2-8-02

Barrett seeks action to help Scotland’s deaf

John Barrett, Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, today joined the Scottish Council for Deafness, in calling for action to help the hundreds of thousands of deaf people in Scotland.

In a statement, John Barrett said:

"After meeting with representatives of the Scottish Council for Deafness, it has been made clear to me the many barriers which still stand in the way of those suffering from deafness.

"The Department for Work & Pensions, rather than helping deaf people, are putting further obstacles in their way by issuing complicated forms for claiming Disability Living Allowance and inadequate information on how to appeal decisions. The Government should also recognise British Sign Language as a language in its own right.

"However, it isn't just Government who should be taking steps to make life easier for those who are deaf. The increasing use of text messages on phones offer new opportunities to enfranchise deaf people. Advertisements for companies and organisations when providing 0800 toll free numbers should also provide text numbers for those who can't hear.

"More work is also needed to expand the range of television programmes, especially news and weather bulletins providing subtitles."

ENDS