Policy paper

British Sign Language 5-year plan: Ministry of Defence (English and BSL versions)

Published 21 July 2025

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

 BSL version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU4LSGOcxbQ

Foreword

MOD has demonstrated clear commitment to its responsibilities under the BSL Act 2022 by appointing the most senior civil servant (the Permanent Secretary) to be responsible for ensuring the Ministry of Defence (MOD) meets its commitments set out in this plan so far as is appropriate and reasonably practicable. 

I am pleased to present the Ministry of Defence British Sign Language (BSL) 5-Year Plan which sets out the department’s actions in support of the British Sign Language Act 2022.

We have taken this opportunity to develop and enhance the way we communicate with the public. We continue to recognise the importance and value of BSL and take the commitments we have made in this plan seriously.

As a department we will continue to work with Defence’s Disability Champion, the Defence Hearing Network, and BSL advocates on BSL matters, to develop our provision and engagement with the public.

David Williams

Permanent Secretary 

Ministry of Defence

Introduction

The British Sign Language Act 2022 requires the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to prepare and publish a BSL report for each reporting period to describe what each government department has done to promote or help the use of BSL in its communications with the public.

The MOD has taken this opportunity to review and reflect on the British Sign Language Act (‘the act’) and to explore ways in which we can enhance our BSL engagement with the public. As a result, we have developed this MOD BSL 5-Year Plan to demonstrate the steps we will take. 

Part of the BSL Act 2022 states that BSL should be actively considered for any public announcement on policy or changes to the law, including: 

• publication of plans, strategies, policy and other consultations and responses
• press conferences
• social media
• websites

This is to aid understanding of what MOD does, outline our intentions and support our communications effort.

What is MOD?

MOD is a department of state, employing approximately 58,180 civilian personnel and 138,490 service personnel (excluding reserves).

Our defence outcomes

Our Secretary of State has outlined the defence outcomes we must work together to deliver:

• a warfighting force ready and able to win today and in the future
• an organisation that delivers its commitments to NATO, and extends our influence beyond the ability to fight through diplomacy and development of other nations’ capacity to defence themselves
• a thriving UK defence industry that is resilient and scalable and provides growth, jobs and innovation to our national economy
• an organisation that delivers value for money for the UK taxpayer, delivers capabilities faster, and is adaptable to future change
• a highly-engaged organisation that values its people, enables everyone to fulfil their potential and contribute to the security and defence of the nation

We know that much of the work MOD does will be of some interest to the D/deaf community. Consequently, to ensure value for money, impact, and to aid the new government’s Plan for Change, priorities, and manifesto commitments, we have developed a list of activities likely to be of interest to the UK public, as follows.

Social media, press conferences and public-facing events

Nationally – the following to be translated into BSL where possible

• major Secretary of State press conferences in a media facility with live or delayed video interpretation in consultation with the diversity and inclusion team BSL lead
• time-critical videos pertaining to (for example) national emergencies or armed forces mobilisation – the BSL version will necessarily be slightly time delayed allowing for the interpretation process and published on our dedicated MOD BSL YouTube channel
• Secretary of State social media videos of national significance, whole or edited
• any video or document aimed directly at engaging BSL users

Locally – the following may be translated into BSL where possible^{[footnote 1]}

• videos featuring long-term MOD campaigns (not recruitment) aimed at engaging the public on a specific issue or event
• posts to official social media accounts
• any other video or document local budget holders decide to translate into BSL
• school visit and outreach videos and materials
• exhibition and conference videos and materials, including remote and video conferencing BSL interpretation
• open events such as ‘Armed Forces Day’

Actions to date

Two ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) video links during British Sign Language Week and British Science Week 2024: the then Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps speaking to camera about MOD’s 14 new Chinooks, and The Spitfire during British Science Week.

Other BSL videos can be found: Ministry of Defence - YouTube.

5-year plan

We aim to:

• create more engaging BSL content
• create a dedicated MOD BSL YouTube channel
• report annually on the BSL content MOD publishes to the Cabinet Office’s BSL Act Team
• engage directly with the BSL Advisory Board on BSL content published by MOD and elicit their feedback
• provide BSL interpreters internally, for all-staff briefings, champions, advocates, and Defence Hearing Network meetings (run every 3 months) – this is to enable effective communication with all members of the department who are D/deaf or have hearing loss
• increase our engagement with networks who represent the BSL community to understand the challenges and barriers faced
• actively seek ways to ensure our BSL communications improve over the next 5 years by collaborating with leading technology companies to keep up to date with communication systems and platforms for BSL users
• schedule internal presentation sessions on deaf awareness, with the aim of ‘changing hearts and minds’

Scope of the plan

The act applies only to ministerial government departments, but MOD wishes to extend the impact of its BSL Action Plan further across the department. As a result, this plan applies to all MOD headquarter functions, the armed forces, and arm’s-length bodies, including trading funds and executive agencies, which operate within broad policy guidelines set by MOD ministers.

Where our executive agencies do not have their own BSL guidance or plan in place, we will encourage and support them to adopt this plan.

We will use our influence to promote awareness of the needs of BSL users and will encourage the adoption by relevant non-departmental public bodies of the principles set out in this plan.

Suggestions for improvement and complaints

If the public has any suggestions for improvement or wishes to complain about the level of BSL service provided, they can contact MOD at the following address:

Email: people-bsl-guidance@mod.gov.uk

MOD welcomes suggestions for improvements to this plan. All suggestions will be recorded and considered. 

Championing British Sign Language in MOD

The Ministry of Defence has also appointed a Defence Disability Champion to lead in promoting engagement and the implementation of this Plan. The Defence Disability Champion, being a senior official, is in a good position to advocate for the requirements of the D/deaf community and individuals with hearing loss, to ensure that policies and initiatives consider the impact on BSL users. It is important to have such advocacy and leadership to support inclusivity and accessibility within MOD.

Involving BSL-using advocates to support the Disability Champion is a positive step towards ensuring that the required support is available for effective communication and engagement with the BSL community within MOD. By having advocates who understand the needs and perspectives of BSL users, MOD can better tailor its communication and engagement strategies to be inclusive and accessible. This collaboration can help bridge any communication gaps and ensure that the voices of the BSL community are heard and considered in decision-making processes.

The responsibilities of the MOD Disability Champion are to:

• promote MOD’s BSL internal guidance and plan, encouraging delivery where possible from the top down, aiding understanding of the department’s commitments
• provide support to the Permanent Secretary and constructive challenge to all areas of MOD involved in delivering services to the public, with a focus on inclusivity for D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals
• actively engage with both MOD and cross-government D/deaf and hard of hearing networks to encourage collaboration and share leading practice
• champion BSL across MOD to enhance engagement with the BSL community
• serve as a role model within MOD and beyond, advocating for BSL and promoting inclusivity for BSL users
• hold meetings with BSL advocates every 3 months to review progress and address any issues
• work with counterparts from other UK government departments to exchange leading practice and learn from each other’s experiences in promoting accessibility and inclusion

1. The diversity and inclusion team BSL lead will signpost local budget holders to the appropriate commercial framework and the cost of translation will be incurred locally. ↩