Sign Language

(asked on 12th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of giving British Sign Language (BSL) full legal recognition; and whether the Government plans to grant full legal recognition to BSL.


Answered by
Justin Tomlinson Portrait
Justin Tomlinson
This question was answered on 16th April 2021

On 18 March 2003 the UK government formally recognised that British Sign Language (BSL) is a language in its own right. Provision for accessing services by users of BSL are covered by the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Existing equality legislation already means employers, service providers and public bodies have to provide services in BSL and other formats when it is reasonable to do so. The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies to have due regard to the needs of all those with protected characteristics.

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