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Sign Language Bill ISL Video

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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.
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    3) Do you think the duty placed on
    prescribed organisations to make the
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    information and services accessible
    to members of the deaf community
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    is sufficient?
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    BDA acknowledge the Bill will place a
    responsibility on “prescribed” government
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    departments to draw up Action plans
    in consultation with Deaf people on what
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    should be translated, and in what
    priority order. We accept not everything
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    needs to be or can be translated,
    but Deaf signers should lead on creating
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    clear guidance on what is important.
    This is particularly true in an emergency
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    situation or crisis.
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    Interpreters should be provided at
    no extra cost to the Deaf signer and
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    this can be a mix of face-to-face
    and VRS/VRI.
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    Finally, again, BDA emphasised the
    need to involve Deaf people at all stages
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    of development and implementation,
    and for a commitment to develop Deaf leadership.
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    4) Do you support the approach taken
    by Clause 4 that DfC is responsible for
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    creating the list of public bodies
    who the Act will apply to?
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    BDA NI believes that the Department for
    Communities is best placed to do this.
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    They have a long history of working
    with the Deaf sector and will have
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    responsibilities over the
    implementation of the Bill.
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    5) Do you support the approach to
    consultation required in Clause 5 that
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    DfC must issue guidance on implementing
    the Bill through consulting with stakeholders
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    It is very important that consultation
    takes place so organisations are prepared
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    to take on their obligations under the Act.
    Although DfC will have authority to issue
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    guidance, and review guidance,
    BDA wants to see the Bill going further
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    by stating how often and when these
    consultations and reviews should happen.
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    We also ask for further clarification on
    how Deaf communities will be consulted -
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    we believe it needs both individual
    views and those of the
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    Deaf community as a whole.
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    6) Do you support the approach taken
    in this clause where DfC should give
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    best practice advised to
    various organisations?
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    BDA referred to the Irish Sign Language Act 2017:
    after three years, 52% of Irish public bodies
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    were still not aware of their responsibilities
    under the Act. To avoid this happening in
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    Northern Ireland, BDA recommends a
    robust programme of best practice guidance.
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    This way, all departments should know
    exactly what they need to do, and their
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    actions plans are produced in conjunction
    with Deaf input and there is availability of
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    both BSL and ISL interpreter
    support across NI.
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    7) Do you support the provision for
    the Department for Communities to make
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    make further regulations in the future?
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    BDA agrees that a flexible approach is
    appropriate because all organisations
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    will be on a learning journey as they
    navigate this new legislation.
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    Identifying issues and putting in
    regulations to deal with these issues
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    is practical and welcomed.
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    8) Do you feel the level of consultation
    required to bring in regulations is sufficient?
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    Yes, BDA is clear that both individuals
    and organisations representing the
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    Deaf community should be
    included in this.
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    9) Do you think evaluating the impact
    of the Bill in a report every five years is
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    an appropriate length of time?
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    BDA carefully considered what would
    be the most appropriate amount of time.
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    We took into account experience from
    both Scotland and Ireland’s implementation
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    of their legislation. We believe 5 years
    is a reasonable time period, but we think
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    there should be annual reports
    submitted to DfC during this 5 year period
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    to highlight any issues and
    allow remedial action.
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    10) Do you support the creation of a
    scheme for accrediting BSL and ISL teachers?
Title:
Sign Language Bill ISL Video
Video Language:
Sign Languages
Duration:
17:10
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Sign Language Bill ISL Video
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Sign Language Bill ISL Video
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Sign Language Bill ISL Video
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Sign Language Bill ISL Video
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Sign Language Bill ISL Video
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Sign Language Bill ISL Video
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Sign Language Bill ISL Video
British Deaf Association edited English subtitles for Sign Language Bill ISL Video
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