Oscars 2018: Rachel Shenton uses sign language in acceptance speech

Former Hollyoaks star Rachel Shenton has been lauded after delivering an acceptance speech in sign language following her win for best live action short film at the Oscars.

Shenton’s film The Silent Child tells the story of a girl who struggles to communicate until a social worker teaches her “the gift of communication”, says the Evening Standard. The film focuses on a deaf four-year-old girl named Libby, played by deaf actress Maisie Sly, from Swindon.

During her speech, Shenton said: “I made a promise to our six-year-old lead actress that I'd sign this speech.

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“My hands are shaking so I apologise.”

The former British soap opera star wrote, produced and starred in the film. She accepted the award with her fiance and the film’s director Chris Overton who also appeared in Hollyoaks.

Shenton was inspired to write the film after her father went deaf from receiving medical treatment when she was 12, the BBC reports.

Shenton added: “Our movie is about a deaf child being born into a world of silence.

“It's not exaggerated or sensationalised for the movie, this is happening, millions of children all over the world live in silence and face communication barriers and particularly access to education.

“Deafness is a silent disability, I want to say the biggest of thank yous to the Academy for allowing us to put this in front of a mainstream audience.”