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Progress for the Northern Ireland Sign Language Bill

Campaigns, Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Assembly’s Committee for Communities have published their report on the Sign Language Bill.

RNID staff, Teri Devine and Mariette Mulvenna giving evidence to N Ireland Committee for Communities
Teri Devine and Mariette Mulvenna of RNID giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Committee for Communities.

This is the first piece of ‘primary’ sign language legislation, which means that the Bill has been brought by the Minister of Communities to be voted on by the Northern Ireland Assembly. The UK-wide BSL Act, Scottish BSL Act 2015 and the Welsh BSL Bill were all introduced by back-bench representatives.

We are pleased to see that with the support of the Minister, the Bill has been able to include more commitments to the deaf community.

What does the Bill do?

  • The Bill recognises both British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language in Northern Irish Law.
  • The Department for Communities must promote both sign languages, including by making sure there are sign language classes available to deaf children and their close families, guardians and carers.
  • The Bill places an obligation on public bodies to take reasonable steps to ensure the information and services they provide are accessible to deaf people.

The Committee Report makes recommendations to the Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons, on what improvements they think the Bill requires following their engagement with the deaf community.

Changes for consideration include:

  • That the Department for Communities must commit to ensuring that all parts of the Bill are commenced within a recommended timeframe- some of which it states should be commenced ‘a few days’ post-Royal Assent.
  • The Department should produce a strategy to address the interpreter and sign language tutor workforce, including their supply, accreditation and retention.
  • The Department should ensure the specific needs and experiences of deafblind people are reflected across all aspects of implementation of the Bill.

RNID’s Associate Director for Inclusion and Employment Teri Devine and Development Manager Mariette Mulvenna gave evidence to the committee in 2025. They reiterated RNID’s support for the Bill, and made clear that it has the potential to make a meaningful difference to the lives of sign language users in Northern Ireland.

The Bill will now enter the consideration stage, where Assembly Members will vote on all selected amendments, and every clause and schedule of the Bill.

RNID, alongside other organisations representing sign language users, will continue to campaign for legislation across the UK to recognise and support sign language.

RNID is a member of the Sign Language Partnership Group, and we run RNID Near You services across Northern Ireland.

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