The British Sign Language Act 2022 will be legally binding in March 2022 once it has been through the committee stage in February 2022 and a final reading (3rd) in March 2022.
The private member's bill was put forward by Rosie Cooper MP West Lancashire in June 2021...However, the bill was 19 years in the making according to the British Deaf Association.
The deaf community have never given up hope for British Sign Language to be legally recognised in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. British Sign Language was officially recognised in Scotland in 2015.
Once British Sign Language is legally recognised it will be up to the British Sign Language Council to promote and give guidance on how the use of BSL can put in place across all public services.
The British Sign Language Act 2022 will send out a clear message that they (deaf community) deserve equal access. For every deaf person whom have been ignored, misunderstood or treated unintelligent for simply relying on BSL the act will recognise sign language as equal access for all.