BREAKING: Govt will not provide in-person BSL interpreter for tonight’s press briefing

Downing Street will not provide an in-person British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter for its first press conference from No. 9 this evening, The Limping Chicken understands.

Hopes were raised on Friday after a Downing Street source said the Government plans to make sure BSL interpretation is provided for the White House-style briefings in a new £2.6 million studio.

However, the source said today that the interpreter will instead be streamed virtually, in the exact same setup as the previous conferences held in No 10.

It means that BSL access will only be available on the BBC News Channel, iPlayer and the Government’s social media accounts.

Deaf campaigners had anticipated that an in-person interpreter would be provided in the larger briefing room, after the Government ruled out placing one in Number 10 due to social distancing.

Lynn Stewart-Taylor, founder of the #WhereIsTheInterpreter campaign to get an in-person interpreter for the coronavirus briefings, tweeted: [The] campaign and deaf, sign language citizens are looking forward to see full inclusive with interpreter on the platform on Monday. Surely the space is not an issue anymore.”

#WhereIsTheInterpreter campaign and deaf, sign language citizens are looking forward to see full inclusive with interpreter on the platform on Monday. Surely the space is not an issue anymore. pic.twitter.com/NEipZux661

— Lynn Stewart-Taylor (@jerseysnail) March 25, 2021

It follows the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s response to an online petition in May and said: “In line with Public Health England (PHE) guidelines, it is not possible to safely include a physical British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter in the room for daily briefings as this would require additional operations staff such as an additional cameraman to be present.

“At Downing Street the Government is working within the constraints of a historical site with limited space.”

The claim was strongly criticised by Caroline Nokes MP, chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, in January, when she called on the Government to “go find a bigger room” for an interpreter.

She told Disability Rights Advice TV: “I have seen BSL interpreters brought in literally at the drop of a hat, when it is considered important enough. I know that they’re available and I know that they want to do this job.

“If it’s about logistics, if it’s really about there not being enough space in the room, go find a bigger room. To me, that’s very straightforward.

“We have a government that has access to a wide range of buildings – the Foreign Office, for example, huge rooms. If it has to be a wood-panelled room, you would find one there.

“We have access to Parliament – massive rooms. So I reject the concept that it’s about logistics,” she said.

The news is expected to intensify the legal challenge against the Government over the lack of an in-person interpreter at their press briefings, with a date for the judicial review hearing yet to be announced.

Both Stewart-Taylor and lawyer Chris Fry, who launched the court case in December, have been approached by The Limping Chicken for comment.

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.

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Update: Chris Fry, the lawyer representing Deaf actress Katie Rowley in the judicial review, has described the Government’s decision as “very disappointing news”.

“I have asked for a copy of their Equality Impact Assessment in relation to the new briefings and will be interested to see why on-platform interpreters are not thought to be the best means of making information accessible to Deaf people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lynn Stewart-Taylor took to Twitter and said: “Despite the £2.6 million upgrade to a bigger and bespoke media studio, the UK Government has, yet again, shown their lack of regard towards the Deaf community and our pleas for access.

“If Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can provide a BSL interpreter in the room of their coronavirus briefings, why can’t the UK Government?”