SCOTTISH Borders Council has given its support for a new British Sign Language (BSL) plan for 2024 to 2030.

The most recent estimate is that there are more than 220 people in the Borders using BSL as a language over English.

Now Scottish Borders Council and NHS Borders, together with other agencies, have put together a six-year plan which aims to “ensure that people whose first or preferred language is BSL are empowered to exercise their rights in accessing council and NHS Borders services they need and staff are fully responsive to their needs”.

A further aim is “to make Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn”.

The plan was endorsed at a recent meeting of full council.

Councillor Carol Hamilton, SBC’s executive member for developing our children and young people, said: “It is good that the council is making BSL universal to all.

“Although we are reminded that the BSL community here in the Borders is small it is no less important and I am heartened to see there is a joint approach with the council, NHS Borders and Borders College, with the focus on our young people.”

Councillor Elaine Thornton-Nicol added: “Our communities who use BSL and who are deaf and might not use BSL, because there is a lot of people who are profoundly deaf who lip-read because they weren’t allowed to sign, it’s an age thing in particular, all of those people have the right to the same services, standards of life, access that all of us do and this is going to be the guiding principles of how we all achieve this.”

The council and NHS Borders held a number of face-to-face consultations over the plan from January to April 2024.

The report to full council said: “The BSL (Scotland) Act 2015 now requires public bodies in Scotland to publish plans every six years, showing how they will promote and support BSL.

“The BSL Plan has been developed with the help of the Scottish Borders Deaf Community, with a focus on children and young people, to encourage the take up of BSL within schools and college, and to encourage young people to celebrate their culture and most importantly access the services they need.”