Prophylactic Language Use

Abstract

Deaf signers in the UK who use British Sign Language (BSL) occupy an intersectional position of disability under the UK Equality Act 2010 and as members of a minority linguistic-cultural community. Neither position has afforded optimum access to information for deaf signers in England during the COVID-19 pandemic. In many countries government public health announcements have had sign language interpreters present to mediate information into national sign languages simultaneously with information into spoken national languages. This has not always been the case in England. Despite various initiatives in some UK nations to provide access for deaf signers, there has been an oversight in ensuring deaf signers have systematic access to the UK Government’s public health announcements in BSL during the pandemic. This chapter presents the results of a survey conducted with 42 deaf signers in England to elicit their experiences of, and preferences for, access to public health information during the worst periods of the pandemic. The results overwhelmingly showed that deaf signers would prefer information in BSL and, in particular, wished there had been an interpreter present during the live UK Government COVID-19 briefings.