Government unveils new era for British Sign Language (BSL) by championing accessible communications
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-21)

The government has launched new 5-year plans to improve the use of BSL in individual departments to help break down barriers for Deaf and disabled people.

Departments publish 5-year British Sign Language (BSL) plans

Third BSL report published and government commits to publish BSL reports every year up to 2027 to break down barriers faced by Deaf and disabled people

‘Plan for Disability’ announced to boost opportunities for Deaf and disabled people across the UK

For the first time ever, the government has launched new 5-year plans to improve the use of British Sign Language (BSL) in individual departments, signalling a step forward to breaking down barriers for Deaf and disabled people.

The plans have been published alongside the new BSL report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/british-sign-language-bsl-third-report-may-2024-to-april-2025) which shows an increase in the use of BSL by government departments in public-facing communications since the first report in 2023.

The BSL Act requires the government to publish a report every 3 years to show how ministerial departments have promoted the use of BSL in communications. This government will go faster and further to ensure progress by publishing a report every year up to 2027.

New ‘Plan for Disability’ announced

The government will also develop and publish a new ‘Plan for Disability’, setting out a clear vision to break down barriers to opportunity for Deaf and disabled people as part of its ‘Plan for Change’.

It will support departments to consider how and where they can better work together to boost opportunity, and ensure the views and voices of Deaf and disabled people are at the heart of everything we do. It will also showcase work already underway across the government to champion the rights of Deaf and disabled people.

Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms MP, said:

This government wants to ensure disabled people’s views and voices are at the heart of all we do and government communications being accessible to Deaf and disabled people is essential in achieving this.

We will continue to work with the BSL Advisory Board, Deaf people and their representative organisations, and with Ministers across government to make tangible improvements for the Deaf community.

Our new Plan for Disability will also be a key step forward in ensuring that regardless of your background, disability is never a barrier to success.

The BSL Advisory Board was created at the time of the BSL Act to advise the government on the main issues impacting the Deaf community in their everyday life. The first Board’s tenure is now coming to an end and the board is currently recruiting for a new co-chair and 15 board members (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-seeks-new-bsl-advisory-board-members-to-break-down-barriers-to-opportunity-faced-by-deaf-people).

The government’s support for BSL is part of our work to boost opportunities for Deaf and disabled people across the UK.

The government is committed to making the right to equal pay effective for ethnic minority and disabled people and introducing mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers.

These measures will be part of the upcoming draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill to make workplaces more inclusive while supporting recruitment, retention and progression that enhances opportunity and improves lives.

British Sign Language (BSL) version of this press release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3AW6vaQik4

Notes to editors

The third BSL report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/british-sign-language-bsl-third-report-may-2024-to-april-2025), covering data from the period between the first report and this report (1 May 2023 to 30 April 2025), has now been published. A copy will be placed in the libraries of both the House of Commons and House of Lords.

The first report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-british-sign-language-bsl-report-2022), published in July 2023 under the previous administration, set out a baseline of activity delivered by government departments, highlighting the areas of government communication that required further improvement.

The second report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/british-sign-language-bsl-second-report-2023-to-2024), delayed due to the UK General Election, was published in December 2024. This report showed that BSL usage had more than doubled compared to the first report.

Media enquiries

Contact the Disability Unit press office (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disability-unit/about/media-enquiries).