British Sign Language 5-year plan: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – 1-year update, July 2026 (English and BSL versions)
Updated 15 July 2026
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
© Crown copyright 2026
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Uk7ebkyGk
Progress and impact in the last 12 months
In July 2025 Defra proudly published its 5-year BSL Improvement Plan. It’s been a busy first year of delivery!
A team of professionals from project delivery, content design, user research, operational delivery and communications backgrounds were brought together to build BSL momentum within the department. We were also joined by representatives from Defra’s hearing loss network to introduce lived experience and hold us to account.
Internally, we’ve promoted our BSL plan and the Government Communication Service’s summary guide to BSL. Throughout the year, we have had 3 spotlights (short digestible newsletters) related to the D/deaf community and BSL:
- May 2025 – Deaf awareness
- September 2025 – International Day of Sign Languages
- November 2025 – The BSL improvement Plan
This newsletter has a subscribed readership of 633 colleagues across Defra.
Significant time was spent engaging with other government departments, who are more mature in their BSL offer, to identify best practice and learning opportunities. This led us to some discovery user research with BSL-first users. This included:
- feedback and design preferences on our existing videos
- insight into how government services and products are accessed
- early findings on relevance and interest in Defra content specifically
We have used the findings to develop draft guidance on:
- content that should be considered for BSL translation
- commissioning BSL translation and live interpreters via our supplier
- top tips for designing videos
This is currently being tested and will be launched early in year 2 of our plan.
In addition to the translation of the plan itself, we have:
- worked closely with colleagues in the Environment Agency to script and launch a BSL translation of the Complaints Procedure
- finalised a Pet Travel guidance BSL video to sit alongside written policy guidance in this area
We are excited to continue to build on our BSL provision in year 2.
In terms of our year one commitments in the ‘BSL research’ pillar of our plan, we are ahead of schedule as we have carried out discovery user research with members of the BSL community to improve our BSL provision. Findings from this and insight from other government departments has been used to inform draft BSL guidance.
Priorities for the next 12 months
Defra’s main delivery priorities for the next 12 months are:
- a joint awareness event alongside the Home Office targeting policy and communications colleagues
- launching, promoting and embedding guidance internally
- publishing videos in Drinking Water Inspectorate and Floods and Coastal Risk Management policy areas
- continuing to build relationships with and understand the D/deaf and hearing loss communities through further user research