Recognising sign language is important for equality

On 17 September 2015, the Scottish Parliament passed the British Sign Language (BSL) Bill. The public gallery was packed with Deaf BSL users, many of whom had been banned from signing as children and forced to lip read. It had been a long, hard battle and it was difficult for many to hold back the tears and keep their emotions at bay.

MSPs and members of the public looked on quizzically at such an outpouring of sheer delight and it was hard not be moved. This was the first time in the UK that BSL had been recognised in legislation. The Act has the potential to make a huge difference to the lives of deaf children in Scotland. It is designed to create an ongoing framework for national planning around BSL, which will lead to continuous, incremental improvement in the way BSL is protected and, crucially, promoted across Scottish public life.