BSL Act Now: Martene Monksfield and Omeima Mudawi-Rowlings amongst speakers at Trafalgar Square rally

Martene Monksfield, president of the British Association of Teachers of the Deaf (BATOD), and textile artist Omeima Mudawi-Rowlings MBE, are amongst those speaking at the British Deaf Association’s (BDA) Trafalgar Square rally on Friday – the charity has announced.

The event, which coincides with Sign Language Week and the 19th anniversary of British Sign Language (BSL) being officially recognised, comes as MPs vote on the BSL Bill at its report stage and third reading – the final two stages of its progress in the Commons.

If passed by the UK Parliament, the Bill – presented by Labour’s Rosie Cooper and backed by ministers – will grant legal status to BSL and require the government to provide regular reports on the work it is doing to facilitate sign language across its department.

David Buxton, chair of the BDA who has been leading the BSL Act Now campaign, said: “This Bill presents a real opportunity for change, to break down avoidable communication barriers and to give Deaf people and their language – BSL – the recognition, inclusion, and equality that they deserve.

“If the BSL Bill passes into law, we are ready to work hand-in-hand with the UK government to redesign public services that meet the unique needs of the 87,000 Deaf people who have British Sign Language as their first or preferred language.

“We also hope that the legal recognition of BSL will encourage many more people across the UK to learn British Sign Language and go on to become interpreters, bilingual professionals and allies of the Deaf community. BSL can bring us all together as a society.”

James Watson O’Neill, chief executive of the Deaf health charity SignHealth, added: “This isn’t just about language, it’s about human rights and how we live as Deaf people – how we talk to our partners, how we care for our children and how we access healthcare.

“BSL is at the heart of Deaf culture and the BSL Act will help even more people see the value of Deaf people’s lives and give them equal standing.”

ATTENTION: 18 March 2022 Venue moved to Trafalgar Square – #BSLActNow #BSL #BSLBill #SLWeek2022 #SignLanguageWeek Register now https://t.co/prZQbIh8oW pic.twitter.com/OaOA45e5JR

— BSL Act Now! Campaign (@BSLActNow) March 11, 2022

Joining Ms Mudawi-Rowlings and Ms Monksfield as rally speakers will be comedians Caroline Parker MBE and John Smith, as well as former CODA International president Adrian Bailey.

Other organisational representatives due to give a speech include Mark Wheatley of the European Union of the Deaf, Mr Buxton and the BDA’s new chief executive, Rebecca Mansell.

Children from Healthlands in St Albans and Frank Barnes School in London will also take to the stage, as well as 2017 Deafblind Parliamentary candidate Ben Fletcher and Small World producer Louis Neethling.

Joel Kellhofer of SignLive will also speak at the event, as the headline sponsor of the rally.

In a video announcing the sponsorship, the CEO described the third reading as a “huge moment” for the Deaf community.

It’s understood that the BSL Bill will be introduced by Lord Holmes of Richmond on 21 March if it is voted through the third reading, which is due to take place on Friday morning.

The Trafalgar Square rally will run from 11:30am to 2:30pm the same day, with secure areas available for wheelchair users, school groups, elderly people and DeafBlind people.

More information and how to book free tickets can be found on the official Facebook page for the event.

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.