Campaigners described a long journey to the legislation that includes the provision of free sign language classes to deaf children and their families
The Northern Ireland Assembly has passed the region’s long-awaited Sign Language Bill.
Scores of people from the deaf community travelled to Parliament Buildings in Belfast to witness the historic moment and cheered the passing of the Bill on the front steps of Stormont.
The legislation recognises and promotes both British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language and places duties on public bodies to take reasonable steps to ensure that the information and services they provide are fully accessible.
This will include ensuring the provision of free sign language classes to deaf children and their families.
The Bill was passed unanimously by MLAs on Tuesday afternoon to applause from the public gallery.
Introducing the final stage of the Bill, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons began his speech in sign language directed towards the public gallery.
He was met with applause as he hailed a historic moment that had been a “long time coming”, adding he could not remember seeing so many people in the gallery for the final stage of any other piece of legislation.
“I am absolutely delighted at such a strong turnout that we have here today, and I think that that speaks to the importance of this legislation for the community represented here today,” he said.
He went on: “I know that this is a day that has been much anticipated by the deaf and deaf-blind signing community, for them and for the whole of our society in Northern Ireland, this is a day that truly merits being described as historic.
“For generations, deaf people have built rich linguistic, cultural and social communities through sign language, yet that history has too often been marked by exclusion; legal recognition of sign languages has lagged far behind lived reality.”
Chairman of the Stormont Communities Committee Colm Gildernew described a “significant and long-awaited moment”.
“I want to say to the community, we see you, hear you, and we will continue to work on your behalf,” he said.
He said this moment carries “both opportunity and responsibility”, and emphasised that recognition alone “is not sufficient”.
“The legislation must lead to tangible improvements in access to services, information, education and fundamentally, participation in public life that we all take for granted,” he said.
“This Bill represents a step forward. It’s not the final destination, and its success will ultimately be judged not by the words on the page, but by the lived experience of the people, sign language users who are with us here today as we go forward.”
Speaking outside the chamber, Rebecca Mansell, the chief executive of the British Deaf Association, said the legislation is crucial.
She said access to sign language education will make a huge impact for families, as well as improve employment opportunities.
“Today is such an exciting day for the deaf community, we have been working on this Bill for such a long time, over 20 years and today we have got the chance for legislation for two sign languages, British sign language and Irish sign language so it’s a really crucial day for the deaf community in Northern Ireland,” she said.
“At some point I thought we might not get here, but we’re here now and I think that’s why it’s so crucial to get the legislation through – and after that, the hard work starts, just to make sure it has meaningful implementation for the deaf community.”
The Bill is set to proceed to Royal Assent and can then be implemented.
The Department for Communities said work was continuing on statutory guidance, engagement with the deaf community and arrangements to support public bodies in meeting their new responsibilities.
