Legal right for deaf people to receive support from registered communication professionals
Responsible department: Cabinet Office
We call on the government to lead an initiative to ensure that all public bodies and agencies, whether national or local, are required by law to provide a deaf person with a registered communication professional
In their daily lives, deaf adults and children depend on good communication support from qualified, registered BSL/English interpreters and other communication professionals. Ensuring deaf people are included in all walks of life saves taxpayers' money by avoiding misdiagnosed illnesses, reducing unemployment, lessening demand on services and by ensuring their ability to contribute to the workplace and the wider community
Too many public bodies, including
schools
and hospitals, are either using unqualified communication workers, or relatives, or not using anyone at all. This wastes money and must stop
Regulated communication support is vital for deaf people. By signing this petition and supporting our campaign you will be ensuring full access for everyone