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: Heather Williams | Evidence from: Heather Williams
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.
Definitely a need, we need all organisations, public facing bodies, education providers, health providers to be on the same page when providing access to BSL. Often we have to advocate for ourselves and fight for access and sometimes it can take months and months to sort this out. I have also met so many deaf children and adults who have severe language deprivation in all three languages in Wales - Welsh, English and BSL due to the belief that introducing BSL to young deaf babies is ineffective. Every deaf child and every deaf adult have a basic human right to a language and the most effective language that will give access to English and Welsh is having BSL first. My deaf xxxxx first language is BSL due to having a deaf BSL using xxxxxxx and xxx is proficient in both BSL and English where many of xxxx peers aren't.
Agree, there is a need to implement BSL in all aspects of deaf people's lives. Having BSL and becoming an official trilingual nation in Wales will enhance the status of BSL as a proper language in its own right. This will provide equal access to BSL from birth for all deaf children and adults without having to advocate again and again and again. Often deaf people are the last to know what is happening around Wales, isolated within their families and misinformed on various information that is out there, higher risk of abuse, least likely to have employment and so on due to the lack of BSL as a official language that is recognised in Wales. Some arguments in the Senedd raised by MS's stating that they felt that Wales already provides a good service in providing access to BSL is unfounded as they do not understand how much we have to self advocate in every aspect of our lives from the minute we step outside our home, we struggle to communicate with our neighbours, we struggle to communicate with bus drivers, we struggle to communicate with people who give basic greetings. We live in a world where everyone else, even with a disability are able to hear, speak and advocate for themselves as they have access to the English and Welsh language and most deaf people do not have access to English and Welsh - the two official languages in Wales.
Yes
Yes
No.
BSL already has the word sign in it, why repeat? I'm comfortable with using BSL user to cover both deaf and hearing users.
No.
BSL is a language....would you say hearing English user, hearing Welsh user, Disabled Welsh User etc? The same respect that is given to English and Welsh should be afforded to BSL.
Strongly disagree.
We do not have a voice, we are often left out of these conversations that we should be able to be part of. Whether it is about building a new road, changes to health services etc we should have a basic right to have our say in BSL. For example, the Senedd prides itself on having a venue that is open and accessible to all, glass is used so that everyone can see what is happening, English and Welsh is used so that everyone can hear what is happening but if I arrived at the Senedd to watch a session taking place, there is no access in place for deaf people. We are not afforded the same rights to hearing people in Wales, we do not have opportunities to express, take part in debates, being part of our country in Wales just because we are deaf BSL users.
Strongly agree.
Definitely, often decisions are made by hearing people for deaf people without consulting deaf people first! Hearing people often claim to be knowledgeable and experts on what deaf people need without consultation. Hearing people have no idea what it is like to live as a deaf person day in and day out and we are the experts on deaf issues. Deafness is often treated as a medical model that needs to be fixed but we have a lot of CI users in Wales and most of them have language deprivation due to the belief a CI will fix their deafness and therefore no need for BSL. Every deaf child and deaf adult have a right to BSL in the same way that every child and adult have a right to English and Welsh in Wales.
Use BSL interpreters and Deaf BSL interpreters.
Due to language deprivation in Wales, it is advisable to have two interpreters - one for those proficient in BSL and another for those who have basic BSL.
Education; Health; Social Care; Transport; Other Public Services used by deaf people and their families; Workplace.
We have barriers in all aspect of our lives, the inability to communicate with our peers, neighbours, family, colleagues, professional, doctors etc has a huge impact on our wellbeing and mental health. We are valued members of society and yet we do not have access to any of these services in BSL unless we advocate for ourselves and this often causes delays. There is currently a six month waiting period to get an application for Access to Work approved. I once had to fight for access to xxxxxxxxxxxxx school parent evenings so that I can participate as a parent, this took me six months to sort. I had to self advocate for face to face appointments at the doctors due to telephone appointments being the norm and this took me four years to sort! The length of time to get access is unacceptable and having BSL on a equal setting as English and Welsh will revolutionise attitudes to providing access.
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.
Yes
Definitely, as stated in my previous answers we need a BSL commissioner that is equal to the Welsh Commissioner. We need to lead as a nation and be at the forefront of treating BSL as an equal language to English and Welsh. Having the BSL curriculum scrapped in Wales was a huge blow to deaf people and a step backward in attitudes. Having a BSL commissioner will ensure that this does not happen in future.
Yes
Enabling deaf users/signers to lead the development of policies and implementation of services for BSL users/signers; Early years language support for deaf children and their families; Improving BSL provision in education; Access to interpreters in public services.
As stated in my previous answers.
Yes.
Transparency and accountability in implementing this BSL Bill is crucial. Also it will ensure that English, BSL and Welsh are treated equally as a language.
I am Welsh but I have no access to my country's language as there are no opportunities at all in Wales for deaf people who are BSL users to learn. All courses are delivered in Welsh or English and therefore we are margonalised from our own country's language as adult education courses do not provide BSL interpreters or adapt their courses to teach deaf people. We want to feel proud to be welsh and included in our own country,
It is my wish to see that all deaf babies must have a language from birth and parents/care givers must be supported with this journey. All parents/care givers and children must have access to deaf BSL family advocates. This is crucial to eradicate language deprivation in deaf children and adults. Not having a basic access to a language should be seen as a form of child abuse. 90% of babies are born to hearing parents and the first three years of a child's life is crucial to learning a language. Often deaf children will have learned a few words compared to over fifty in hearing children in the first few years of life. Being deaf is NOT A LEARNING DISABILITY and with access to BSL they will have the SAME learning ability as hearing children. I know this as I have raised a deaf child who has had access to BSL from birth.