Meet Sam Reynolds – a Makaton teacher on a mission to make language accessible for all
Makaton is a form of communication which involves signs, speech and symbols. It is sometimes referred to as ‘key word signing’.
Makaton was invented in the 1970s by a British speech therapist called Margaret Walker, to support people with learning disabilities with communication. Although it has some overlap with British Sign Language, Sam and Matteo explained it’s not a language in itself – it exists to illustrate speech.
Makaton can change lives by making communication more accessible.
Sam’s Makaton journey
Sam started learning Makaton a few years ago at Hands and Voices, a choir in York.
She realised the true power of Makaton while working in John Lewis, where she met a family who were having some communication difficulties. Sam taught the parents Makaton to help the family communicate with one another.
Now Sam is always busy producing videos teaching people Makaton signs at United Response’s Media Centre in York:
My favourite thing is coming here, interacting with friends and doing more stuff. It’s the best place to come.
YouTube success
When lockdown started, everyone was looking for new things to do online. Sam and support worker Matteo realised that this was a great opportunity to increase awareness of Makaton, and hosted a lesson over Zoom.
The event was a huge success, and inspired Sam and Matteo to set up a YouTube channel. They wanted to build a video archive that people could look at in their own time.
Not afraid of a challenge, they launched their YouTube channel with a series of 25 Christmas videos – one each day in the build up to Christmas. They produced these videos quickly in between lockdowns.
Today, Sam’s channel has almost 17,000 views. The most popular video, about the Queen’s Jubilee, has 11,000 views.
The best thing about having a YouTube channel is promoting lots of different videos. I find it rewarding and I’m proudest of myself for learning new signs and doing them to camera.
Videomaking challenges
One of the main challenges of producing the videos is getting the signs right. Matteo explained:
Sometimes we have to double check the signs.
People can struggle with Makaton if they don’t have a lot of dexterity in the hands, so there’s more than one way to do it. You don’t need to sign it perfectly.
When we speak, we might say words differently but we can still understand each other. Makaton is the same.
Transcript: How to make a YouTube video with Sam Reynolds Makaton
The big dream
Sam wants to bring Makaton to as many people as possible. She explained:
My dream is to go and teach Makaton to schools and colleges, and to get lots more followers.
Can you help Sam achieve her goal?
Follow Sam Reynolds Makaton on YouTube
- Ali Mills is Communications and Engagement Officer for United Response