Deaf News: Labour MP Rosie Cooper presents BSL Bill to Commons

Labour MP Rosie Cooper has brought forward a British Sign Language (BSL) Bill in the House of Commons, it has been announced.

The West Lancashire politician was recently successful in the Private Members’ Bill ballot, which enables backbench MPs to introduce proposals for a change in the law.

In an article on the UK Parliament website, the Bill is described as being: “A Bill to declare British Sign Language (BSL) an official language of the United Kingdom; to provide for a British Sign Language Council to promote and advise on the use of BSL; to establish principles for the use of BSL in public services; to require public bodies to have regard to those principles and to guidance issued by the Council; and for connected purposes.”

GREAT NEWS – BSL BILL

Rosie Cooper MP @rosie4westlancs has tabled #BSL Bill this afternoon in the @HouseofCommons

Pls RT – join BSL Act Now! Campaign – we need your help

Email BSLActNow@bda.org.uk #SignLanguageAct #Deaf #Equality #SignLanguage pic.twitter.com/9MRLSMjoIP

— BSL Act Now Campaign (@BSLActNow) June 16, 2021

The news follows campaigning by the British Deaf Association through their BSL Act Now campaign, with 1,356 supporters writing to 572 calling for them to bring forward the BSL Bill if they were selected from the ballot.

“18 March 2003 was when the UK Government formally recognised British Sign Language as a language in its own right. It also promised to look into legal status for BSL.

“Eighteen years on, we’re still waiting. Waiting for the key to the door to a BSL Act.

“No more. We’re not waiting any longer,” the BDA’s website reads.

The Bill’s second reading – where MPs debate the “main principles” of the proposed legislation – is due to take place on Friday 28 January 2022.

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 – 17.06.21: In a post on their Instagram Stories, the BSL Act Now campaign said that they are “delighted” that Rosie – who is a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA) – “supports our work and is bringing this Bill for us”.

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Update – 20.06.21: Speaking to the Lancashire Post, Ms Cooper said: “As the daughter of profoundly deaf parents, BSL is my first language. I know first-hand the difficulty that deaf people face every day.

“So often they are ignored, misunderstood or have to fight for attention.

“Acknowledging BSL as a language is a simple, principled step towards ensuring the needs of deaf people who rely on their language are met, and met correctly. Similar pieces of legislation have been passed and made a positive impact in Scotland and New Zealand.

“I am hopeful that the benefits of this Bill will be clear to the Government and that they will do what they can to support its passage through Parliament,” she said.