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Scottish Sensory Hub roundup 2025

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 27th December 2025

In 2025, the Scottish Sensory Hub has launched a major campaign on inclusive communication, contributed to consultations, and more.

In 2025, the Scottish Sensory Hub gave evidence to the Equality, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee on the impact of the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015, drawing on our research into legal compliance with the Act and the provision of inclusive communication. Our evidence and research were repeatedly and positively referenced in the Committee’s report on the impact of the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015, published in September 2025.

We published a report on dementia assessments and sensory care, along with a connected research article, supported by the Cross-party Group on Deafness. Our research and key calls for change were referenced in the media and in a Parliamentary debate on hearing care in May 2025. Health Improvement Scotland has now agreed to undertake an evidence review on this topic, with a view to influencing guidance on dementia assessments and care planning.

We launched our “More than Words: Communication for All” campaign, supported by partners across the sector and accompanied by a range of media coverage. As part of this, we presented research evidence and key asks from over 215 signatories at a Scottish Parliament photocall, attended by people with lived experience, third sector organisations, Councillors and MSPs. We were joined by 20 MSPs at the photocall, along with supporters outside Parliament.

We supported the campaign for a Scottish definition of Deafblindness, led by Deafblind Scotland and the Cross-party Group on Deafness, and were delighted that the Scottish Government accepted the proposed definition on 27 June 2025.

We worked in partnership with Deaf organisations to challenge the decision to end the Contact Scotland BSL service, which had been set to close with no retendering or alternative support planned. Following swift campaign activity, the First Minister confirmed that the service would continue without interruption, and it has since been successfully retendered in 2025.

Finally, we campaigned with partners across the sector to secure the inclusion of BSL in the Education (Scotland) Bill with equal parity to Gaelic, with all proposed amendments accepted.

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