ITV has received another legal letter calling on it to provide live British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation for its next televised election debate, following the broadcaster’s failure to offer a BSL version of Tuesday’s leaders’ debate within 24 hours as promised.
Sunak vs Starmer was announced by ITV on 30 May, with a spokesperson confirming the programme – helmed by veteran newsreader Julie Etchingham – would come with live subtitles instead of a live BSL interpreter visible on-screen or in-person.
Disability lawyer Chris Fry – acting on behalf of Deaf campaigner, actor and writer Katie Rowley – wrote to the broadcaster about the decision the same day, with ITV responding a day later.
Its reply, quoted by Fry in a letter sent on Thursday, saw the organisation “recognise that Ms Rowley will be disappointed” by its decision, before writing that signing on live broadcasts “is not as simple as engaging an interpreter” due to it requiring “a considerable degree of planning and additional resource”.
“Nevertheless, on this occasion we are able to provide an on-demand version with BSL translation which we anticipate will be available on ITVX within 24 hours of broadcast, and will enable your client to access the content,” it adds.
Fry states both him and Rowley “disagree” with ITV’s argument, before demanding the broadcaster explain “why you have broken that commitment” to offer BSL within a day of it being aired on ITV1.
Liam O’Dell reported on Wednesday evening that a signed version of Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer’s debate was not available on the ITVX streaming platform as of 11:25pm – more than 24 hours after the programme finished at around 10:10pm on Tuesday.
It’s understood the programme came with a BSL option sometime between 11:38pm and 11:48pm, and while this website has now been able to locate and view this version on ITVX, Fry’s letter alleges “there is no BSL version” available.
When approached for a statement on why ITV failed to meet its own 24-hour deadline for making the debate accessible to Deaf signers, a spokeswoman said she had no further comment to add.
The correspondence also asks if ITV’s second election programme – involving representatives from seven political parties (the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, Reform UK, Greens and Plaid Cymru) and broadcast on 13 June – will come with live BSL interpretation.
It’s not yet known who will attend on behalf of each political party, but ITV has confirmed Etchingham will once again host the programme as moderator.
Liam O’Dell put the same question around the accessibility of next Thursday’s multi-party debate to an ITV spokeswoman, who replied: “A BSL version of next week’s multi-party debate will also be made available on ITVX to stream following the event.”
This website has also asked if ITV will make the same commitment to look to provide a signed version of the programme within 24 hours, but it yet to receive a response.
Fry’s letter concludes: “You are not limited by the modest requirements of your regulator [Ofcom] and should provide a ‘bright line’ response, commensurate with your responsibility as a leading national broadcaster to provide the inexpensive and proportionate solution that our client seeks. It is morally the right thing to do.”
The lawyer also states the BBC and Channel 4 have taken the “right” approach to their election programming, as both have committed to providing live BSL interpretation on-screen and via a second channel for its debates and election night coverage.
Meanwhile, Sky News confirmed its first programme involving Sunak and Starmer, titled The Battle for Number 10, will be broadcast from Grimsby on 12 June – featuring interviews with the Conservative and Labour Party leaders before facing questions from a live studio audience.
Sky News has been approached for comment around its accessibility plans for the programme.
Images: @ITVPolitics/Twitter.
Liam O'Dell 
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