Newcastle Lions have mounted a vigorous campaign to reverse the BBC decision to axe the vital sign language provision on news programmes. Zone president Daniel O’Reilly has been in touch to ask the public for urgent help to overturn this decision.
Dan tells me the Consortium for Research in Deaf Education 2021 report said that in Northern Ireland there are 1,387 children who are deaf with 44% having a statement of special needs. The RNID 2015 report said that one-in-five people in NI are deaf. The 2021 census indicated that 109,500 of the population are deaf. These figures might well surprise you, though you might well fall into these statistics yourself.
Disgraceful Inequality Of Service
Daniel explains that in May, the BBC UK changed its news format: “This affected the Northern Ireland news, which dropped its sign language news and moved this to a digital news website.” The BBC said: “Our BBC Newsline sign language summary is now available each weekday afternoon in a dedicated (and prominent ) slot on the BBC News NI website.”
“There was no consideration given in the difficulty the elderly had with using a computer - or even owning one - or that BSL was recognised as a language in its own right, or that 5.8% of the population of NI are deaf,” continues Daniel. “There was also no consideration given that the people who were affected by the change are licence fee payers and should have an equality of service due to them.”
The Lions then applied for a freedom of information request to ask why the BBC gave no figures to prove they had consulted with the deaf community on the impact this reduction in service would have on them.
As they do, the BBC stonewalled with jargon: “We have carefully considered your request and concluded that it is clear from your description of the information you are seeking that if the BBC held information of the kind you have asked for, it would all be held for the purposes of journalism, art or literature. The FOI Act does not apply to information held by the BBC for any of those purposes.“
Newcastle Lions invite comments by the public through their email lionsnewcastlecodown@yahoo.co.uk or Facebook Newcastle Lions (County Down).
Under the Radar
Have you noticed the way things are being covered up these days? The recent case of the Derry Girls mural, for instance - partly obscured by an awning erected without planning permission.
What about Loft Lines, a three-block apartment development which will dwarf our wonderful iconic cranes and shamefully obscure the Titanic building? Apparently councillors at the City Hall thought it would be a great thing to grant planning approval to the complex.
The late queen and her prince have made a very undignified appearance in Co Antrim, with the statues provoking public consternation. I wonder how much these two cost the ratepayers at a time when the government has decided to cut the £300 winter heat allowance to thousands of homes.
When they decided to pull the plug on financing the development of Casement Park they were sleekit enough to give the news late on a Friday evening prior to them all packing up and going off to the jollies of party conferences. And while they were at it, in their wisdom they will ban junk food ads before 9pm from October 2025.
When Labour decided to pull the plug on financing the development of Casement Park they were sleekit enough to give the news late on a Friday evening prior to them all packing up and going off to the jollies of party conferences
Can You Believe It?
I was watching an international football game and I couldn’t understand why next morning I went to the nearest shop and bought a supply of Mars bars. I don’t even like them but the penny dropped - all around the pitch were ads for Mars bars. That’s the power of advertising.
When ITV first aired in Scotland they ran ads for Murray Mints. Shops were inundated next day with viewers who were unable to find Murray Mints in any of them. In fact shops had been well stocked but sold out within 24 hours thanks to the advertising.
Worthy politicians - stop bullying us. A bar of Highland toffee in the tuck shop was normal, but take a look at the fast food joints that proliferate in our towns and villages. Will you restrict their opening hours? Of course not, they are too valuable to the government coffers.
This Probably Affects You
Organ donation week runs until September 29. Visit the website organdonation.nhs.uk to learn more about heart and circulatory diseases which it’s estimated effect around half the people in Northern Ireland.
Fearghal McKinney, head of British Heart Foundation NI, said: “It is deeply concerning to see that so many people are unaware of the scale and seriousness of heart and circulatory diseases.” He encourages you to find out more about prevention and donation.
