Revealed: UK Government to fund BSL interpretation of COVID briefings on social media

The Cabinet Office is to provide British Sign Language (BSL) access to future coronavirus briefings on its social media accounts, according to a letter seen by The Limping Chicken.

The Government’s decision, which came into place from 26 November onwards, follows confirmation from a Number 10 spokesperson that the Cabinet Office paid for BSL interpretation of its scientific briefing last week.

Speaking to this website on Tuesday, they did not confirm whether this would continue and said: “We endeavour to use BSL interpreters in all of our COVID comms and it is something we are working towards.”

Despite funding a BSL interpreter for its social media accounts, the UK Government is yet to provide one in-person at its coronavirus briefings – something which legal firm Fry Law said does not go far enough.

In a statement, lawyer Chris Fry said: “As far as we’re concerned, there isn’t enough detail about where the information will be. Is the BBC no longer going to put BSL Interpreters on? Will the feed be shared with all broadcasters?

“Fundamentally, the Equality Act requires the Government to promote inclusion and we say they should have an Interpreter on platform to do that, and to make the information universally accessible.”

He went on to add that the Government has been given “one last chance” to provide an in-person interpreter, before legal proceedings launch next week.

If commenced, the case would be filed on behalf of Katie Rowley, a Deaf actress from Leeds.

Responding to the latest developments, Katie told The Limping Chicken: “I feel very angered at the moment. It seems as if the Government isn’t taking responsibility for their actions.

“Sorry, I’m fuming at this. We actually have to ‘go and find’ information that should be readily available like it is to our hearing peers,” she said.

Photo: Number 10/Flickr.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is a mildly deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He wears bilateral hearing aids and can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.