Proposed BSL Act in Wales risks increasing isolation
Additionally, there are approximately 300,000 people with hearing loss in Wales (RNID Cymru statistics), many of whom may receive no benefit or inclusion from this Act.
The legislation's restrictions limit support solely to individuals who sign or are willing to learn BSL. This approach risks discriminating against deaf individuals who may use, or prefer alternative communication methods, thereby excluding most from essential services. Not every child can acquire sign language.
The consultation was buried on the Senedd website, making it virtually impossible for the public to respond meaningfully. The proposed support model relies heavily on tiered approaches supported by single, charity-driven initiatives—essentially, it's a carbon copy of the Act proposed in other UK regions.
The Act overlooks all aspects of Welsh language, needs, and opposes English grammar.
Mr. Isherwood provided no relevant statistical data specific to Wales to demonstrate the Act's potential effectiveness. The Act appears to be aimed solely at bolstering charitable organisations' funding and employment, rather than genuinely improving support for deaf people.
Wales has no deaf school, no BSL curriculum, and teachers are not being trained due to disagreement between BSL purists and educational mainstream inclusion approaches.
Mr. Isherwood's proposal offers little benefit to deaf children as it stands, until some agreement shows itself. Currently, it's impossible to fill a class with deaf children to make deaf schools viable.
He failed to do his homework; his input seems influenced by vested charitable interests, which themselves are not inclusive. Welsh support in health and social care is above the UK average for BSL users.
The culture minister in the Senedd has already described the BSL Act as an unnecessary distraction from deaf inclusion. Support for the majority of those with hearing loss is urgently needed.
Six out of seven health boards and two out of three trusts fail to provide adequate alternatives to BSL support. Patients are offered support that they cannot use.
The legislation appears driven by a desire to integrate deafness into mainstream settings but faces strong opposition from cultural deaf activists who argue it undermines deaf identity, language, and independence.
Rather than promoting inclusion, the Act risks fostering isolation—a factor that historically contributed to the closure of deaf schools and instances of abuse within such settings. The campaign for a Welsh BSL Act is not truly Welsh-led; it largely contains proposals from Scotland and England, driven by the British Deaf Association, with minimal grassroots Welsh support and limited consultation with local deaf communities.
Mr. Isherwood relies on English and Scottish data to justify enacting a Welsh BSL Act. This one-size-fits-all approach is inappropriate. Enacting legislation in Wales without considering Welsh-specific needs would be ineffective, potentially discriminatory, and could increase isolation.
The focus should instead be on developing inclusive, evidence-based support systems that respect the diversity within the deaf community—rather than legislation driven by external organisations with limited local backing.
Yours sincerely,
Mervyn James,
Newport
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