This month, the Scottish Parliament passed a bill which will drastically enhance the lives of more than 12,500 people in Scotland.
The video below shows the emotional scenes in the Holyrood debating chamber as Labour MSP Mark Griffin’s British Sign Language (BSL) Bill received the backing of all political parties in a move welcomed by deaf campaigners.
The new law will mean the Scottish Government and relevant public authorities will be required to develop a BSL national plan setting out how they will improve access to information in the language.
Griffin said the bill had been a personal mission after hearing stories of his great grandparents, two of whom were deafblind.
“I am under no illusion that the bill is anything other than a starting point. It is the starting point for a continuous cycle of improvement in access to services for BSL users. It aims to raise awareness of the language, highlight gaps in provision and identify and enable the sharing of good practice,” he said.
The British Deaf Association (BDA), who has been involved in the development of the legislation, hopes it will inspire other nations in the UK to do the same.
“I am proud, as a Scottish person, to see my country leading the way in making the first ever BSL Act in the UK. We look forward to working with the Scottish Government to implement this and hope the rest of the UK follows suit,” said BDA Community development manager Avril Hepner.
This new bill will give BSL the same legal protection as gaelic, making it a language in it’s own right.
A few years ago I made the decision to learn BSL, a few classes a year and a textbook have been all I’ve needed to learn basic sign language. I was astounded to hear that BSL was not recognised as anyone’s first language. I’ve always believed it’s something that should be taught in schools across the country, even at a basic level. To me, BSL is not something which is an additional life skill, for so many people it’s a necessity, and if we’re to make the world a more equal, fairer and accessible society, then BSL should be widespread.
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