Debate contribution: Sign Language Bill: Further Consideration Stage
Debate contribution by Mrs Pam Cameron on .
- MLA
- Mrs Pam Cameron
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 20 April 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Sign Language Bill: Further Consideration Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5493833
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I welcome the opportunity to speak at the Further Consideration Stage of the Sign Language Bill. I place on record my appreciation for the engagement that has taken place throughout the passage of the Bill.
Deaf people and their representative organisations have played a key role in shaping the Bill, and that engagement has, of course, strengthened it. It is important that that approach continues as we move beyond today and into implementation.
I also acknowledge the work of the Minister and his officials in bringing the Bill to this stage. In particular, I recognise the effort that has gone into tidying up and integrating the amendments, including amendment No 3, which deals with amendments made at the previous stage. That work has helped to ensure greater clarity and coherence in the Bill. It is important in making the legislation more workable as it moves towards implementation. Amendment No 3 deals with eligibility categories, and I strongly welcome the focus on early access to sign language, particularly for children, young people under 25 and their families, guardians and carers. Early and free access to sign language for that grouping is critical. When children have meaningful access to language from the outset, outcomes improve across education, communication and wider development. It is, of course, a practical, evidence-based measure that will make a real difference to people's lives. As the Bill has progressed there has rightly been careful consideration of how it is framed and how it will operate. In that context, I want to reflect concerns raised by the deaf community organisations, including the British Deaf Association Northern Ireland, that the Bill could be unintentionally diluted. The concern is that the changes to the definition of the deaf community risked weakening the Bill's focus. The recognition of British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language is rooted in shared language, culture and lived experience. If that focus becomes too broad or unclear, there is a genuine risk that the Bill's core purpose is undermined. There are also practical concerns that the Bill places duties on public bodies to make services as accessible to the deaf community as they are to others. If the definition of the community is widened too far, limited resources, such as funding, specialist expertise and the provision of information in sign language, risk being stretched too thinly. That could reduce the support available to those who rely on sign language as their first or only language, and that is really important. Those concerns are not about excluding anyone from learning or benefiting from sign language; they are about safeguarding the intent of the Bill and ensuring that it delivers meaningful change rather than becoming diluted in practice. The amendments that are before us today make the best of what was passed at Consideration Stage. I completely understand that some people in the deaf community are anxious about opening up the Bill. It is important that the focus remains on those who need the legislation most. I fully recognise that many people become deaf over time. I and my family live with a hereditary condition that means that we are likely to experience increasing deafness as time goes on. In those circumstances, it is more likely that we will rely on hearing technologies and other forms of support. I share that to make an important distinction: while many people experience hearing loss and will benefit from accessibility measures, the Bill's primary intention is to support the deaf community, those who have been completely shut out for too long and for whom sign language is their first or only means of communication. It is vital that we hear from and prioritise those whose only method of communication is sign language. We must continue to listen to and act for those who are most directly impacted by the decisions that we make. In that context, as the Bill progresses beyond today, I want to ask the Minister and the Department to commit to continued meaningful engagement with the deaf community organisations on the development of the statutory guidance that will follow. That guidance will be critical. It must make it clear that, when the duties under the Bill are being fulfilled, priority is given to those for whom British Sign Language or Irish Sign Language is a first language and an essential means of communication. For those individuals, sign language is not an added benefit but is fundamental to equality of access. Clear, co-produced guidance will help to ensure that public bodies understand their responsibilities and that limited resources are directed where they are most needed and that the intent of the legislation is protected. Ongoing partnership with deaf organisations will be essential to achieving that aim. The Bill has the potential to make a real and lasting difference. It will improve access to services, strengthen inclusion and ensure that the needs of the deaf community are better recognised across Northern Ireland. As with all legislation, delivery will be key. Proper resourcing, clear guidance and sustained engagement with those who have lived experience will determine its success. Today marks an important step forward. It is a good Bill, a necessary Bill and one that can deliver meaningful change. I am pleased to support all the amendments before us today.
878 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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