BSL-32 Mark Davies

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: Mark Davies | Evidence from: Mark Davies

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.  Deaf people complained and suffered in Wales for many years.  Their voices are rarely heard. The Report from Cedric Moon at Cardiff Deaf Centre is powerful, relevant and important.  WITS and Gwent Police work together under one roof.  They are disgraceful and appalling.  Services for Deaf people are appalling and unacceptable in South Wales and Cardiff.  Nearly all services and organisations for Deaf people are still being controlled and managed by disgraceful hearing and able-bodied people in Wales.  When Deaf people are disabled as well, they suffer much worse. Therefore there is a need for this legislation.

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

Yes I agree with the goals that the Bill seeks to achieve.  The Welsh Government must have the consultation with Deaf people.  They need to learn much more and be proactive when they are allowed and welcomed.  A huge amount of effort and much bigger resources are vital and necessary.  A huge learning curve for both sides of the people.

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?

Yes

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.

Yes.

Other languages are important.  For example, Welsh Sign Language,

Makaton, Braille, and DeafBlind Manual Alphabet, are important and urgent.  Foreign visitors and tourists use their foreign languages, Irish Language, Irish Sign Language, French Language, French Sign Language, etc, are vital and important.  They visit and stay in Wales.

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.

Yes.

deaf BSL signers should become Deaf BSL signers.  We need to be careful when we use the models.  The Social Model of Disability and Deafness versus The Medical Model of Disability and Deafness is vital, critical, powerful and formal.

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.

Strongly disagree.

In Wales, public services and organisations for Deaf people are still controlled and managed by disgraceful and unacceptable hearing and able-bodied people. Deaf people have no voices and no power.

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.

Deaf people must be allowed and welcomed to have their voices heard.  They must be published and heard for the design and delivery of the public services Deaf people use. One important example is that Deaf people are allowed to perform as jurors plus BSL Interpreters in the British courts.

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

Options are urgent and vital.  Specific communication methods are used by Deaf people that I would like the Bill to reference/include.  They are Welsh Sign Language, Makaton in Welsh and English, DeafBlind Manual Alphabet, Easy to Read Welsh, Easy to Read English and Braille in Welsh and English.  Some Deaf people learn American Sign Language, Irish Language, Irish Sign Language, French Language, French Sign Language, etc.  In North Wales, Deaf children learn English, Welsh, BSL and Welsh Sign Language at three schools.

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:

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

Deaf people, who are also disabled, suffer massively. Deaf people, who have very poor education and communication problems, suffer very badly. They are isolated, rejected and despised by the mainstream society. Some Deaf people never have the jobs. Mold Deaf Club was closed. Recently, Mold Deaf Church was closed. Disgraceful.

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.

BSL Commissioner for Wales must be Deaf.  The leaders must be Deaf.  The Welsh Government and public bodies must use The Social Model of Deafness and Disability.  Deaf people must control and manage a BSL Advisory Panel in Wales.  Options are vital and urgent, for example, Welsh Sign Language, Makaton, DeafBlind Manual Alphabet, Braille, etc.

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.

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.

Deaf people must learn much more and be proactive. They must be allowed and welcomed to work, control, manage, train, deal, learn, teach, communicate, plan, organise, at a much bigger scale. A much deeper learning curve. Gwent Police and WITS must not be allowed to offer extremely poor and disgraceful services for Deaf people in Wales. It must be legal, forceful, fair, national and reasonable.

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.

The proposal to place a duty on the Welsh Government to prepare and publish an BSL report is necessary, vital and urgent. I agree with it. Deaf people and Deaf organisations must control and manage it.

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

Options are vital and urgent.  Early education and support for Deaf babies and small children are very poor and unacceptable.  If Deaf babies and small children learn basic BSL or Makaton first at an early age, they can get the necessary development of the languages before they reach at the age of five.  Then they can learn and expand BSL knowledge and learn English and Welsh at an early age. They can learn English, Welsh, BSL and Welsh Sign Language and use all the important subjects from the age of three to the age of sixteen to eighteen.  Hearing babies and small children can learn and perform at the same time as Deaf babies and small children. Hearing babies and hearing children can learn Welsh, English, BSL and Welsh Sign Language.  I want to raise these issues and other issues about the Bill and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum.

Question 16: Anything else?

I have my CV. I have a qualification: iBSL Level 4 in Education and Training for Sign Language Teachers. I am a member of Labour Party UK. Options are very important and urgent.