BSL-83 Fran Dixon

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: Fran Dixon | Evidence from: Fran Dixon

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, BSL is not taken seriously and there is a definate lack of understanding from all sorts of professional bodies.

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

Yes, there needs to be more understanding, even basics such as looking at a person when you speak can make a huge diference so having some basic knowladge and understanding would help a lot.

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.

Don't know.

BSL is a language with regional variations the same as any other language.

I prefer BSL signer as is is a better description of the use of this language.

There really needs to be more support for it's use.

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.

Don't know.

I don't know how a deaf person would feel about this as I'm hearing.

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.

If they did there would be better provision in every aspect of public services, especially medical.

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.

I rang the Dr for a deaf friend - they offered a telephone consult.

You attend an office for an appointment and press the button to be unable to hear what the person the other end is saying so they don't let you in.

You attend hospital and come out without understanding what is wrong with you.

My grandchildren go to hospital and there is no-one to communicate properly with them. There is a severe shortage of people to interpret.

My one grandson has a 1-1 communicator in nursery as without them he is completely lost, but when he goes to Welsh medium school I don't know how that will work.

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;Other Public Services used by deaf people and their families; Workplace.

Not enough 1-1 communicators to enable children to thrive in an education setting and a severe lack of understanding. One of my sons was told he could't be deaf as he didn't sit at the front of the class - sitting at the front he couldn't see the teachers face properly to lip read.

Again medical staff need to be aware that as a very basic they need to look at someone when they speak, the difficulty that appointments are never on time so interpreters find it difficult to be there for more than one person a day. A&E has no provision I am aware for to help a deaf person understand what is being said to them,

Deaf people have as much need as others for social care so need to be able to understand what is going on.

I don't know about transport.

Other public services are used as much by the deaf community as other mwembers of society. Provision needs to be made, putting a ramp or a lift in does not enable everyone.

Some employers think it is too much hassle to employ anyone where they have to make accomodations, they don't see the benefits of having a multitude of languages within their workplace and someone who can enable that business to be more user friendly.

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 I agree, but would like to see a bit more encouragement included.

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.

Those who have the need, understand how implementation should work better than those who don't.

Without the local deaf community, we would not be able to converse with our grandchildren as they are teaching us BSL. We could not have afforded to pay thousands for each of us to take a proffessional course, neither would that have provided us with the language to speak to tiny children.

There is a distinct lack of 1-1 communicators to help our children reach their potential and a shortage of teachers of the deaf as well although we have been very lucky.

Interpreters are a necessity, in many instances, especially in my opinion in the health service.

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. To monitor improvement.