BSL-18 North East Wales Sensory Support Service (in Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham)

Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament

Bil Aelod Arfaethedig – Mark Isherwood AS | Proposed Member Bill - Mark Isherwood MS

Datblygu'r Bil Iaith Arwyddion Prydain (BSL) (Cymru) | Development of the British Sign Language (BSL) (Wales) Bill

Ymateb gan: Gwasanaeth Cymorth Synhwyraidd Gogledd Ddwyrain Cymru (yng Nghonwy, Sir Ddinbych, Sir y Fflint a Wrecsam) | Evidence from: North East Wales Sensory Support Service (in Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham)

The need for legislation

The British Sign Language Act 2022 requires the UK Government to issue guidance about the promotion and facilitation of the use of British Sign Language (BSL). This however only applies in England and not to the Welsh Government or public bodies in Wales such as councils or the NHS. The British Sign Language (BSL) (Wales) Bill aims to place equivalent specific duties on the Welsh Government and public bodies in Wales.

Question 1: Do you think there is a need for this legislation? Please provide reasons for your answer.

Yes, it is the equality of rights of deaf people who use BSL to have their language recocognised as having equal status to Welsh and English.

Question 2: Do you agree or disagree with the goals that the Bill seeks to achieve? Please provide reasons for your answer.

Yes as above.

British Sign Language

Question 3: Do you agree that the Bill should include proposals to promote and facilitate the use of BSL and its tactile forms?

Yes

Question 4: Do you agree that the Bill should support the various Welsh regional dialects of BSL?

Don't know

Question 5: Do you think that the term ‘BSL users’ should be replaced with ‘BSL signers’, recognising that BSL is a language which includes both deaf and hearing signers? Please provide reasons for your answer.

Don’t know

Question 6: Do you think that the term ‘deaf BSL signers’ can be used when referring to BSL users/signers who are medically or audiologically deaf? Please provide reasons for your answer.

I don't believe it is important to identify as 'deaf/Deaf'.

Deaf Communities

Question 7: Do you agree or disagree that deaf communities:

a) currently have a voice in the design and delivery of the public services that they use? Please tick the answer that most applies and provide any comments.

Neither agree or disagree

b) should have a formalised voice in the design and delivery of the public services that they use, especially ones targeted at deaf people. Please tick the answer that most applies and provide any comments.

Strongly agree

The bill must be informed by the people who will use it and whom it will effect the most.

Question 8: Are there any specific communication methods used by deaf people that you would like the Bill to reference/include?

Barriers that exist for deaf people

Question 9: What do you believe are the main barriers that currently exist for deaf people and/or their families in the following areas. Please tick all that apply and provide information/examples on each area:

Other Public Services used by deaf people and their families; Workplace; Social Care; Health; Transport.

Establishing a BSL Commissioner for Wales

The Bill proposes to establish a BSL Commissioner who would promote and facilitate the use of BSL, and would have the same powers as other minority language Commissioners such as in the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011.

Question 10: Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to establish a BSL Commissioner for Wales, and, do you have any different suggestions or alternatives? Please provide reasons for your answer.

Yes

Question 11: The proposed remit of the Commissioner would be to:

§ formulate BSL standards;

§ establish a BSL Advisory Panel;

§ produce reports every 5 years in BSL, Welsh and English on the position of BSL in that period;

§ provide guidance and a process for public bodies to promote and facilitate BSL in their respective domains;

§ establish a procedure for the investigation of complaints.

Do you agree with the proposed remit of the Commissioner, and are there any other provisions you would like to include in the Commissioner’s remit? Please provide reasons for your answer.

Yes there should be a standard for BSL (as there is in Welsh).

Question 12: Do you agree that the BSL Commissioner and the BSL Advisory Panel members should be fluent users/signers?

Yes

Question 13: Do you think that the proposed BSL Commissioner and Advisory Panel should prioritise the following. Please tick all that apply and provide reasons for your answer.

Early years language support for deaf children and their families; Improving BSL provision in education; Enabling deaf users/signers to lead the development of policies and implementation of services for BSL users/signers.

The people who use and receive the services currently will know where the gaps in provision are so should be leading the development of policies and their implementation. This may need 'enabling' if they have not had experience of working within this field.

BSL provision in Education is a concern. The introduction of the BSL curriculum has not been well supported and I strongly believe that there has been a misunderstanding about what how it can be taught, who should teach it, and the development of the curriculum i.e. who can support schools appropriately to develop skills of their hearing children (as a 2nd language) not the deaf children. There are not always deaf communities in the less populated areas of Wales and the teaching of BSL is always taught by a deaf signer (to adults). The online support is only in BSL used in South Wales (their is no North Wales equivalent, the last time I checked in October this year). The signing education of deaf children which is provided by services like ours, is different. Signed support/BSL is being taught (as soon as identified) by a Qualified Teacher of the Deaf. However, support for the family is usually provided by deaf charities (at pre-school and early years and beyond) for opportunities to learn BSL and to fund it.

Question 14: Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to place a duty on the Welsh Government to prepare and publish an annual BSL report? Please provide reasons for your answer.

Yes.

Only if an annual report is written on other languages of Wales.

Question 15: Are there any other issues that you would like to raise about the Bill and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum?

I think the seven well-being goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 as they relate to BSL, is particularly important and that users are replaced by signers.