BSL – Policy and practice

  • The British Sign Language (Scotland) Act of 2015 aims to promote, and facilitate the promotion of, the use and understanding of British Sign Language (BSL) in Scotland.
  • While it is hoped that the Act creates a cultural shift which impacts upon education, the Deaf Association Scotland has called for deaf education policy to be consistent across Scotland, to ensure fair and equal treatment for all deaf children across the country.
  • BLS has been delivered both as an L1 and an L2 in Scottish schools.
  • The Scottish Government has set out a National Plan for BSL 2017 to 2023, which includes specific actions to support all children and young people users of BSL at all stages of their learning so that they can reach their full potential.

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