Academy marks 200th anniversary by with Deaf Day

News imageDeaf Academy Eight people are smiling and standing behind a table with goodies and leaflets to give away, including black baseball caps with 200 on them. Most of the team are wearing pale blue T-shirts with 200 on them.Deaf Academy
The Deaf Academy moved to Exmouth in 2020

The oldest deaf school in England has organised Devon's very first Deaf Day, which brought together the community for a celebration of deaf culture, awareness, and support services.

The event on Saturday was held by the Deaf Academy which is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.

The free event at Ocean in Exmouth gave people the chance to meet organisations and businesses which help the deaf and hard of hearing community and coincided with Exmouth Festival.

Princess Anne visited the college in Douglas Avenue in May and met students and staff there as part of school's bicentenary celebrations.

A spokeswoman for the academy said former pupils attended the event and visitors were set to enjoy a huge birthday cake.

She said: "We've had people who are losing their hearing who are looking for advice and people who are looking for work.

"It's a coming together of community support."

The academy also welcomed visitors for hour-long tours to give them a chance to look round and find out about its work and employment opportunities there.

Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.