Sign Language Bill

The new sign language bill is currently passing through the Northern Ireland Assembly. It is now at committee stage. This is where the Committee for Communities will examine the content of the bill and ask for those who will be affected by the legislation to share their views. To help the Committee do this, we are proposing a series of (in-person and virtual) information sessions to provide an overview of the legislation and opportunities to respond to the consultation.

Each of the sessions will be signed in BSL and ISL. A member of outreach staff will give an overview of the Assembly and how it works, before Committee staff will discuss the content of the bill, followed by an overview of the consultation and how you can respond.

The proposed locations for the in-person events have not yet been confirmed but options include Foyle/Strabane area, Omagh/Dungannon area, Newry/Banbridge area and the Belfast area. It is likely the in-person events will be held on a Wednesday evening or Friday afternoon from the end of March to mid-April.

We have been contacted to see if anyone in the Deaf Community would like to attend if so, can you contact the NI Assembly Participation and Outreach Team, along with your preferred location. Alternatively, if you feel there is another method of engagement that would be more useful, please let them know.

 To find out more about the bill, you can visit Sign Language Bill