British Sign Language (BSL) Plan

Closed 26 Sep 2018

Opened 11 Sep 2018

Contact

01259452052

equalties@clacks.gov.uk

Feedback updated 14 Dec 2018

We asked

We asked what you thought about our draft British Sign Language Plan.

We promoted engagement on the plan through our website, the local newspaper and social media. We also used BSL videos and shared our messages with local and national partner organisations, including community councils, Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface, the Sensory Centre in Camelon and the British Deaf Association.

We gathered views in different ways:

• Public meetings in the Speirs Centre, Alloa during August and September 2018

• An online survey

• Comments by email

You said

You told us:

There is a general lack of understanding around deafness and BSL. It is often assumed, incorrectly, that D/deaf people should be able to easily communicate through written English

• It can be very difficult for a D/deaf BSL to find the information they need on websites because it is usually only presented in English

• Customer service staff in many organisations do not know what to do when a D/deaf person makes an enquiry

• Families with D/deaf children said that courses in BSL were expensive and often involved long journey times to take part

• There is a lot of misunderstanding about the value of BSL to D/deaf people. In particular, there is often an assumption that cochlear implants negate the need for a visual language, but it is important distinguish what is essentially a medical intervention from the social and cultural benefits offered by BSL

• There is significant local demand for learning at least some BSL

We did

We made some changes to the draft BSL plan. It was approved by Clackmannanshire Council on 25th October 2018.

The plan is available in BSL at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYsYiplr_vHP0M3XvnJ7w1w/videos?view=0&shelf_id=1&sort=dd

Overview

The BSL National Plan was launched by Scottish Government in October 2017. By October 2018 all Local Authorities must also produce their own plans to improve services for BSL speakers.

The Clackmannanshire Council draft BSL Plan was produced following The draft plan can be viewed in BSLdiscussion with BSL users and other interested people locally.

The draft plan can be viewed in BSL at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYsYiplr_vHP0M3XvnJ7w1w.

If you would like a printed copy of the draft, please e-mail equalities@clacks.gov.uk, or call 01259 452052. BSL users can contact us via contactSCOTLAND-BSL the on-line British Sign Language interpreting service http://contactscotland-bsl.org

Open consultation meetings will also be held on Wednesday 26th September, from 1pm to 3pm, and from 6pm to 8pm, in the Speirs Centre, Alloa.

Why your views matter

We are gathering your views to help ensure the actions set out in our BSL Plan reflect the needs and priorities of the BSL community in Clackmannanshire.

We would like to hear from BSL users and anyone who has an interest in BSL, including families and friends of BSL users, interpreters, employers and those wishing to learn BSL.

What happens next

Following this consultation, the finalised BSL Plan will be considered by the Council at their meeting on 25th October 2018. Once approved, the plan will be published in both English and BSL.

A national progress report will be published in 2020 and further national and local BSL plans will be published in 2024.

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