Mike Hedges welcomes Senedd passing a motion calling for a Sign Language Law.
Speaking from his Morriston Office, local MS, Mike Hedges said…. ‘this is one of my proudest days as a Senedd member; I have been involved with the deaf community for many years through my sister. I know the isolation and lonliness faced by deaf people and how difficult it can be for them to do things which most of us take for granted such as get jobs.
If people could be encouraged to learn British sign language (BSL) and for there to be recognised qualifications such as GCSE, it would be a big step forward for the Deaf community. We need to break down the barriers faced by deaf people and enable them to join main stream society enjoying so many of the things which we take for granted.
Passing this motion is a big step forward, even if time is going to mean it has no chance of becoming legislation. I therefore hope that after the Senedd Elections in May, the new Government will take this motion on board and come forward with a Welsh Sign Language Bill which will provide a legislative frame work as I called for during my speech.
Today, the Senedd can be proud – we spoke for a group of disabled and excluded people who cannot speak for themselves. The New Senedd needs to pick up the challenge from this motion and bring forward a Sign Language Bill as matter of urgency.’
Speech to Senedd 24 February 2020
First of all, can I put on the record that my sister is profoundly deaf and uses sign language? I will be supporting the Member's legislative proposal today, but we're so close to dissolution it is very unlikely to succeed in becoming law before we dissolve. But that's no reason not to support it. In 2018, the Petitions Committee produced four recommendations, all which I agreed with. If you want to know what it's like being deaf, put the television on, watch a drama and turn the sound off, because that's the life they live. That is what watching television is like for people who are deaf.
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The Welsh Government should support British Sign Language as a minority language, and encourage local authorities to recognise it as the first language of very many deaf people. Because you've got to remember that we have three first languages in Wales, and British Sign Language is one of them. And before somebody says, 'What about Welsh sign language?', because of the way sign language exists, it's much more akin to Japanese and Chinese and other languages that are based on pictures and signs, as opposed to vocabulary. 273
The Welsh Government should give consideration to the development of a national charter for the delivery of services and resources, including the education of deaf children and young people. We need deaf people to be educated through sign language, because that's what they understand. We believe—and this what the Petitions Committee said—that a charter underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 would enable local authorities to plan and resource support, with a nationally recognised framework to ensure consistent arrangements throughout Wales—we haven't got consistency of provision; some areas are better than others—and the importance of sign language to actually get information across. The Petitions Committee also welcomed that the Welsh Government has indicated British Sign Language is actually being considered in the new curriculum. It needs to be part of the curriculum, not only for deaf children, but for children who aren't deaf, so that they can speak and correspond with children who are deaf.274
A lot of basic sign language can be learnt relatively quickly, like a lot of most languages can be learnt very quickly. It gets much more difficult with time, but there are probably over 50 or 60 signs that would get you around quite well. So, it's really important. And, saying that, we should have a GCSE in sign language. We've got nowhere with that—'It's because there are not many applicants or potential applicants.' I've looked through some subjects the WJEC supports. A number of them have under 100 people entering them each year. So, that is no excuse. This just demands, and I really am pushing for this, somebody to take this on and show some leadership and aim of doing something on behalf of the deaf community in Wales. 275
We need as a minimum to introduce a minimum standard of BSL qualification for learning assistants supporting deaf children and young people. There isn't any. I could work as a learning assistant in a school with deaf children because I know a small amount of sign language. I don't think I'd be suitable. I'm sure you don't think I'd be suitable either. 276
Finally, we've had petitions, we've had debates, before, but I have come, unfortunately, around to the conclusion that the only way we're going to get action is by legislation. So, I will be supporting this legislative proposal, even though I'm doubtful that we will get it done before we break in March.
