Meeting of the Parliament 05 May 2015
I thank my colleague Mark Griffin for bringing the bill to Parliament. It relates to an important issue for many people in Scotland. It is also appropriate that the bill has been introduced during deaf awareness week.
Around 12,500 respondents to the most recent census indicated that they use British Sign Language at home. Approximately 120 children are born in Scotland each year with a hearing impairment. More than 1,000 children and young people under the age of 19 in Scotland have severe or profound hearing loss. For many of those young people, BSL is the only method of communication that they have ever known.
From my experience as a councillor and an MSP, I have learned that many BSL users struggle to get the services that they are entitled to. Sometimes, it falls to them to make it easier for public services to respond. For example, a constituent of mine needed some housing repairs and could not communicate with the local housing office. He took a video on his iPad and sent it in to the council, which got a really good response. It is actually a really effective technique for anyone to use, but solutions such as that are not always available.
It is clear, therefore, that BSL is used by a large number of people in Scotland from all backgrounds and circumstances. The bill is a positive contribution to their lives. It is a relatively modest bill. It does not impose an explicit statutory requirement on authorities to provide British Sign Language interpreters or translation services, nor does it require them to deliver any specific services to BSL users or those wishing to learn BSL. The bill does not apply to sign language communicated in other languages or to other forms of communication that may be required by the deaf and hearing-impaired community. Its goals are specific. Nonetheless, it is an important bill and one that will be a substantial step forward for BSL users throughout Scotland.
The current arrangements contained in the Equality Act 2010 do not go far enough or take into account the specific needs and requirements of the deaf and hearing-impaired community. The 2010 act is an important piece of legislation, which puts the rights and needs of minority groups at the heart of the work and decisions taken by public bodies throughout the United Kingdom. With the bill, we have the opportunity here at the Scottish Parliament to build on their work for the deaf and hearing-impaired community.
Once we consider that the provisions of the act that apply to deaf and hearing-impaired people are those that cover “disabled” people, an issue arises. As a Scottish Government paper from 2009 describes,
“Deaf BSL users consider themselves a distinct language group and not disabled. They have a unique culture, history and life experience as a language minority and feel that actions to improve their inclusion in society should be based on exactly the same language approach to other groups, such as speakers of Gaelic or of Welsh.”
In effect, for many deaf and hearing impaired people, BSL is their first language. They have communicated using it for their entire lives. They do not accept that it is a manifestation of a disability; rather, it is an expression of their cultural identity and a part of who they are. We should ensure that that feeling is recognised across government. The bill would assist in achieving such recognition.
The bill requires the Scottish ministers
“to promote, and facilitate the promotion of, the use and understanding of the sign language known as British Sign Language”
by setting out and publishing
“a plan to be known as a British Sign Language National Plan for Scotland”.
That is a positive move that would not place an excessive burden on the Scottish Government but would allow the BSL and hearing-impaired community to work with ministers to establish and maintain good practices for authorities to use when they are working with and providing services to it. The bill would operate much like the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, without the need for a new statutory body to be set up, as was the case in that act.
A really important provision of the bill is the plan to set up an advisory group to advise the Scottish ministers on how to set up and implement the plan. That group would include BSL users and experts in the field and would be of use not just for the explicit purposes for the bill but to act as a conduit for the BSL, deaf and hearing-impaired community to liaise and communicate with the Scottish Government. The voices of that community are heard all too rarely in making legislation and other Government activities in this country, and the advisory group could be a major force for good in the area.
As I have already noted, there are thousands of BSL users in Scotland. Sadly, there are nowhere near enough interpreters. In Scotland, we have fewer than 100 interpreters for BSL. Many people have family members or friends who do that on their behalf, but many others are not so fortunate. We should look at that issue closely and seek a solution to a clear failure of supply and demand. We may also have to encourage more widespread take-up of BSL among employees in front-line services, such as council, jobcentre and health services.
I want to take a moment to praise a recent development in relation to BSL. The recent development of remote BSL interpreters for users of public services in Scotland is a positive one, and I believe and hope that their approach to BSL will be encouraged by the bill.
To return to the bill’s specific provisions and implications, the Scottish Government has indicated that it would like to amend the bill in order to place the review of the national plan on a seven-year review cycle. That is unsatisfactory and is not in the spirit of the bill. It is important that each Government reviews its own progress and justifies its own actions, which is why it is imperative that the plan is reviewed on a five-year review cycle. That will ensure that the Scottish ministers are held accountable by Parliament and BSL users for their plan.
To conclude, the bill would make the lives of BSL users in Scotland better. It would ensure that they are able to access public services and feel that their distinct culture is accepted and encouraged in Scotland. It would help BSL users to go to college and university and to take part in community activities. The bill is well thought out and should be supported by all parties across the chamber.