Revealed: BBC News Channel to only offer BSL interpretation for ministerial COVID briefings

The BBC News Channel will only provide a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter for coronavirus press conferences from the Prime Minister or government ministers, The Limping Chicken can reveal.

It comes after the broadcaster, which has offered BSL access for briefings on behalf of the UK Government, faced criticism on Monday after an update from the Government’s chief medical and scientific officers came without an interpreter.

Disgusting @10DowningStreet that today's very important covid briefing does not have BSL interpreter either on @BBCOne @BBCNews why can't Deaf people have their access needs met by our government and media? So Deaf and disabled lives matter less? @FryLegal #WhereIsTheInterpreter pic.twitter.com/nlq9EsAD3f

— Tina Hodgkinson (@TinaWalksLondon) September 21, 2020

A source at the BBC said that “the bar is set” at announcements from the PM and ministers when it comes to BSL interpretation on the BBC News Channel, due to the resources available at the organisation.

They went on to add that Breakfast and the BBC News at One will be interpreted.

The news means that any further press conferences delivered by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Officer Sir Patrick Vallance may not come with a BSL interpreter.

Responding to the development, Lynn told The Limping Chicken she was “disappointed” to hear the news.

“They are not willing to listen to the deaf community and we feel undervalued, mistreated and we are missing out. This is a serious matter!

“We have been writing and campaigning since March and they have done no further action. This is unacceptable.

“Clearly the Equality Act has failed us. Government has failed us,” she said.

BBC News has been approached for an official comment.

Photo: GOV.UK/Flickr.

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Update: In a statement to The Limping Chicken, a spokesperson for BBC News said: “We provided a BSL interpreter for the series of official ministerial and prime ministerial briefings on Covid-19 including the recent statements from the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

“We do not provide BSL for parliamentary events or other news conferences but all our live TV news output is subtitled.”

They also went on to confirm that a national address from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, due to be broadcast on Wednesday evening, will come with BSL interpretation on the BBC News Channel.

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