Sign Language Is Not Optional - It’s a Human Right.
- Tim Scannell
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Someone in Australia passed me an article today, and it struck a deep chord. Even now, in 2025, Deaf people are still being told their own language is a problem to be solved.
Here in the UK, we do not use language like “deaf and dumb,” “deaf-mute,” or “hearing impairment.”These terms are outdated, offensive, and rooted in a long history of discrimination. Deaf people are not defective. We are not incomplete. We are a linguistic and cultural community with a recognised language.
And that recognition is not symbolic.The BSL Act 2022 confirms that British Sign Language is a full and legitimate language.The Equality Act 2010 protects Deaf people from discrimination — including the right to accessible communication in our native language.
So when I read about sign language funding being cut and Deaf people being “encouraged” to adopt other communication methods, it feels like history repeating itself.
It reminded me of the Apple TV documentary “Deaf President Now,” where a university leader once claimed Deaf people couldn’t “function in the hearing world.”That attitude is discrimination.It’s the same thinking that treats sign language as inferior and pushes Deaf people toward speech or written English as if our own language were the barrier.
Let’s be clear: Imagine being told your native language is no longer acceptable, and you must communicate in a language you’ve never mastered. That’s exactly what Deaf people face when sign language is replaced with “other communication methods.”
It’s absurd
.It’s disrespectful.
And it’s deeply isolating.
Whether it’s BSL, Auslan, ASL or any other sign language, our languages are complete, rich and essential to our identity and autonomy.
This conversation is not only about funding decisions. It’s about language rights, human rights, and the dignity of the Deaf community.
We shouldn’t have to fight for our language to be recognised or respected — but until systems fully understand this, we will keep speaking up.
#DeafRights #SignLanguageIsLanguage #BSLAct #EqualityAct2010 #DeafCommunity#LinguisticHumanRights #DeafCulture #AccessibilityMatters #InclusionMatters#Auslan #BSL #ASL #DisabilityRights #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #HumanRights
Comments