BSL-70 Individual

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: Unigolyn | Evidence from: Individual

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.

Most definitely. I have lived experience of how upsetting and demoralising not having access to BSL in everyday life for those who use it as their first/preferred language is.

As deafness is a disability that can't be seen, I feel it's extremely misunderstood and I'd go so far as to say ignored.

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

Totally agree.

Even being able to converse in a rudimentary way can make all the difference to a BSL user.

Where me and my sister went to school, there was no option to be introduced to BSL, even for her.

She therefore learnt it through her studies and friendship group at university and it quickly became her first language. I was then attempting to learn in later life and although I have some level of proficiency, I'm still far from fluent in my 40s. This is despite me having a particular aptitude for and enjoyment of learning languages when younger. People don't seem to realise it's a full on language with its' own grammatical rules and unique features. Like lots of things in life, languages (including BSL) are harder to take on board the older you get and I firmly believe children should be introduced to it from primary school age.

As much as I loved studying French and German to A Level living in Cardiff, the likelihood of meeting a BSL user walking down the street is, I would imagine, far higher than someone from one of those countries. Therefore, having lessons at school would have been far more useful to me, even if I didn't have a deaf sibling.

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.

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 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.

I could give you countless examples whereby the service being used has failed someone who relies on BSL to communicate.

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.

Because they are the experts and have the lived experiences.

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:

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

No right to have communication in their first choice of language despite this I thought already being enshrined in law (DDA).

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.

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.

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.

All the above should already be in place in my opinion and am disappointed but not shocked that it has taken so long for the issue to be taken seriously.

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.

Don't know