Chloe Smith has called on general election candidates to provide captions and British Sign Language (BSL) for election communications – on the same day the Prime Minister released a video on inflation without subtitles.
The former Minister for Disabled People, who stepped down as the MP for Norwich North last month, posted the message to her LinkedIn profile on Wednesday.
Hours prior, Rishi Sunak shared a video to social media commenting on the “great news” of UK inflation falling to two per cent, which came without captions for deaf viewers.
Both Sunak’s Conservative Party and Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party have been criticised over inaccessible election speeches, as the Tory PM’s statement on 22 May announcing the 4 July vote came without BSL interpretation, as did Starmer’s press conference reacting to the news later that day.
Labour, who have been hit with possible legal action over their access plans for their election campaign, have since provided on-screen interpretation on livestreams of their press conferences.
Meanwhile the Conservatives are yet to hold an accessible campaign event, as while it’s understood live interpretation was obtained for their manifesto launch, this was not visible on streams of the event made available on social media platforms.
Both parties – along with the Green Party, Liberal Democrats and Reform UK – are yet to publish BSL versions of their manifestos online.
Smith wrote: “Party leaders, candidates and campaigners at this General Election: make your communication properly accessible!
“Millions of voters have a disability. For example, 18 million people are Deaf or hard of hearing or live with tinnitus. Want to stand a chance of […] earning their vote? Get your videos subtitled and have a BSL interpreter at events.
“Sadly, neither of the two main party leaders decided to have their election launches signed and their manifesto launches did not have in-person interpretation either. After the momentous progress of the BSL Act in the 2019-24 Parliament, it is time to follow through and deliver on its simple promise.”
Passed in April 2022, the BSL Act was introduced as a Private Members Bill by former Labour MP Rosie Cooper, and passed with support from the UK Government including Smith, who was then a minister at the Department for Work and Pensions.
It gave legal recognition to BSL as a language in Great Britain, and placed a duty on the UK Government to produce regular reports on its work to ‘promote and facilitate’ BSL.
Smith’s comments also come on the same day that the Welsh Senedd backed a motion to introduce a BSL Bill for Wales to the Assembly, which would extend measures implemented in the UK-wide legislation to the devolved nation.
She continued: “Our general election – in a year of elections around the world – is a very good moment to think profoundly about truly inclusive decision-making.
“And then, the next generation in Parliament must hold the next Government to account to deliver on the British Sign Language Act and go further.”
The comments echo remarks made by Smith at a parliamentary event in March for the launch of the British Deaf Association’s (BDA) BSL in Our Hands campaign, in which she said “future generations” must “make sure that governments of today and tomorrow […] do what [the] Act promises”.
Elsewhere, Channel 4’s first general election debate – The UK Decides: Immigration, Law and Order – aired on Tuesday night without live BSL interpretation, though a Channel 4 spokesman has since clarified the provision will only be offered for coverage “outside of news content” during the election period.
“In our previous statement we specified ‘outside of news content’. The programme last night was a Channel 4 News special rather than a separate debate programme,” he said.
The spokesperson also confirmed that a debate on the National Health Service – which will – take place on Monday from 10pm to 11pm, will come with a BSL version on 4seven, with the same provision in place on the channel for election night coverage from 9:45pm on 4 July to 9am on 5 July.
It follows a prior statement issued by the broadcaster on 30 May, in which Channel 4 said: “Channel 4 recognises the importance of timely access to political and current affairs content for all.
“For any party debate programmes that we produce and broadcast on the channel, and our election night coverage, outside of news content, we plan to have onscreen BSL interpretation for our d/Deaf audiences at home, via a signed simulcast on a second channel.”
Channel 4, together with BBC News, are the only two channels to commit to providing live BSL interpretation of its debates, with ITV News providing signed versions on ITVX some 24 hours later, and Sky News failing to offer an accessible version of The Battle for Number 10 when it aired last Wednesday.
Images: UK Parliament.
Liam O'Dell 
I’ll get the coffee sorted and food ready for 4th July overnight
LikeLike
I am ready to watch the BSL feed on the BBC News Channel and 4seven come 4th July night time! Just need my coffee, food and I’m ready!
LikeLike