The British Sign Language (Wales) Bill, has officially passed through the Welsh Parliament (Senedd), marking a significant step towards equality, for BSL signers across Wales.
The Bill was introduced to the Senedd by Mark Isherwood MS in July 2024 and was passed on Wednesday 11 March 2026 with the support of all 60 Members of the Senedd, from all the political parties. It will officially become an Act of Welsh Parliament when it receives Royal Assent in the coming months.
RNID have worked closely with other deaf organisations, charities and individual BSL signers and campaigners from across Wales to fight for a BSL (Wales) Act. We have also worked with Mark Isherwood MS on the content of the Bill, to ensure it meets the needs of BSL signers in Wales.
This marks historic progress. For the first time, Wales has its own legislation to protect and promote BSL.
What will the British Sign Language (Wales) Act mean for Wales?
The new law will require Welsh Government and public bodies to take real action to support and promote BSL. Here’s what it will do:
- A National BSL Strategy: The Welsh Government will create a national plan explaining how they will promote and encourage the use of BSL across Wales.
- Guidance for public bodies: Welsh Government must work with BSL signers to produce guidance for public bodies on how they promote and provide BSL.
- Appoint a National BSL Adviser: To lead on the strategy, work with Welsh Government and public bodies and support progress. The Advisor will also be supported by an appointed Advisory Panel.
- Public bodies must take action: All public bodies must publish their own plans showing how they will promote and support the use of BSL.
- Regularly report on progress: Welsh Government and public bodies must regularly report on their progress to meet their duties under the law. Public bodies will report annually, and Welsh Government will report every 3 years.
Within 18 months the Welsh Government must publish the National BSL Strategy as well as BSL guidance for Public bodies. BSL signers in Wales must be involved in the development of the Strategy, and the Strategy must be presented to the Senedd. The Strategy will be reviewed every six years.
Within 12 months of the Strategy being published – Public bodies must publish plans on how they intend to promote and facilitate BSL and follow Welsh Government BSL guidance.
Every year, public bodies must report on how they are implementing and meeting their duties under the Act.
Every three years, Welsh Government must report on progress made to implement and meeting their duties under the Act
Who are the public bodies?
There are 34 public bodies who must promote and support BSL due to the new law. These include:
- 22 Local Authorities
- 7 Health Boards
- 3 NHS Trusts
- 2 Special Health Authorities
- Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW)
This list highlights the focus on health, education and local public services as the most urgent areas where improved promotion of BSL is needed.
Welsh Ministers are able to add other public bodies to this list, and must report on any discussions about adding public bodies.
Our campaign for the British Sign Language (Wales) Act
Along with deaf charities, campaigners and other BSL signers, and through the BSL Wales Consortium, we campaigned for the Bill and worked closely with Mark Isherwood MS to ensure the Bill meets the needs of BSL signers in Wales.
We campaigned to secure the support of MSs of all political parties and highlight why BSL legislation is needed in Wales. We are proud that the Bill received cross party support from all 60 MSs.
We also worked with Welsh Government who supported Mark Isherwood’s Private Member’s Bill, and through the Welsh Government British Sign Language Stakeholder Group, to develop a BSL route map which sets out some of the urgent changes need to improve the lives of BSL signers in Wales.
What about elsewhere in the UK?
The British Sign Language Act 2022 does apply in Wales, but not to areas that are devolved to the Welsh Government, like health and employment. The BSL Wales Act also goes further than the Westminster Act by placing duties on public bodies.
The British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 was the first piece of BSL legislation to be passed in the UK. It is similar to the Wales Act, and has made progress in raising awareness of the needs of BSL users through the BSL Plans public bodies have to develop, but there is further work needed to ensure that access to services in BSL is equal across the country.
The Sign Language Bill is progressing through the Assembly, and recognises both BSL and Irish Sign Language (ISL). RNID gave evidence to the Assembly’s Committee for Communities in support of the Bill. This is the first piece of Sign Language legislation in the UK to be brought forward by the Government, rather than as a Member’s Bill.
Teri Devine, Associate Director of Inclusion and Employment Strategic Programmes at RNID says:
We are thrilled that the British Sign Language (Wales) Bill has passed through the Senedd, with the strong support of all 60 MSs, from all political parties. This highlights how urgently needed this legislation is in Wales.
This is a huge step for the Deaf Signer community in Wales, who for too long have not been able to access essential public services in their own language. There is lots of work to be done, but we hope this will mark a change towards equality for BSL signers, and for wider recognition and understanding of BSL across Wales.
This legislation is the result of years of campaigning by BSL signers across Wales, and we are so grateful to Mark Isherwood MS who listened to calls for a Wales BSL Act and has worked tirelessly to see this through the Senedd.
We look forward to continuing to work with other organisations and campaigners and Welsh Government to see the Bill successfully implemented, and make the difference needed to BSL signers in Wales.”
What happens next?
This legislation has passed just in time. The Senedd is being dissolved at the end of March ahead of the Welsh Parliament elections on Thursday 7 May 2026. It will be down to whoever forms the next Welsh Government to ensure the BSL (Wales) Act is fully implemented. There is a lot of work still to do.
