Tuesday 18 March 2003

The Royal Association for Deaf people (RAD) today welcomed the government's recognition of British Sign Language.

RAD Chief Executive Tom Fenton said,

"This is the most important event in the history of Britain's second largest indigenous minority language."

RAD has written to the Secretary of State:

"The recognition of British Sign Language (BSL) by the Government has enormous significance. It means the recognition of a language first recorded in 1575 and the first or preferred language of one of the UK's largest indigenous linguistic minorities: some 70,000 deaf sign language users. The self confidence this will give deaf people will lay a basis for greater participation in the economic and cultural life of the country, and for greater equality of citizenship.

Recognition by itself is only a beginning. It opens the door to establishing the teaching of BSL as a language in mainstream schools, both for deaf and for hearing school students. It paves the way to greater access to justice in the legal system. It lays a foundation for better diagnosis and treatment in the health services, and more effective delivery to deaf people of the information they need to live healthy lives and will enhance opportunities for research involving the British Deaf community and their language.

Recognition is a challenge, but a most welcome challenge. The Royal Association for Deaf people, which has worked with British Sign Language users since its foundation in 1841, congratulates the Government on taking this historic step forward."

www.royaldeaf.org.uk - a link to the RAD website