Heather Abernethy (Research Assistant)
Heather Abernethy, Research Assistant at DCAL, brings lived deafblind experience and a strong focus on tactile sign language, accessibility, and community-led research.
I’m Heather, a white woman of small build with long brown highlighted hair tied in a ponytail. I’m wearing a black t-shirt with dark jeans, and my background is blue.
Hello, my name is Heather Abernethy. I am a Research Assistant on the tactile sign language project at DCAL (Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre) at University College London.
I come from a Deaf family. My mum, dad, grandparents, uncle, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew are all Deaf. My dad and my aunt are deafblind (Usher syndrome). Because of this, sign language and Deaf culture were a natural part of everyday life while I was growing up. From a young age, I understood what it can mean to live in a world that is not always designed with Deaf people in mind — and even less so for deafblind people.
In my early twenties, I was diagnosed as deafblind. About ten years later, I stopped driving as my vision changed. Losing sight affected many parts of my life — how I communicate, how I travel, and how I maintain independence. It also deepened my understanding of the barriers deafblind people face in work, in public spaces, and sometimes even within the Deaf community.
I use both visual and tactile communication, including hands-on signing when needed. I also work with interpreters and access support such as Access to Work, Direct Payments and guide dog partnerships. These lived experiences shape how I approach research and accessibility.
Before joining DCAL, I worked in roles supporting Deaf and deafblind communities, particularly around communication access and inclusion. I am especially interested in how tactile sign languages — including Protactile — are understood as full communication systems in their own right, not simply adaptations of visual BSL.
In this project, I am involved in engaging with the deafblind community, contributing to research development, and helping ensure accessibility throughout the work. I am committed to supporting research that reflects deafblind experiences accurately and respectfully.
I’m really looking forward to working with deafblind community members, researchers and advisory board members. I hope this project contributes to stronger tactile sign language research and supports future deafblind-led work.