‘Disappointment’ as latest press conference on COP26 comes without BSL interpretation

A Downing Street press conference on Sunday came without British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation – despite the UK Government providing an on-screen interpreter for a COP26 speech from the Prime Minister just days before.

Boris Johnson’s briefing on Thursday, broadcast on the final days of the Glasgow climate conference, was accompanied by an interpreter on YouTube, the BBC News Channel, and the Government’s social media platforms. The move came a week after a lawyer acting on behalf of Deaf campaigners sent pre-action letters to the Cabinet Office warning of a legal challenge under the Equality Act.

However, a weekend press conference on the outcomes of COP26 – chaired by Mr Johnson and COP President Alok Sharma MP – came without sign language interpretation in-person, on social media, or on the BBC News Channel.

Taking to social media to comment on the lack of access, Deaf presenter and #WhereIsTheInterpreter founder Lynn Stewart-Taylor said she was “really disappointed” and called on the Government to “sort it out”.

She also encouraged other Deaf people to register to join the legal case against the Government, with individuals having until 30 November to register their interest in a claim for “#WhereIsTheInterpreter Part II”.

BSL Message: https://t.co/CbZRyzenX7#Deaf #Sign #Language people are missing out on #COP26 🌎.

😳Is that acceptable ?

✏️Come and register, join in the case: form with BSL Guidance at this link:
💻https://t.co/PwN6fTX0hM pic.twitter.com/jq6ijPntgZ

— Lynn Stewart-Taylor (@jerseysnail) November 14, 2021

The inaccessible briefings echo that of the Government’s coronavirus data briefings last year, where a failure to provide interpretation in the room, online or on the BBC led to the Cabinet Office being found to have broken equality law in July.

Chris Fry, the lawyer representing Lynn in the new challenge, said last week of the pre-action letter: “We had all hoped for change, and that the Government would take deaf rights seriously, but remarkably things appear to have got worse.

“Failing to build BSL into national broadcasts is a failure to recognise the importance of deaf people in our society and I am now building a further legal challenge to bring the case back to the Courts as quickly as possible.”

The Limping Chicken has contacted the Cabinet Office for comment.

Photo: Andrew Parsons/No 10 Downing Street.

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.

---

Update – 15/11/21 – 21:30: In a statement, a government spokesperson said: “Our priority has always been to reach the largest possible audience with our Government press conferences and we will continue to ensure that British Sign Language interpretation is made available.”

The Limping Chicken understands that a technical fault meant Sunday’s briefing came without BSL interpretation.