BSL Bill
British Sign Language Bill - Latest update ..
Parliament passes British Sign Language Bill, recognising BSL as a language of Great Britain for the first time
London, 27 April 2022
A Bill to recognise British Sign Language (BSL) as a language of England, Scotland and Wales passed unopposed by Peers on Wednesday 27 April at its 3rd reading in the House of Lords. The Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent on Thursday 28 April, passing into law as the BSL Act 2022
A BSL Act represents a positive step forward for the Deaf community in Britain in terms of the recognition, facilitation and wider public awareness of their language.
The Act will:
- recognise British Sign Language as a language of England, Wales and Scotland*;
- require the Secretary of State to report on the promotion and facilitation of the use of British Sign Language by ministerial government departments; and
- require guidance to be issued in relation to British Sign Language, setting out how government departments and public bodies must meet the needs of the estimated 87,000** Deaf people in the UK for whom BSL is a first or preferred language.
To find out more and access a BSL signed video, click on the link below from the BDA:
British Sign Language Bill - BDA
British Sign Language Bill progresses to Lords committee stage following unanimous support
Read the latest article by Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner
A Bill to legally recognise British Sign Language (BSL) cleared its latest Parliamentary stage on Friday, when it received overwhelming support at its second reading in the House of Lords.
The latest stage in the Private Member’s Bill – first introduced in the Commons by Labour MP Rosie Cooper last year – follows its first reading on Monday.
In the first-ever Lords session to come with BSL interpretation, the Bill’s sponsor Lord Holmes of Richmond said: “The purpose of the Bill, my lords, [is] in many ways, incredibly straightforward. Simply this: to include BSL signers.
“In the British Sign Language Bill, the honourable lady, Rosie Cooper, has given us a barrel of a Bill. A barrel of a Bill from which can flow the finest brew of all: inclusion.”
Click on this link to read the full article:
House of Commons BSL Bill
18 March is an important day for the Deaf community in the UK. It marks the 19th anniversary of the date British Sign Language was first recognized as a language in its own right by the UK government.
We are now 19 years later, and we hope that this year we will finally see a BSL Act which gives legal status to British Sign Language and required the government to put in place guidance for providing public services and information to Deaf people who use BSL.
Due to the growing numbers who have registered to attend the BSL Rally on Friday 18 March, it has been decided to move it from Parliament Square Garden to Trafalgar Square. The date and time (11.30am – 2.30pm) remain unchanged.
The debate in Parliament will be livestreamed on a large screen for all to see, and there will also be an exciting programme of speakers from the Deaf community on stage.
If you are planning to attend, please register via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bsl-rally-trafalgar-square-tickets-277582345267.
For more information click on the link below.