British Sign Language Bill

In an article for The Big Issue, Rosie explained, “My Bill will declare BSL as an official language and create the requirement for the Secretary of State to issue guidance to all government departments on how they should accommodate the use of BSL in each of their responsibilities.”

“This guidance will be created in direct consultation with deaf BSL users to ensure it truly reflects the needs of the deaf community. Since I first presented this Bill in Parliament in June 2021, the understanding and appreciation of BSL has exploded thanks to Rose [Ayling-Ellis, Eastenders actress who competed in the 2021 series of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing]. She proved that deaf people really can do anything, even the seemingly impossible such as winning Strictly when you can’t hear the music.”