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Scottish regulator launches British Sign Language plan
The Scottish Housing Regulator has launched a plan for promoting and supporting British Sign Language (BSL).
It intends to make the information it releases more accessible to deaf people and make interpreters between English and BSL available for meetings.
By June 2019, the regulator has said, it will make its website more accessible and carry out awareness training with its staff.
The regulator also said it plans to carry out “future thematic work” on how deaf people access housing and homelessness services. According to the plan, this work will be carried out by March 2023.
This plan is the result of a consultation over the summer, during which organisations and individuals were asked to give feedback.
Susan Campbell, head of planning and performance at the Scottish Housing Regulator, said: “We are delighted to launch this plan, which will help to ensure BSL users can easily access information about how we regulate and about their landlord.
“It’s important that all service users can access housing and homelessness services when they need them. So we will also look at how we can promote BSL to the landlords that we regulate.
“Thank you to everyone who gave us feedback on our draft plan and proposed actions. Your insight has been invaluable.”
In 2009, Redbridge Council was fined by the local government ombudsman for failing a homeless deaf man by not taking into account his hearing disability.
According to the judgement, Redbridge failed to interview the man with a BSL interpreter on two occasions, even though he could not communicate effectively without one.
