Sky News will offer live subtitles only for its first programme of the general election period, The Battle for Number 10, and will not provide a British Sign Language interpreter, Liam O’Dell understands.
The programme, which will be broadcast on the news channel on Wednesday, will see Conservative and Labour Party leaders Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer face 20-minute interviews with political editor Beth Rigby, before taking questions from a live audience.
Following the election being called on 22 May, this website approached all broadcasters for comment on their planned coverage, and what access provision will be offered.
On 28 May, a spokesperson said they were “still in the early stages of planning” the programme, which was then confirmed last Wednesday.
Liam O’Dell has since approached Sky News multiple times for comment around planned access provision for the event, but has not received a response.
Sky News only providing subtitles for its election programming sees it take the same approach as ITV News, which faced criticism last week when it broadcast its first leaders’ debate with subtitles only, but pledged to provide BSL online via its ITVX streaming platform within 24 hours.
This commitment was not met by ITV, with a signed version believed to have been made available between 11:38pm and 11:48pm on Wednesday evening.
Tuesday’s leaders’ debate, meanwhile, concluded at around 10:10pm.
A second ITV debate has been announced for Thursday, with the broadcaster again confirming it would provide BSL after the event.
When asked if it will make the same 24-hour commitment around making the sign language version available on ITVX, a spokesperson did not comment.
Disability lawyer Chris Fry, on behalf of Deaf campaigner Katie Rowley, has since written to ITV calling on it to do the ‘morally right thing’ and provide live BSL interpretation for its next election programme.
Elsewhere, both the BBC and Channel 4 have committed to providing live BSL interpretation for its election events, with the BBC’s seven-party debate on Thursday coming with a sign language interpreter via the news channel.
Images: Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak/Twitter.
Liam O'Dell 