British Sign Language (BSL): National Plan 2017 to 2023
Plan setting out actions to help ensure deaf and deafblind BSL users are fully involved in all aspects of daily and public life.
Scottish Public Services
Our long-term goal: Across the Scottish public sector, information and services will be accessible to BSL users*.
By 2020, Scottish Ministers will:
01
Develop and test a new question on the use of
BSL in Scotland
for potential inclusion in Scotland’s Census 2021. This will
give us a more accurate profile of Scotland’s
BSL users*.
02
Analyse existing evidence and gather further data about
BSL, so that we
can establish baselines and measure how we are making progress.
03
Develop, test and share a set of guidelines to help Scottish
public services to improve access to information and services for
BSL users*. This
will include advice on how to involve
BSL users* in the
design and delivery of Scotland’s public services.
04
Work with
BSL users* to
agree and begin a programme of work to increase the accessibility
of the ‘mygov.scot’ website. This website enables
citizens to access a range of public information and services
online.
05
Promote the use of the Scottish Government’s
nationally funded
BSL online
interpreting video relay service (
VRS) called
‘contactSCOTLAND-
BSL’, which
allows
BSL users* to
contact public and third sector services and for these services to
contact them, and explore the potential for its greater use.
06
Encourage public bodies to access
BSL awareness
training for staff who may work with
BSL users*, and
signpost to appropriate training.
07
Review a range of current and on-going Scottish and
UK evidence about the
BSL/English
interpreting landscape (for example the
UK Market Review of
BSL and
communication provision, and the Scottish Government funded review
of the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (
SASLI)).
08
Analyse the learning from actions we are taking forward in
health, education and justice (referred to in this plan) to
strengthen Scotland’s interpreting profession.
09
Consider what further work is needed to ensure that a strong
and skilled pool of
BSL/English
interpreters are working efficiently across Scotland.
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