Policy paper

British Sign Language 5-year plan: Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (English and BSL versions)

Published 21 July 2025

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

BSL version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLdAf4l6EZI

Introduction

The work of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is central to the mission-driven change this government was elected to deliver. We deliver policies that affect people’s daily lives, including:

• housing
• homelessness and rough sleeping
• local government
• supporting communities across the UK

It is therefore important that we communicate and engage with the public to explain our work in an accessible way to as many people as possible. This includes increasing the use of British Sign Language (BSL) to engage Deaf communities across the UK.

MHCLG have taken some steps to increase the use of BSL in our external communications. This plan sets out how we will go further.

We must overcome barriers in the way we work that mean we do not communicate as well and as often as we should with the 151,000 BSL users in the UK. 87,000 of BSL users say it is their preferred language, according to the British Deaf Association.

Barriers include:

• a lack of awareness and understanding of BSL among staff
• a lack of knowledge and experience about how to produce it
• a need to integrate consideration of Deaf audiences in the processes of policy making and communication

Breaking down these barriers, with the support of senior leaders, will help us create a work culture where effective and regular use of BSL in our communications is the norm.

This plan outlines:

• where we are now – recording the use of BSL by MHCLG in recent years
• where we want to be in the future – outlining our ambitions for what good and improved BSL use in external communications at MHCLG would look like
• how we get there – explaining how exactly we plan to bridge the gap between where we are now and where we want to be in the future

In line with the NHS, we use a capital D when we talk about people who are Deaf and use BSL to communicate. This is because many Deaf people prefer it.

Where we are now

British Sign Language reports 2024 and 2025

The British Sign Language (BSL) Act 2022 requires the government to report on the use of BSL by ministerial departments between 1 May and 30 April each year. MHCLG’s data is summarised below.

Between 1 May 2023 to 30 April 2024, we (under the Department’s former name of DLUHC) produced 2 pieces of BSL content:

• a video offering social housing residents practical advice that was published on the website of the Make Things Right campaign

• a video used on the Department’s social media channels (X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn) explaining social housing changes

Between 1 May 2024 and 30 April 2025, MHCLG produced 6 pieces of BSL content:

• 5 video explainers covering government commitments and advice with 2 on renters’ rights, and one each on leasehold, building homes, and social housing
• a signed piece to camera by the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner

Ease of producing BSL

In 2024, MHCLG procured a new agency to translate BSL content from English. The new contract has helped to make it easier to create BSL interpretation. There was no dedicated contract previously, so staff did not know where to go. We publicised the new contract to our staff while raising awareness of BSL.

Awareness and training

In 2025, 10 members of staff from different work areas of MHCLG took a BSL Level 1 course. The aim was to spread awareness and understanding. This course is a pilot and will be evaluated with the possibility of expanding it in future.

Ministerial Champion

The Minister for Homelessness and Democracy, Rushanara Ali MP, is the lead minister at MHCLG to champion the rights of disabled people. The minister reports to the Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State for Social Security and Disability. Her work includes championing the rights of Deaf people, including through BSL provision.

Disability network and disability board

MHCLG has an active Disability Network for employees. There is also a Disability Board with senior leadership – this board drives progress on disability topics and issues, including the use of BSL.

Where we want to be in the future

BSL is the preferred language of over 87,000 Deaf people in the UK who may have English as a second or third language, according to the British Deaf Association. A total of 151,000 people in the UK can use BSL – this does not include professional users, interpreters, translators, and other similar roles, unless they use BSL at home.

Content produced in previous years and reported in the government’s BSL reports provides a starting point. There is also  a range of areas where we can do more.

Our objectives to achieve by 2029 are:

• increase the frequency of BSL content compared with the  2024 to 2025 reporting year, with new and widely seen content published more than once a month by 2029
• provide BSL content where it will have the most impact for communities, such as in significant policy areas or where practical information is shared
• all our funded public information campaigns include BSL content (for example, marketing campaigns with campaign websites, on areas such as housing)

How we get there

Many of MHCLG’s policy areas could benefit from the production of BSL content, but there are specific areas where it could have the most benefit. We must try to use these services where they will be most helpful for Deaf users across the UK.

Our strategy to achieve these objectives is as follows.

Encourage staff to consider BSL content and make it easy for them to deliver it

We will consider how to add prompts in policy development, such as in the process of giving advice to ministers. We will encourage staff to consider wider contextual factors in decision making. An example could be RNID research showing Deaf people and people with hearing loss are less likely to be employed than the general population. This could prompt staff working in specific areas, such as social housing, to produce BSL content because the audience is more likely to benefit from it.

Automatic inclusion of BSL in funded public information campaigns

Campaigns are run to deliver important messages to specific audiences for the public benefit. Given accessibility is routinely considered, BSL should be part of the mix with videos added to campaign websites, in addition to providing captions and other measures for wider accessibility. We should work directly with Deaf communities to create bespoke BSL content where possible.

Identification of important GOV.UK guidance. For example, the ‘How to Buy’ and ‘How to Rent’ guides – and production of BSL interpretation of content.

An informed approach with advice from experts

Such experts include:

• charities (for example, RNID)
• the government’s BSL Advisory Board
• MHCLG’s staff Disability Network

This should include sharing progress to get expert advice.

Adoption of emerging technology

This includes website plug-in tools to more easily add BSL to websites – or even the development of AI tools – to aid delivery. Ethical considerations will form part of decision making – as it will across the government.

Continued reporting of BSL activity

Reporting our activity in the government’s annual BSL report will keep us on track and allow public scrutiny of progress made.

Ensure internal communications for staff are accessible

This could include access to Interpretation for individual staff or all staff, where appropriate.

Visible leadership on BSL within MHCLG

This will come from our Ministerial Champion for Disabilities, Rushanara Ali MP, and senior civil servants and managers. Messages will spread awareness and empower staff to produce BSL.

We will seek to publish content on a range of channels, including:

• GOV.UK – including policy papers, consultations, guidance, news and statistics

• MHCLG owned social media channels

• marketing campaigns – making them more accessible.
• calls with stakeholders – online and in-person, if required
• research – our consultation portal, surveys or focus groups
• media coverage
• internal communications with staff, such as interpreters for individual members of staff or interpretation on wider calls or intranet updates

Finally, MHCLG works with 16 agencies and public bodies. We will encourage them to increase accessibility in their communications, including the use of BSL.