BSL Act Now! campaign
City Lit’s Centre for Deaf Education is proud to be supporting the BSL Bill, led by the British Deaf Association (BDA), who is working with several other Deaf charities and organisations whose purpose is to support the Deaf community.
We are united in calling for a BSL Act to achieve legal status for British Language as the primary language of the Deaf community in the United Kingdom. Achieving legal recognition of BSL through an Act of Parliament in the UK would be a huge step forward in terms of improving Deaf people’s quality of life, their inclusion and autonomy in British society as well as educational and professional opportunities.
BSL Bill Reading + Rally
On Friday 28th January, MPs will debate the BSL Bill presented by Rosie Cooper MP at the House of Commons. There will also be a rally in support of the Bill at Parliament Garden Square from 11:30-14:30.
The Bill is a simple instrument that will declare British Sign Language as an official language of the UK and provide for improved guidance to be issued by the Secretary of State to public services and government departments. The second reading of the Bill, which is the first time MPs get the chance to debate it, is 28 January, and if it passes this stage it will receive a committee stage and third reading later in the year, on the way to becoming Law.
Find out more about the BSL Bill second reading >
Find out more about the BSL Bill Rally in Parliament Garden Square >
Mark Hopkinson, Head of City Lit’s Centre for Deaf Education, said: “We are really pleased to be supporting the BSL Act Now! campaign, to help ensure BSL as an official language of the United Kingdom, which in turn we believe will significantly help remove the barriers faced by Deaf Sign Language users and improve access and inclusion for Deaf People. We look forward to the second reading of the BSL Bill on Friday 28th January 2022.
The City Lit Centre for Deaf Education’s plays a vital role in supporting the Deaf community. Our Centre for Deaf Education has a large number of deaf and hard-of-hearing students and staff, and we pride ourselves on offering a wide range of courses in British Sign Language, lipreading and managing hearing loss as well as courses in English, Maths and digital skills. In supporting this Bill, underlines our commitment to the Deaf Community.”
About the BSL Act Now! Campaign
The BSL Act Now! campaign is being led by the British Deaf Association (BDA) to support the Deaf community to come together and campaign for the introduction of legal recognition of British Sign Language (BSL) and to create public policy mechanisms which can remove the barriers that society places in front of Deaf BSL users.
The BSL Act Now! campaign is supported by a number of other charities and organisations whose purpose is to support and empower the Deaf community and improve communication between Deaf and hearing people.
Deaf people in the UK in 2022 still do not have access to the same public information and services that are easily available to the hearing population. They are forced to rely on inadequate disability discrimination legislation (Equality Act 2010) to fight for access to vital information (for example, about COVID, healthcare, education and justice) in their own language – an indigenous language of the United Kingdom – British Sign Language.
Find out more about the BDA's campaign for a BSL Act.
About City Lit’s Centre for Deaf Education
City Lit has provided support for Deaf people since we were established in 1919. Some of the first courses ever offered by City Lit were lipreading classes for deafened soldiers returning from World War I. Over the years, we have grown to become an internationally renowned Centre for Deaf Education with a wide range of provision including courses in British Sign Language, lipreading and managing hearing loss as well as courses in English, Maths and digital skills for Deaf people – it is the largest centre of its kind in Europe. Our staff is a mixed group of deaf and hearing professionals: all highly skilled in their own areas of specialist expertise. As well as courses, we also offer support including interpreting services.