A voter has received an email from the Conservative Party telling her that the party will not be translating their manifesto into BSL due to “time constraints.”
The email, from the party’s Correspondence Unit, goes on to say that: “audio, easy read, and Braille formats will soon be available and we can also provide the Manifesto in large format.”
In her reply, the voter expressed her disappointment, pointing out: “The “time constraints” were hardly forced upon the Conservative Party – the election was called by your own leader.”
The lack of a BSL translation sets the Conservative Party apart from the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, who both have BSL manifestos, while the Labour party has released a signed video from Dawn Butler MP, and say a full BSL translation is on the way.
Clearly none of the other parties have found “time constraints” a barrier despite having no warning of the snap election taking place.
You can find the BSL manifestos here:
- Liberal Democrats: http://www.libdems.org.uk/manifesto-british-sign-language
- Green Party (scroll down the page where there’s the option to see BSL translation videos of various policy areas): https://www.greenparty.org.uk/green-guarantee/all-manifestos-alternative-formats.html
- Labour: Dawn Butler MP video
With the Conservatives looking the most likely to win the election, the lack of a BSL manifesto effectively means that Deaf people who use BSL as their first language, and may have trouble accessing written English, will find it far harder to gain an understanding of what the party is actually aiming to do if, as expected, they win.
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Marika Rebicsek
May 24, 2017
Shared on my page and in my support group
MW
May 24, 2017
TM and her cronies are the most uncaring people on this planet – what utter shameless ******* of an excuse!
Sue Bright
May 24, 2017
Was it captioned?
Martyn
May 24, 2017
Yet another reason not to vote Tory!
Who will they pick on next?
Dave
May 25, 2017
If you vote any other party on account of the above – be warned we will get a soft BREXIT and what will it all have been for ? The biggest thing ever to happen in our LIFETIME – a referendum to leave the disgusting EU. You should vote who you really think will sort out the EU once and for all and get our freedom / laws back, money saved from membership fees, tackle strain on housing, NHS, Schools – how by dealing with immigration – PROPERLY. If over the next few years you are unhappy with the newly elected party- because of lack of BSL awareness, social care etc whatever – these can be fixed in due course. Muck up the EU divorce and we are screwed. You can simply vote OUT the soon to be elected govt on June 8th 2017 next time round. Don’t let leftist propaganda sway you. I am no great fan of Teresa May but my God she really is probably- hopefully the best hope we’ve got. Better still UKIP. Think on.
MW
May 25, 2017
How very sad to reading this thinking. Ignorance of how actually EU works for the wider community and not just for the selfish few. UK will suffer long term.
Tim
May 25, 2017
I think most Deaf people are pretty clear on how this Tory party treats Deaf people – badly.
Whether it’s work, benefits, access, human rights, equality, BSL, what little time the Tory party has for us is used to kick us violently in the teeth. These so-called ‘time constraints’ are only present because this Tory party unilaterally decided to call a snap election. The other parties, in spite of that, managed a BSL translation.
Dave, above, says: ‘Don’t let leftist propaganda sway you…’ My response would be – don’t let extreme far-right propaganda sway you.
The far-right in this country try every trick in the book to seduce you into a mass act of collective self harm at the ballot box with this austerity that attacks all things of public benefit, while a small group of people gorge on endless riches.
They say there’s no money for the NHS, welfare, education, police etc, but then turn around and arrange large funds for extravagant projects like Trident, HS2 and tax cuts for millionaires.
How long are we going to fall for it? I’m voting to kick these Tories out.
Cathy
May 25, 2017
Too many rich toffs in Britain, who don’t give a stuff about anyone else, especially the serious poor, homeless and stuck on the street……..as long as they have plenty dosh to buy rolex watches, ride horses n drink endless plonk…..the rest of us can sink!
Joanna Steer
May 25, 2017
Is it being translated into Polish? Or other languages not recognised as a British language?
Dave
May 25, 2017
Selfish few ? …. MW – try telling the majority of the UK !! What’s selfish about having our own say in the way our country is run ?… I could go on forever explaining all the details etc but you re-moaners unfortunately won’t listen or try to. EU in the first instance want a bad idea until it became overblown with power and corruption and it went beyond it’s original intended purpose. Look how badly they are behaving towards us now – what does that tell you ?! A club you want to be a part of … me thinks – no thanks.
Dave
May 25, 2017
typo – sorry “EU in the first instance want a bad idea” – should read wasn’t a bad idea in the first instance….
Tim says above “They say there’s no money for the NHS, welfare, education, police etc, but then turn around and arrange large funds for extravagant projects like Trident, HS2 and tax cuts for millionaires”…..Well Timmy boy- . that’s GOVERNMENT for you – useless most of the time no matter who you elect – the beauty of it all is you can vote them out next time around if they don’t change their act. The point is right now the EU divorce is more important because the longer we are mired with this unaccountable corrupt EU the more difficult it will be in the long run. Yes it’s going to be tricky- so it’s important to do it right. At the end of the day all the doom and gloom never actually happened .. and it may never come about….. Those who voted ‘leave’ are the least selfish because they all anticipated hardship over the long term… the selfish ones who are the ones who didn’t want to risk any change… not wanting to risk being a bit poorer etc because off the possible economic consequences …
MW
May 25, 2017
The majority of people in the UK voted in. It is the way the vote was rigged and UKIP telling porkies alongside the press Tory barons manipulating the working class with misinformation.
EU has been good representing d/Deaf issues and the voice was much stronger in EU rather than stand alone UK trying to make our society that much fairer i.e. recognising BSL in England – the Tory will not give this – an example demonstrated already in their manifesto all parties have made it accessible but not the Tory with their blighted excuses. You are welcome with your own opinions as I have mine. I don’t use those childish UKCIP language you are using. I am just sad that politic of all colours are failing us but I certainly would not vote Tories.
Dave
May 25, 2017
MW- Rigged ? don’t be soft !! how could it be ?…. especially when all the pathetic politicians wanted to remain – why ? purely for money – greed etc. It’s pointless explaining to you ! Think about it – if it was rigged the establishment would have got their way and we’d not have had a Brexit result ! Explain one or two truths that the “Remainers” were espousing that actually came true – none !! I bet you mention the £350 million on the bus – that was all twisted out of context by you lot. The fact is by being out of the EU we don’t have to pay them silly money to be a member of this club and so we’d save money and spend as we like – make sense ? Superficially it looked like the EU were good for us by giving us money to fund certain projects… but guess what ? – that was our money paid out in the first place – doh !! What’s this “Tory barons manipulating the working class with misinformation ?” Granted maybe the EU have been good representing d/Deaf issues … but you cannot vote purely on the basis of that – there’s a much much bigger picture to look at, look how desperate the ‘EU’ have been acting to keep us in – why ? for our money (you’d think they’d be happy to be shot of us- especially as we have not exactly ‘toed the line ‘ over the years with one perfectly reasonable request after another ) – it’s very clear and simple even a blind man could see that. Wake up !
MW
May 26, 2017
I have already woken up to the screaming right wingers and the dangers they put before us our civil rights, our human rights, our right for equal opportunities. Your blind man analogy comes across in bad taste me think Pointless explaining it to me then you rant on? Sounds a bit like Trump. I have shut the door on this one.
Giles Hudson
June 7, 2017
Isn’t it here on their Accessibility page?
https://www.conservatives.com/accessiblemanifestoversions
Editor
June 7, 2017
That’s right, we’ve updated the story since this – thanks Charlie