Exclusive: Hopes rise that BSL interpreter will be provided for government’s White House style press conferences

Hopes are rising that the UK Government’s new televised press conferences will come with British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation, after a Downing Street source said they plan to make sure that access is provided for Deaf viewers.

The Limping Chicken understands that more information about the access provision will be issued in due course, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks to hold the first briefing in the new £2.6m studio in No. 9 on Monday.

The BBC reports that all future press conferences on the Government’s fight against the coronavirus will be held in the new space, in addition to White House-style sessions chaired by the PM’s press secretary, Allegra Stratton.

Information about BSL access follows the UK Government being sued by deaf campaigners in December over its failure to provide its own in-person interpreter for its press conferences and data briefings.

Commenting on today’s news, #WhereIsTheInterpreter founder Lynn Stewart-Taylor said on Twitter: “[The] campaign and deaf, sign language citizens are looking forward to seeing full inclusion with an interpreter on the platform on Monday. Surely the space is not an issue anymore.”

The development also comes as legal firm Fry Law sent a letter to the Cabinet Office requesting that an ‘on-platform’ BSL interpreter is provided for the new briefings.

Their letter reads: “We write on behalf of the Deaf Community, our Deaf clients, and in particular on behalf of the Royal Association for Deaf people to enquire about steps taken by the government to ensure that British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreters are able to be visible on platform at the new studio constructed for the Downing Street Press Briefings.

“This is an extremely challenging time for the population and the government and the aim of the daily briefings, to ensure that people are updated as to the actions taken in response to the virus, vaccination programme, public services, financial factors etc are particularly important.

“According to the BBC, the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab defended the spend on the new studio, saying that “Making sure we communicate with the public is very important.”

“It is therefore recognised as crucial that the information which your Government provides, including by way of the live daily television addresses is accessible to Deaf people both in meeting equality obligations, but also in recognition of the fact that without such interpretation Deaf people whose first language is BSL will be unable to access this critical information.”

The document goes on to ask the Cabinet Office for a copy of their equality impact assessment, which would demonstrate that the Government has considered “its obligations to make its broadcasts accessible to the Deaf Community”.

While not necessary under the Equality Act, the assessment can be used to prove that a public body has met its obligations under the 2010 legislation.

The Limping Chicken revealed in August that the UK Government did not conduct an equality impact assessment for its briefings in No 10, despite previously telling lawyers that it would be “disproportionate” to release it to them.

Photo: Number 10/Flickr.

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.