Part of Oral Answers to Questions — House of Commons Commission – in the House of Commons at 10:30 am on 15 October 2009.
Stuart Bell
Second Church Estates Commissioner
10:30,
15 October 2009
I am grateful to my right hon. Friend. Induction loops are fitted in the Public Galleries, Committee Rooms and main Dining Rooms. On sign language, visitor services can provide a sign language tour, if it is booked in advance. Otherwise, the diversity managers can put a Member or visitor in touch with a British sign language interpreter, which would, of course, be at the visitor's expense. The House is in the process of providing British sign language training for 12 House staff, who will be able to assist visitors at short notice and at no cost to the visitor. I hope that that is a positive response for my right hon. Friend. However, if she has other such matters to raise, I shall be happy to take them up and refer them to the House of Commons Commission.
Annotations
yvonne hadley-jones
Posted on 16 Oct 2009 12:04 pm (Report this annotation)
Mr Bell, I respectfully draw your attention to the fact that some deaf people have lost the higher range decibels of speech so no matter whether there is a loop system or not they would not hear what is said. Furthermore, those rendered deaf in later years do not have the ability to sign or leap read. Why should a sign language intepreter (who also types words for others to understand as well as signs)have their costs met by a disabled person?
You clearly show a total lack of knowledge regarding all deaf people and expect them all to be of a certain calibre.