The UK Government has said it provides British Sign Language (BSL) interpretations of its televised press conferences “where possible”, in a shift away from its previous position to make all statements accessible to Deaf signers “as soon as possible”.
In November, this website reported that certain Downing Street press conferences will not be immediately available in BSL if access is not provided live by the BBC, with the government instead working to make a signed version of the livestream available as soon as possible afterwards.
This week, however, Liam O’Dell learned a statement delivered by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak outside No 10 on 1 March, in which the Conservative Party leader called on the British public to “stand together to combat the forces of division” and “face down” extremists, is still without a BSL version on either the Rishi Sunak or 10 Downing Street YouTube channels.
Weeks later, on 22 April, Sunak led a press conference updating reporters on his government’s controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, which also remains without BSL interpretation after more than two weeks.
The news comes in the middle of Deaf Awareness Week, with organisers the UK Council on Deafness dedicating this year’s event to “celebrating love and trust”.
The government also has until the end of the month to provide in-person BSL interpretation for its Downing Street press conferences, after committing in its Disability Action Plan earlier this year that it would do so “from spring 2024 onwards”.
The pledge was made four years after Deaf campaigner Lynn Stewart-Taylor brought attention to the lack of BSL access during the government’s daily coronavirus press briefings with her Where Is The Interpreter campaign, with the Cabinet Office found in breach of the Equality Act a year later when two scientific briefings came without any sign language interpretation.
When approached by Liam O’Dell for comment in March on why in-person BSL interpretation couldn’t be provided sooner, Minister for Disabled People Mims Davies said: “Since I’ve been in place, one of the key bits is making sure that we’ve got access as government, when things are happening in quick time, to the suitable contracts, in order to get the messages out there.”
On Wednesday, No 10 did not directly respond to questions around when the two recent press conferences will be interpreted into BSL.
Instead, a government spokesperson said: “We continue to work across Government to improve the accessibility of information, guidance and our communications.
“The Government Communication Services is currently engaging with the community, and potential suppliers, to deliver BSL interpretation for all major press conferences.
“In the interim, we provide BSL versions of relevant briefings where possible.”
Images: Simon Walker/No 10 Downing Street.
Liam O'Dell 