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The BSL debate

What recognition would mean | Taking action | Resources

It's difficult to think of a more important issue in Deaf culture at the moment than BSL recognition. In a VEE-TV café discussion, Celia Hulme and Gavin Lilley from the Federation of Deaf People (FDP) talked about the organisation’s campaigns for BSL recognition. Young Glaswegians Katrina Dolan and Brian Duffy also gave their views on how BSL recognition would improve their lives.

Katrina’s hope is that BSL will be taught in mainstream schools from a young age, making communication easier between deaf and hearing children. She feels BSL deserves equal status with languages already taught in schools, such as German and French. Gaelic, she pointed out, is a minority language in Scotland but is recognised – so why not BSL?

Brian believes that BSL recognition would lead to more trained interpreters. There is a shortage of interpreters in the UK generally and in Scotland in particular.

Celia and Gavin of the FDP, organisers of the BSL march in Preston held in February this year, discussed the work of the Disability Rights Commission in advising the government on BSL recognition. The Disability Rights Commission supported BSL recognition, but Celia feels that this is a linguistic rather than disability issue and, as such, should not be dealt with by the commission. She likened the BSL campaign to the recent Welsh language recognition debate.

What recognition would mean

The advantages of official recognition of BSL as a language would include the following:

• All public announcements would have to include BSL.
• Rather than deaf people being regarded as needing help, they would be seen and treated in the same way as non-English-speaking people.
• BSL would become a mainstream curriculum subject as a second language option. More hearing people would learn it and take BSL as a GCSE examination subject.
• Deaf children in hearing schools would fit in better as there would be many hearing pupils and teachers who could sign. It would also foster the concept of an inclusive society.
• Deaf people would gain full access to public life as a result of the compulsory provision of interpreters whenever required by either deaf or hearing people.
• Job prospects would be improved for deaf people.

Taking action

The first BSL march, held in London two years ago, was attended by 4,000 marchers. In the year 2000 the number increased to 9,000! This year’s London event is to be held in Lincoln's Inn Fields on 7 July.

BSL marches have also been held regionally, although Scotland has yet to organise one.

The FDP are keen to encourage local action. They want people to write to their MPs, so if you're interested, contact them for examples of effective letters.

Resources

Organisations

See Find out more for all the main organisations run by or for deaf people.

British Deaf Association (BDA)
1—3 Worship Street
London EC2A 2AB
Voice/Text: 020 7588 3520
Fax: 020 7588 3527
E-mail: info@bda.org.uk
Website: www.bda.org.uk
Run by and for deaf people to ensure those using sign language have the same rights and entitlement as other citizens.

The Federation of Deaf People
PO Box 11
Darwen
Lancs BB3 3GH
Fax: 01254 708071
E-mail: contact@fdp.org.uk
Website: www.fdp.org.uk
Campaigns for the recognition of BSL and for the rights of deaf people in general.

Websites

British Sign Language.com
www.britishsignlanguage.com
Uses animation to give a useful introduction to the basic signs for words and phrases in BSL.

British Sign Language Info Web
www.bsl-infoweb.org.uk
Gives basic vocabularies as well as basic rules of grammar and syntax, plus suggestions for good communication. Also contains articles on education, the arts and media.

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC)
www.drc-gb.org/drc
Website for the government advisory body. Offers documentary information on the status of BSL.

The Federation of Deaf People
www.fdp.org.uk
Information on campaigns for BSL recognition and how you can get involved.

Books

Improve Your BSL by Paul Redfern (Deaf Works, 1999) £7.50.
A user-friendly guide for anyone attending Stage 1 and Stage 2 BSL classes.

Linguistics of British Sign Language: An introduction by R Sutton-Spence and B Woll (Cambridge University Press, 1999) £16.95.
Provides support for learners of British Sign Language and others interested in its structure and its use. It assumes no previous knowledge and contains more than 300 illustrations.

Sign Language Companion by Cath Smith (Souvenir Press, 1996) £10.99.
A BSL handbook aimed at young people, with signs that link ideas and concepts. Topics covered include family and friends, behaviour, sharing ideas, food and drink, and feelings.

Signs Make Sense by Cath Smith (Souvenir Press, 1990) £9.99.
A lively introduction to the principles and grammar of BSL. Signs are grouped according to type with illustrations of how facial expressions, fluid hand- and finger-movements and placements are used and combined.

CD-Roms

The following are all available from:

Microbooks Ltd
16 Sandhurst Road
Yateley
Hampshire GU46 7UU
Voice: 01252 668484
Fax: 01252 668485
E-mail: hell@microbooks.org
Website: www.microbooks.org

BSL Works (Microbooks, 1998) £49.
Offers basic aspects of BSL and includes practice sessions, an online manual and an introduction to Multi-Channel Signs.

Deaf World (Microbooks, 1997) £39.
Deaf issues, culture, awareness and history. Includes a database that lists schools, institutions, higher-education establishments, interpreters and interpreting services, a list of publications, plus important establishments and contacts abroad.

Sign Away (Microbooks, 1998) £39.
A video-based CD-ROM containing more than 1600 standardised and regional phrases. It also includes BSL gloss, self-test quiz, video control and an online manual.

Sign Now: the British Sign Language CD-ROM (Microbooks, 1997) £59.
For students and teachers of BSL. A bilingual tool that gives the user instant access to signs by typing a word or clicking on a word or handshape.

Signs for GCSE: Maths, IT, English and Science (Microbooks, 2000) £39.
A series of CD-ROMs to guide students, teachers and parents using BSL.

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