If Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can all provide a BSL interpreter at their side during Coronavirus briefings, why can’t the UK Government?
#WTI
Despite the £2.6 million upgrades to a bigger, bespoke media studio – the UK Government has, yet again, shown their lack of regard towards the Deaf community and our pleas for equal access.
It’s clearly not a budget issue. Nor a question of space to comply with social distancing rules. (In which case why don’t the experts appear via video link, like MPs do during Prime Ministers Questions?)
What is the actual issue here?
Since the announcement of the millions spent on the new US-style press room, and Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raabs that this was a case of “making sure we communicate directly with the public … in an effective, coherent way”, my hopes were raised.Have the Government finally listened to our requests and made space for a BSL interpreter to be visible on the platform?
On Monday I anxiously sat down to watch the first ‘new’ briefings – there is no BSL interpreter in the room.
“I am disappointed, dismayed and exhausted. Sadly, it seems that legal action is the only way to finally get some answers”.
Lynn Stewart-Taylor
It has been a full year of the coronavirus pandemic, and despite the efforts of our #WhereIsTheInterpreter campaign, the support from deaf organisations and members of our community, the UK Government are still refusing to address our access request.
Where Is The Interpreter? 