Public bodies will need to commit to Sign Language Bill: MSPs
Public bodies will have to commit to consult with users if the British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill is to met its aims, a committee of MSPs has reported.
Holyrood's Education & Culture Committee has issued its stage 1 report on the member's bill, introduced by Mark Griffin MSP, which requires the Scottish Government and public bodies to publish plans setting out how they will take action on British Sign Language (BSL).
The committee, which engaged directly with BSL users as it considered the bill, welcomes the bill while recommending that consideration be given to making more public bodies responsible for promoting BSL, simplified timetables for reporting on BSL plans, a performance review, which would allow the Scottish Government to measure the progress being made, and the "naming and shaming" those public bodies that perform poorly.
Committee convener Stewart Maxwell MSP commented: “The bill is clearly to be welcomed. It is an important stepping stone for BSL provision throughout Scotland and, we hope, will help to tackle what some witnesses described as a 'postcode lottery service'.
“It is hoped the bill will lead to better outcomes for BSL users, which is why our report makes clear the need for effective consultation and engagement with BSL users. Our consideration of the bill involved intensive discussions with the deaf community and BSL users, including our highly successful Facebook page which now has over 2,000 members. There is clearly a very strong appetite among BSL users to have their say in improving public services."