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SUMMARY OF WRITTEN SUBMISSION 
FROM BRITISH DEAF ASSOCIATION

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(NORTHERN IRELAND) –
Sign Language Bill

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The Northern Ireland Assembly is 
debating the Sign Language Bill.

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To help them do this, its Communities
Committee asked for feedback from any

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person or group – either via video 
on WhatsApp or in writing.

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The BDA (NI) submitted a written 
response and this is a summary of

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what that included.

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BDA fully agrees with the proposed new 
law with one exception (more on that later).

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However, we are calling for the Bill to 
go even further and will give more details below.

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1)	Do you feel Clause 1 goes far enough 
in formally recognising BSL and ISL as

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languages of Northern Ireland?

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BDA believes yes Clause 1 of the Bill is 
strong enough. The Bill will give Sign Language

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the same rights as other spoken languages 
such as Irish and Ulster Scots while not

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affecting or impacting other important 
laws that might apply to an individual -

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such as the Disability Discrimination Act 
or Human Rights Acts.

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The Act will also bring NI in line with 
other parts of the UK where Sign Language

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is already given equal status.

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2)	Do you feel Clause 2 goes far enough
in promoting the use of BSL and ISL and

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developing deaf culture?

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BDA welcomes the approach of viewing 
signing not as a disability issue but a

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linguistic minority matter. 
However, we notice that decisions

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are often made in relation to deaf services 
or sign language services without meaningful

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deaf input. We want to see a more 
robust way of including Deaf signers in

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the process of planning, delivering and 
evaluating. We want to see a commitment

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to invest in developing 
Deaf leadership in these areas.

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We also welcome the proposal that 
sign language classes for families with

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Deaf children will become 
a statutory provision.

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BDA advised on the need for Deaf signers 
to be able to use technological advances,

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in the same way VRS became crucial 
during the Covid pandemic and increased

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use of BSL/ISL in the media and schools. 
We also repeated the important of

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Deaf signers being involved and leading 
at all stages of the introduction of these

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new ways of working.

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We also said the Department for 
Communities should support members

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of the deaf community to develop their 
skills and capacities towards taking

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leadership roles in designing and 
delivering policies to implement

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access to sign language.