Deaf Awareness Week 2021

Motion Text

That this House celebrates Deaf Awareness Week, which ran from 4-9 May 2021; recognises that there are around 151,000 users of British Sign Language in the UK, about 87,000 of whom are Deaf; notes with concern that too many deaf people in the UK still face social exclusion as a direct result of linguistic exclusion, affecting employment, education and access to healthcare; further notes that it has been 18 years since the Government formally recognised British Sign Language as an official language, however, it has not yet been granted legal status; and calls on the Government to bring forward legislation giving legal status to British Sign Language.