The Liberal Democrat MP Malcolm Bruce today saw his campaign to secure legal recognition for sign languages approved by parliamentarians from across Europe.

His report recommending the protection and promotion of European sign languages was debated and adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg this afternoon.

Commenting on the debate, Mr Bruce, who has a deaf daughter, said:

“The rights of deaf people throughout Europe are seriously compromised by the lack of awareness of the importance of sign language. For many deaf people this means communicating with the hearing world is difficult, demoralising and at times simply impossible.

“This includes the 50,000 sign language users in Britain. There are only 400 qualified sign language interpreters working in the UK – compare this to Finland with a population a tenth that of Britain but with 600 fully qualified interpreters.

“Without an interpreter many sign language users find everyday events, such as going to see a doctor or attending interviews, impossible. Without adequate communication support sign language users face barriers at every level of society, and this is why I have made the training and provision of more interpreters fundamental to the report's recommendations.

“Last week the UK Government recognised British Sign Language as a language in its own right. It also confirmed my report will act as the basis for the protection and promotion of British Sign Language. It is a positive step forward and a vital one. The momentum my report has created must be maintained.”