General Election 2019: What do the political parties promise (so far) for deaf people?

All major UK political parties have revealed their plans for deaf and disabled people ahead of next month’s general election.

The parties’ policy documents include a wide range of pledges for the disabled community, as the country prepares to go to the polls on 12 December.

Conservatives:

Boris Johnson’s manifesto makes no mention of deafness, but on the topic of disability, the Conservatives promise to “reduce the number of reassessments a disabled person must go through when a significant change in condition is unlikely – because you should not have to provide repeated proof of your disability in order to receive support”.

The Tories also pledge to publish a ‘National Strategy for Disabled People’ before the end of next year, which will examine “ways to improve the benefits system, opportunities and access for disabled people in terms of housing, education, transport and jobs”. They also commit to reducing the disability employment gap.

Labour:

Alongside pledging to adopt a British Sign Language Act for deaf people, the Labour Party pledge to introduce a new ‘Department for Women and Equalities’ which “will ensure that disabled people can be independent and equal in society, with choice and control over their own lives”.

They also promise to “transform the workplace for disabled people by requiring that all employers be trained to better support them, while introducing mandatory disability pay-gap reporting for companies with over 250 employees”.

This is in addition to a pledge to “end disability discrimination” and “reinstate” the Access to Elected Office Fund, which provides support for candidates with disabilities (such as a deaf candidate who needs interpreters).

Liberal Democrats:

Pledges from the Liberal Democrats in this election include a commitment to introducing a British Sign Language (BSL) Act “to give BSL full legal recognition”, and “[improving] disabled access to public transport via the Access for All programme”.

The Lib Dems also plan to “end the crisis in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities funding” by giving more cash to councils to halve the amount schools pay towards a child’s Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan.

The Brexit Party:

With leader Nigel Farage describing a manifesto as “little more than a set of vague promises that its authors have no intention of keeping”, the Brexit Party have instead launched a ‘Contract With The People’ which details their policy proposals.

The document makes no mention of deafness or disability, but on the topic of Universal Credit, the party says the system “has not achieved what was intended and needs to be revisited”, pledging a 12-month review of the scheme with reforms being brought in “within two years”.

The Green Party:

While the Greens’ manifesto makes no specific mention of deafness or British Sign Language, on the broader issue of disability the party pledges to support local authorities to “improve the appearance and facilities of bus stops, bus stations and train stations” and “better provide housing” for disabled people.

The Scottish National Party (SNP):

The SNP’s document, titled Stronger for Scotland has no pledges specifically relating to deaf people (there is already a BSL Act in Scotland) but the party does commit to “[ensuring] that there is as much support as possible for disabled people, and people from all backgrounds, to stand for election to the House of Commons”.

The party also says that its elected MPs “will oppose any attempts by the UK government to scrap the Human Rights Act and withdraw the UK from the ECHR [the European Convention on Human Rights]”.

Plaid Cymru: 

In Wales, it’s us, Plaid Cymru say they are “committed to working with […] deaf people and those experiencing hearing loss, the organisations representing them, and professionals, to develop national strategies to ensure co-ordinated and equitable access to services”.

They also say that they “disabled people should be encouraged and supported into employment” and that they “do not believe it is appropriate to require disabled people to face the same obligations and threats of sanctions” when looking for work.

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As well as publishing full, online version of their manifestos, political parties are also sharing accessible versions of their policy documents.

This week the Green Party became the first party to produce a BSL summary of its general election pledges. Plaid Cymru have said they will publish a BSL version of their manifesto this week, while the Liberal Democrats plan to share theirs “within the next week”.

Meanwhile, the Brexit Party have confirmed that they will not publish a BSL video version of its contract, with a party spokesperson saying “there will be no video produced – just the printed document, which is also available in large print.”

Labour have not yet responded to our request for comment regarding creating a BSL version and we have approached the Scottish National Party today for a response from them.

A full list of links to party manifestos, including BSL versions, can be found below and will be updated as and when the become available.

• • Conservatives: Full manifesto | BSL version
  • Labour: Full manifesto | BSL version
  • Liberal Democrats: Full manifesto | BSL version
  • The Brexit Party: Full manifesto | The party will not be publishing a BSL version.
  • The Green Party: Full manifesto | BSL version
  • The Scottish National Party (SNP): Full manifesto | BSL version
  • Plaid Cymru: Full manifesto | BSL version

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is a mildly deaf freelance journalist and blogger from Bedfordshire. He wears bilateral hearing aids and can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.