Northern Ireland will become the first part of the U.K. to provide free sign language classes to all Deaf children and their families through a new sign language law being passed this month.
The Sign Language Bill, first introduced in the Northern Ireland Assembly by Democratic Unionist Party Communities Minister Gordon Lyons in 2025, will require the Department for Communities to provide free classes to Deaf people under the age of 25 and their families, guardians, and caregivers.
The legislation will also give official and equal recognition of British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language as languages of Northern Ireland and promote the use and understanding of sign languages. The Department for Communities estimates that at least 5,000 people in Northern Ireland use either British Sign Language or Irish Sign Language as their preferred way to communicate.
“This landmark new law will send a clear signal that Deaf people and sign language users are valued members of our society,” Lyons said.
Anthony Sinclair, a Belfast-based sports coach who is profoundly Deaf, said he is relieved after he and other supporters “had to fight for such a long time” for the law. “We’re starting to see systemic change where we’re seen as equal, and we really do look forward to feeling that respect for our language, our culture, and our values.”
Sinclair’s wife, Kristina, a registered interpreter, described the new law as a “brilliant first step” toward providing more opportunities for the Deaf community. “As good as a course is, when you learn a living language with people who use it and own it, creating those opportunities will make a massive difference for improving the quality of interpreters here,” she said.
John Carberry, who is Deaf, has spent the past 40 years working to promote sign language in Northern Ireland. “For so long, the lives of Deaf people and their language have been overlooked. Now our language is being lifted up. We’re thankful to our government for their support.”
BBC (4/27/26) By Jayne McCormack