Irish Sign Language Act 2017

Broadly, before the bill was passed there were large swathes of public services that were inaccessible to deaf people.

In 2015, it was noted by Mental Health Reform that unless a user of mental health services books an interpreter in advance, there is no way to communicate this in advance.{{cite web |url=https://mentalhealthreform.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Briefing-note-on-mental-health-services-for-deaf-people_-September-2015.pdf |title=Briefing note: Mental health services and supports for people who are Deaf |year=2015 |website=Mental Health Reform |publisher=Mental Health Reform |access-date=2024-07-18 |quote=A lack of appropriate communication between mental health professionals and people who are Deaf. DeafHear reports that unless an interpreter has been booked, the Deaf person has no means of communicating with the mental health professional}}

In 2017, the Citizens Information Board published a report criticising a lack of interpreters in public organisations as undermining of the self-worth of deaf people and quite possibly clinically dangerous in a medical context due to the possibility of a misunderstanding leading to significant clinical risk.{{cite web |url=https://www.citizensinformationboard.ie/downloads/social_policy/Deaf_Community_Research_Rpt_Feb2018.pdf|title=Information provision and access to public and social services for the Deaf Community|year=2017|website=Citizens Information Board|publisher=Citizens Information Board|access-date=2024-07-18 |quote=As the vast majority of public organisations do not currently provide ISL interpreting services, Deaf people must use family, friends, neighbours and Deaf support organisations to translate for them. Having to rely on their own family members such as teenage sons or daughters to translate on their behalf undermines their self-worth and their sense of equal participation in society. Where a Deaf person has to use a non-professional interpreter during a consultation with a doctor or medical consultant, there is a real danger that miscommunication could expose them to a significant clinical risk.}}

In 2020, primary education was cricitised as extremely exclusionary and inaccessible to deaf children.{{cite journal |last1=Mathews |first1=Elizabeth |year=2020 |title=Signs of Equity: Access to Teacher Education for Deaf Students in the Republic of Ireland |url=https://www.doi.org/10.1353/sls.2020.0029 |journal=Sign Language Studies |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=68–97 |doi=10.1353/sls.2020.0029 |access-date=}}

The campaign for Irish Sign Language to gain legal recognition took 35 years from the start of the campaign to commencement.{{cite book |last=Bosco Conama |first=John |date=2020-08-10|title=Sign Language Ideologies in Practice |url=https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501510090-014 |doi=10.1515/9781501510090-014 |location=Berlin, Germany |publisher=De Gruyter Mouton |pages=265–283 |isbn=9781501510090|editor-last1=Herrmann|editor-first1=Annika | editor-last2=Steinbach|editor-first2=Markus|editor-last3=Zeshan|editor-first3=Ulrike }}

The law commenced on 23 December 2020.

One year after commencement, according to a report by the National Disability Authority into the operation of the law, awareness among public bodies about there was very low.{{cite report |author=National Disability Authority |year=2021 |title=Report on the Operation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017: Executive Summary |url=https://assets.gov.ie/244651/5422d6f4-8478-4cf9-9c4a-a2398fae6d7c.pdf |publisher=National Disability Authority |page=2 |access-date=2024-07-18 |quote=The lack of awareness among many public bodies of the ISL Act and their responsibilities under the Act is reflected in the findings from the survey of the public where just 5% rated access to public services through ISL as good. Public feedback on access to services through ISL focused on potential improvements in relation to healthcare, policing, culture, politics, broadcasting, education and early childhood care.}} The Irish Government delayed publication by 1 year due to an "ongoing legal issue".{{cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/1214/1341739-irish-sign-language/ |title=Report into ISL Act implementation delayed over criticism of bodies - charity |last=Conneely |first=Ailbhe |date=2022-12-14 |website=Raidió Teilifís Éireann |publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann |access-date=2024-07-18 |quote=Minister of State with responsibility for Disability Anne Rabbitte confirmed in a written parliamentary reply that "a decision was made to delay publication arising from an ongoing legal matter".}}

• British Sign Language Act 2022
• Accessible Canada Act
• New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006

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Category:2017 in Irish law

Category:Acts of the Oireachtas of the 2010s

Category:Disability in Ireland

Category:Irish language legislation

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