British Sign Language (BSL) Local Plan
We are required by the British Sign Language (BSL): national plan 2023 to 2029 and the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 to develop our own local BSL plan.
The plan is framed around the same long-term goals as the national plan which include:
- Accessibility
- Children, young people and their families
- Access to employment
- Health (including social care), mental health and wellbeing
- Celebrating BSL culture
- Transport
- Democratic participation
Our local British Sign Language Plan 2024 - 2030 (PDF 604KB) aims to improve equality of access to services or support for services for BSL users in Aberdeenshire. The plan sets out actions that we are going to deliver. These are some of the key actions:
- Information and services across Aberdeenshire will be accessible to BSL users
- The Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) approach will be fully embedded with a D/deaf or Deafblind child and their family offered the right information and support at the right time to engage with BSL
- BSL users will have access to information and services regarding health (including social care), mental health and wellbeing
- BSL users will have full access to the cultural life of Aberdeenshire and are encouraged to share BSL and Deaf Culture with the people of Aberdeenshire
The council will continue to engage with the BSL community around implementing our actions and providing feedback on progress as stated in the council’s BSL plan. Since there is no formal requirement to publish progress reports, the council will report progress in terms of good practice, and no less than every two years through the equality outcomes mainstreaming progress reports.
Contact
If you would like any more information please contact:
Policy and Performance team
Aberdeenshire Council
Business Services
Customer and Digital Services
Woodhill House
Westburn Road
Aberdeen
AB16 5GB