learn the basics of British Sign Language (BSL) in one week and record a special thank you message for everyone who donated.

Colleagues and volunteers practised everyday signs like hello, thank you, please and sorry, along with fingerspelling names so they could personalise their messages. The result was a short series of friendly video clips that sponsors could watch and share – a small act that showed how much inclusive communication matters.

This challenge also reflected our wider commitment to supporting d/Deaf people. Across our services, we work with Deaf-led trainers, provide BSL-friendly resources and make simple adjustments so communication is clear. That can mean offering webcam appointments with BSL users, using plain English in follow-ups, and ensuring events are planned with good lighting, clear sightlines and time for visual communication.

Thanks to everyone who got involved and donated, we raised £1,250. Your support helps us keep Deaf-aware services running and make sure more people can connect in the way that works for them.