The British Deaf Association is delighted with the unanimous cross-party support for the British Sign Language (BSL) Bill on its second reading in the House of Commons on 28 January.
The Bill is recognising BSL as a language of the UK in its own right supported by a duty on ministerial departments to report their BSL usage on an annual basis. The Bill also places a requirement on the DWP Secretary of State to issue guidance to ministerial departments on the promotion and facilitation of BSL.
The Bill will be supported by a package of non-legislative measures, including:
- establishing a non statutory advisory board of BSL users to advise the DWP Secretary of State on guidance on BSL
- examining how the government might increase the number of BSL interpreters
- reviewing how DWP might work to ensure the Access to Work fund helps BSL users
- suggesting that the National Disability Strategy facilitate and promote BSL usage
The BDA now calls upon Ministers and MPs to do everything in their power to get the British Sign Language Bill to Royal Assent in this parliamentary session and deliver long- overdue recognition, inclusion and equality to the Deaf community in Britain.
