Celebrating International Day of Sign Languages with Key Word Sign
International Day of Sign Languages provides a reminder that communication takes many forms, and indeed everyone deserves access to connection, belonging and understanding. At QPAH, we celebrate this day by highlighting one of the tools we use every day in order to support communication for clients of all ages and abilities: Key Word Sign (KWS).
Our Key Word Sign of the Week is “thank you” – this is a simple, powerful sign that helps build connection, confidence and participation.
KWS uses Auslan signs alongside spoken language in order to support understanding and expression. It is not Auslan, and similarly it does not replace Auslan. Auslan is a full language belonging to the Deaf community. KWS, however, is designed for allied health, education and disability support settings, and is widely used by people who are non‑speaking, minimally speaking or have difficulty hearing.
Many people rely on KWS every day to communicate their needs, choices, emotions and ideas. For them, KWS is not an “extra” tool; rather, it is essential to accessing communication.
How We Use KWS at QPAH
Our team uses KWS across speech pathology, occupational therapy and music therapy in order to promote inclusion and reduce communication barriers.
- With non‑speaking clients: KWS provides a clear, predictable way to express needs, preferences and feelings.
- With clients who have difficulty hearing: KWS supports understanding during therapy, play and daily routines.
- Alongside other AAC: We combine KWS with other AAC systems such as communication boards, apps and devices to create multimodal communication pathways.
- With families and care givers: We teach simple, functional signs that can be used at home, in the community and during everyday routines.
- With schools and workplaces: We collaborate to embed KWS into environments where communication access matters most.
Using KWS helps our clients feel seen, understood and included; while also empowering the people around them to communicate in ways that are respectful, accessible and supportive.
Why “Thank you” Matters
“Thank you” is more than a polite gesture. It is a social connector. For clients who are non‑speaking or have difficulty hearing, being able to express gratitude helps build relationships, confidence and independence.
Signing “thank you”:
- Supports social participation
- Encourages positive interactions
- Helps clients feel empowered in communication
- Builds emotional literacy
- Strengthens community belonging.
It’s a small sign with a big impact.
How Schools, Workplaces and Community Spaces Can Become More Inclusive with KWS
Creating communication‑friendly environments doesn’t require large changes. Small, consistent actions make a big difference.
Schools
- Teach staff a small set of functional signs like “help”, “finished”, “wait”, “stop” and “thank you”.
- Use KWS during routines, transitions and group activities.
- Add signs to visual schedules and classroom displays.
- Encourage peer modelling to support inclusive social interactions.
- Use KWS during assemblies, playground supervision and wellbeing programs.
Workplaces
- Train staff in a few core signs for greetings, instructions and safety messages.
- Use KWS during meetings to support clarity and reduce cognitive load.
- Incorporate signs into onboarding and accessibility training.
- Use KWS in customer service settings to support communication access.
- Promote a culture where communication differences are welcomed.
Community Spaces
- Use KWS during group activities, story time, sport and recreation programs.
- Add signs to common areas like “toilet”, “drink”, “play” and “stop”.
- Train volunteers in basic signs.
- Use KWS to support inclusive participation for children and adults.
- Promote KWS as part of your accessibility commitment.
When more people learn about and use KWS, inclusion becomes something we build together.
Inclusion Starts With Communication
International Day of Sign Languages reminds us that communication is a human right. Key Word Sign is one of the ways we honour that right at QPAH. By using KWS, we help our clients participate fully in their homes, schools, workplaces and communities.
This week, we’re celebrating the sign “thank you” – and celebrating the many ways communication brings us together.