BSL Bill: Rosie Cooper MP to meet with Minister for Disabled People to discuss BSL Bill, following Deaf sector roundtable

Labour’s Rosie Cooper is to meet with Chloe Smith, the minister for disabled people, to discuss her British Sign Language (BSL) Bill ahead of it receiving its second reading in January – it has been announced.

The Bill would declare British Sign Language (BSL) an official language of the United Kingdom.

The news comes after Cooper, who was selected in the Commons’ Private Members’ Bill ballot earlier this year, met with Deaf organisations to discuss the legislative proposal last week.

Speaking after the meeting with Deaf representatives, the West Lancashire MP said: “Together we are working really hard to ensure this Bill will make a real difference to Deaf sign language users’ lives.

“The roundtable with Government Ministers will be key to bringing them onside by proving that this bill is needed.”

Representatives from nine organisations attended the meeting, with those involved including:

• the British Deaf Association (BDA),
• the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)
• the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID)
• the Royal Association for Deaf people (RAD)
• Signature
• the Institute of British Sign Language (iBSL)
• SignHealth
• National Register of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind people (NRCPD)
• Black Deaf UK

In a press release, the BDA – who lead the campaign – said:

“The group discussed with Rosie Cooper MP how we can best use our joint resources to build a strong case to MPs for them to support the Bill, sharing experiences of the challenges Deaf people have faced which the Bill could potentially alleviate – as well as how such an Act will enable public services and government departments to improve access and inclusion for Deaf people.”

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They added that they are now working on campaign resources to support the initiative.

Cooper’s government meeting is the latest development in the BSL Act Now campaign, spearheaded by activist and BDA trustee David Buxton.

Introduced to Parliament in June, 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.”

Its second reading is due to take place on Friday 28 January 2022.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.