The impact of the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 on deaf education

O'Neill, Rachel; Wilks, Rob

Abstract

Since the passage of the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act in 2015 the first national BSL plan has been published. One of the ten goals is that children who use BSL will be encouraged to reach their full potential at school and be supported in their transition to post-school education.  Local plans from local authorities, colleges and universities were drawn up in 2018.

Using documentary analysis from these plans and other evidence from before and after the passage of the Act, we assess its impact on deaf education. We explore how different interest groups: local authorities, the Government, schools, colleges, universities, parents, young deaf people and voluntary organisations, have responded to the Act in relation to education. Results show that the most impact has been for the post-school age group. The least impact can be seen in the school-age and pre-school years. Tensions exist between different conceptualisations of deaf children's language use and identity as disabled or potential members of a linguistic minority.

• Report Type: Project Report
• Online Publication Date: Nov 6, 2021
• Publication Date: Nov 6, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jan 8, 2024
• Pages: 1-35
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11597716