Belfast Statement on Mental Health and Deafness

The Belfast Statement on Mental Health and Deafness, first drafted in 2014 at the Sixth World Congress on Mental Health and Deafness in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is an important step in the right direction, advocating for effective communication access in mental health care for people who are Deaf, late-deafened, hard of hearing or Deafblind of all ages. The Statement is a recognition of the universal importance of sign language interpreters in facilitating effective communication between patients who rely primarily on sign language and mental health providers, many who do not know sign language. The Statement expresses the spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which obliges State Parties to ensure effective communication access in health care (Article 25, CRPD). 

The Belfast Statement has been endorsed by the World Federation of the Deaf, the European Society on Mental Health and Deafness, the British Deaf Association, and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Michael Schwartz helped draft and edit the document.