Get the message? – a campaign poster showing the BSL for 'idle'
British Deaf Association, 2000

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Give us a sign!

According to the British Deaf Association, there are about 70,000 people in Britain whose first or preferred language is British Sign Language (BSL) – as many as there are speakers of Scottish Gaelic. More people (deaf and hearing) use BSL than either Welsh or Irish Gaelic. And BSL is not a translation of spoken English, but a separate and highly developed language with its own grammar, structure and word order.

So why can't the British government officially recognise BSL, as the European Parliament recommended they should 13 years ago?

Official recognition of BSL would be a step towards equal opportunities for deaf people, using their preferred language. It could bring 'real equality and social inclusion', in the words of Doug Alker, President of the Federation of Deaf People (FDP).

The Swedes show the way

This week VEE-TV followed deaf university students Angela Spielsinger and Samantha Denton to Sweden, to see what recognition of sign language has done for deaf people in that country. Angela's and Samantha's trip was funded by a grant from the Jack Ashley Millennium Award Project (see Help and info).

Sweden officially recognised Swedish Sign Language 20 years ago. 'We were amazed at how far advanced Sweden is compared to England,' Angela says.

'The recognition of sign language in 1981 definitely made an impact on the Deaf community,' adds Samantha. 'It ensured they got the recognition and support they needed. Families are given a choice of communication methods [for children's education], and sign language use is encouraged for the whole family.'

Anders Johansson, a deaf Swedish student currently studying at Gallaudet University for deaf people, in Washington DC, told VEE-TV that in Sweden 'Hearing people's attitudes are better. They see deaf people more as equals and even know some sign language. So I feel a greater sense of equality.'

The UK campaign

Organisations like the British Deaf Association (BDA) are fighting for the same equality in Britain. In 2000 the BDA launched a controversial billboard poster showing a sign that means 'idle' in BSL and something a lot ruder to non-BSL users. And last year the BDA presented Tony Blair with a petition asking for official recognition of BSL. 'The right to use one's own language is a fundamental human right,' says Stephen Rooney, head of public affairs at the BDA. Regular marches for official recognition have demonstrated the depth of support for the move.

One problem is the number of pressing issues competing for Parliamentary time. Maria Eagle, the minister for disabled people, has said that BSL recognition doesn't have top priority at the moment, because it doesn't affect everyone in Britain.

On 31 January 2002 Maria Eagle met representatives of the major deaf organisations to discuss what recognition would mean and what differences it could make. But the FDP said it was disappointed that the minister only said she would consider the issues raised: 'We had hoped that she would offer something, but that did not happen.'

One way forward would be to have BSL included in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. But Stephen Rooney of the BDA says that 'They've made a conscious decision not to include BSL in the charter. They won't give a clear indication as to why this is, but one of the things they're saying is that the charter wasn't designed for sign language. But we think it's an excuse. The other thing they're saying is that no other country in the EU has done it yet. To that we say, "Well, we can be the first."'

The national government may be dragging its feet, but there has been some progress at local level. Several local councils already have BSL-trained staff: Birmingham City Council, for example, has swimming instructors trained in sign language, and Social Services staff in Luton Borough council can sign.

Don't give up!

In 1988 Princess Diana, then patron of the BDA, said: 'I am well aware of the place of British Sign Language in the lives of deaf people. It is not only their first language, it is at the heart of their culture, just as the English language is at the heart of ours.'

Perhaps it's time the government recognised this fact. Meanwhile the fight goes on, and this year the BDA's Deaf Awareness Week has been renamed Sign Language Week. It is scheduled for 7-13 October and there will be lots of encouragement to write to your MP asking for BSL recognition.

In the more immediate future, the FDP is holding a Mass Deaf Education Lobby on Wednesday 24 April at the House of Commons. If you want to take part, e-mail contactfdp@aol.com or fax 01254 708071.

Their message is: 'Don't give up!'

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