Following the Executive meeting, Minister Lyons said:
“Today is another significant step forward for members of the deaf community as they move towards achieving the same rights and opportunities as those in the hearing community.
Through my engagements, I am well aware that deaf people consider themselves part of a cultural and linguistic minority group. My Sign Language Bill, developed in close consultation with the Deaf community and agreed today by the Executive, officially recognises and promotes British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language. I am grateful to my Executive colleagues for their support on this cross-cutting matter.
The recognition of these languages, as well as the right to develop deaf culture, form the backbone of this bill.
I plan to introduce the Sign Language Bill to the Assembly in February and look forward to greater accessibility to information and services for Sign Language users, supported by my Department’s investment to increase the number of professionally trained and accredited BSL and ISL interpreters.”