11/2011 ACT of 5

December, to regulate the use of

the Spanish Sign Language and
the means of support for oral
communication for deaf persons,
auditory impaired persons and
deaf-blind persons in Andalusia.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE ANDALUSIAN
REGIONAL EXECUTIVE, TO ALL THOSE WHO
READ THIS ACT, ANNOUNCES:

That the Parliament of Andalusia has
passed the following Act and I, on behalf of the
King and by the authority conferred to me by the
Spanish Constitution and the Statute of Autonomy
for Andalusia, promulgate and order the
publication of the following

ACT TO REGULATE THE USE OF THE
SPANISH SIGN LANGUAGE AND THE MEANS
OF SUPPORT FOR ORAL COMUNICATION FOR
DEAF PERSONS, AUDITORY IMPAIRED
PERSONS AND
DEAF-BLIND PERSONS IN ANDALUSIA.

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

I

The Spanish Constitution states in article
9.2 the duty of public authorities to promote the
conditions for the liberty and equality of each
person and that of the groups they integrate to be
real and effective and to remove the obstacles
that impede or hinder their full enjoyment, and to
facilitate the participation of all citizens in political,
economic, cultural and social life. Furthermore,
article 49 establishes as a major principle in social
and economic policy, the duty of the public
authorities to implement a policy of welfare,
treatment, rehabilitation and integration of those
who are physically, sensorial, or mentally
handicapped, who shall be given the special
attention which they require and be afforded
special protection for the enjoyment of the rights
which the First Title grants to all citizens.

II

The International Convention on the Rights
of People with Disabilities of 13 December 2006,
lays down the need to implement reasonable
accommodation related to the use of sign
language, Braille, appropriate augmentative and
alternative modes, means and formats of
communication and all other accessible means,
modes and formats of communication of their
choice by persons with disabilities. In so doing,
article 26.3 states that the States Parties shall
promote the availability, knowledge and use of
assistive devices and technologies, designed for
persons with disabilities, as they relate to
habilitation and rehabilitation and the
Conventions article 30.4 adds that persons with
disabilities shall be entitled, on an equal basis with
others, to recognition and support of their specific
cultural and linguistic identity, including sign
language and deaf culture.

III

The twelfth final provision of the 51/2003
Act of 2 December compels the National
Government to regulate the effects that the


Spanish Sign Language shall take, in such a way
as to guarantee to deaf persons and auditory
impaired persons the possibility to its study,
knowledge and use, and freedom of choice in
respect to the different usable means for their
communication with their environment. As a result
of the above mentioned Act, the 27/2007 Act was
enacted on 23 October, recognizing the Spanish
sign languages and regulating the means of
support for oral communication for deaf persons,
auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind persons.
Article 3.1 stipulates that the rules contained in
the above mentioned Act shall take effect in the
whole Spanish territory, without prejudice to the
regulation applicable in each autonomous region,
at all times guaranteeing the equality
contemplated in the first final provision.

IV

The Statute of Autonomy for Andalusia
states in article 10.3.16
th
that social, economic
and labour integration of people with disabilities
shall be a primary objective in the Andalusian
autonomous region. Meanwhile, article 14
prohibits any discrimination, highlighting in
particular that on the basis of disability, in the
exercise of their rights, the performance of their
duties and the provision of the services under Title
I. However, it states that this prohibition shall not
preclude positive action measures in favour of
sectors, groups or disadvantaged people.
Moreover, in its article 24, the Statute of
Autonomy for Andalusia recognizes the right of
persons with disabilities and of those in a situation
of dependence to access, in the conditions
established by law, to the necessary public
assistance, benefits and quality services for their
personal and social development. Among the
major principles in public policy provided for in
article 37.1.5
th
and 6
th
are expressly included the
independence and the social and occupational
integration of people with disabilities, in
accordance with the principles of non-
discrimination, universal access and equal
opportunities, including the use of those
languages which allow communication and the full
elimination of barriers, together with the use of
the Spanish Sign Language and the conditions
which shall make it possible to achieve equality
for those who opt to use this language, which
shall be taught, protected and respected.

V

The 1/1999 Act of 31 March, on the
assistance of persons with disabilities in
Andalusia, dedicates Chapter V of Title VII to
accessibility to communication. This chapter
establishes that public administrations shall
promote the elimination of barriers to
communication and specifically the guarantee of
the right to access information, communication,
culture, education, healthcare, employment, social
services and entertainment. Furthermore, it
establishes that public administrations shall
instigate vocational training in sign language
interpretation and in guide-interpretation for deaf-
blind persons and it promotes the use of
interpreters and interpreter-guides within the
framework of public administrations. Lastly, it
includes the elaboration of a technical measure
plan to guarantee the right to access information
in the audiovisual media run by the public
administrations in Andalusia.

VI

Public authorities in Andalusia have been


the drivers for the recognition of the Spanish Sign
Language, echoing the requests made by the
Andalusian association movement representing
deaf persons and auditory impaired persons.
Thus, in September 2003, a non-legislative motion
was approved on the legal recognition of the
Spanish Sign Language, through which the
Parliament of Andalusia urged the Governing
Council to solicit from the Central Government the
recognition of the Spanish Sign Language and the
implementation of a bilingual educative system
(oral language/sign language) in the whole of
Spain. The Governing Council was additionally
urged, among other measures, to facilitate the use
of the Spanish Sign Language in those
educational institutions where any pupils request
it, to continue promoting awareness campaigns
and actions in education and information and to
eliminate communication barriers.
The distinctive feature of the present Act is
that the parts involved in its drafting included
entities which represent the population with
auditory impairments, together with regional and
local Administration Departments and social and
economic agents. This Act is a decisive stoke to
achieve full social, economic and labour
participation of deaf persons, auditory impaired
persons and deaf-blind persons. Being these the
main receivers, the cross-cutting measures for the
accessibility to communication shall affect the
whole Andalusian society. This Act shall impel the
implementation of the 27/2007 Act enacted on 23
October, as it includes notable developments,
such as the recognition of professionals, the
creation of the development agent for the deaf
community and the mediation for deaf-blind
persons.

VII

The present Act is structured in three
chapters, five additional provisions and two final
provisions.
Chapter I contains the general provisions
referring to the object of this Act, its scope of
application, the definition of the different concepts
that arise throughout this regulation and those
referring to the right to the study, knowledge and
use of the Spanish Sign Language and of the oral
language through means of support for oral
communication. Additionally, the effects that the
enforcement of this Act shall produce are
regulated and the principles upon which it is
based are presented.
Chapter II is dedicated to the study and
knowledge of the Spanish Sign Language and that
of the oral language through means of support for
oral communication, in both formal and non-formal
education.
Chapter III concerns the use of the Spanish
Sign Language and the means of support for oral
communication in the different public and private
spheres where the Act shall be implemented in
relation to education, health, training,
employment, culture, tourism, sport,
entertainment, construction, social welfare,
transport, relations with public administrations,
political participation and means of social
communication, telecommunications and
information society.
Lastly, the Act includes five additional
provisions and two final provisions. The first
additional provision provides for the creation of
the Monitoring Committee for this Act. The second
and third provisions stipulate the guarantees for
the structural and legal endowments, together
with the endowments for technical support and
other resources. The fourth one stipulates the
arbitration system. The fifth one refers to the
reproduction of the Spanish national legislation.
The first final provision provides for the policy


development and the enforcement of this Act. The
second final provision stipulates the entry into
force of the Act.
The present Act is enacted without
prejudice to the basic state policies and in
accordance with the powers granted by the
Statute of Autonomy for Andalusia to the
autonomous region of Andalusia with regard to
development (article 45), education (article 52),
universities (article 53), research, development of
technological innovation (article 54), health (article
55), housing (article 56), local government (article
60), social services (article 61), employment
(article 63), transport and communications (article
64), culture and heritage (article 68), social means
of communication (article 69), tourism (article 71)
and sports, entertainment and recreation activities
(article 72).

CHAPTER I

General Provisions

Article 1. Object of the Act.
The object of this Act is to regulate in
Andalusia the necessary measures to guarantee
and give effect to respect, protection, teaching
and use of the Spanish Sign Language
(hereinafter referred to as LSE) on a basis of
equality, as the language of those persons who
freely choose to use it, as well as of the oral
language through means of support for oral
communication, in the context of the basic
conditions established by the 27/2007 Act enacted
on 23 October, which recognizes the Spanish sign
languages and regulates the means of support for
the oral communication of deaf persons, auditory
impaired persons and deaf-blind persons.

Article 2. Purposes of the Act.
1. The present Act lays down the necessary
measures and guarantees for deaf persons,
auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind persons
to freely use LSE, as well as the oral language
through means of support for oral communication,
in all public and private spheres, in order to make
enforceable the exercise of any of the rights or
freedoms referred to in the Spanish Constitution
and the Statute of Autonomy for Andalusia.
2. For the purposes of this Act, LSE, as well
as the means of support for oral communication,
are considered an essential condition for
accessibility and non-discrimination of auditory
impaired sign language or oral language users in
Andalusia, either in their access to information, or
in communication, or in telecommunications, in all
areas of participation.
3. Respect, use, teaching and protection of
LSE, as well as of the oral language through
means of support for oral communication, shall be
guaranteed for the promotion of equal
opportunities for deaf persons, auditory impaired
persons and deaf-blind persons who opt for any of
them.

Article 3. Persons covered by this Act.
Persons covered by this Act include any
deaf-blind persons, auditory impaired persons and
deaf persons with a certified level of disability
equal to or exceeding 33%, as well as any other
persons with a certified level of disability equal to
or exceeding 33% who may be in need of the
measures included in this Act, provided that they
have their habitual residence in any municipality in
Andalusia.

Article 4. Scope of application.
This Act shall apply in the following areas:


a) Goods and services available to the
public.
b) Transport.
c) Relations with public administrations.
d) Administration of justice.
e) Political participation.
f) Means of social communication,
telecommunications and information society.

Article 5. Definitions.
For the purposes of this Act, the following
definitions shall apply:
a) LSE: Language based on visual, spatial,
gestural and manual signs, shaped through
factors of a historical, cultural, linguistic and social
nature, traditionally used in Andalusia by deaf
persons, auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind
persons.
b) Oral language: Language with an oral
and auditory form officially recognized by the
Spanish Constitution. For the purposes of this Act
in Andalusia, the Spanish language.
c) Means of support for oral
communication: Codes and means of
communication, together with the technological
resources and technical aids used by deaf
persons, auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind
persons which facilitate their access to verbal and
written speech of the oral language, supporting a
more fulfilling communication with the
environment.
d) Deaf or auditory impaired persons:
Persons who suffer from a greater or lower
degree of auditory loss, with a certified level of
disability equal to or exceeding 33%, who
encounter information, communication and
telecommunication barriers in their daily lives, and
persons who require resources and support to
overcome such barriers.
e) Deaf-blind persons: Persons with two
sensorial disabilities who suffer from impaired
sight and audition and therefore from unique
communication problems and have specific needs
arising from the difficulty to perceive globally, to
cognize and thence to take interest and adapt to
the environment. Some of these persons are
entirely deaf and blind, while others have residual
audition and sight. They use communication
systems adapted to their sensorial situation.
f) LSE user: Person who uses LSE for
communication.
g) User of means of support for oral
communication: Deaf person, auditory impaired
person or deaf-blind person who uses the oral
language for communication and requires means
of support for oral communication to access
information and communication in the social
environment.
h) LSE interpreter: Professional person who
interprets and translates information contained in
LSE into oral and written language, and vice
versa, in order to provide communication between
deaf persons or auditory impaired persons who
are LSE users and hearing people and their social
environment. Besides, a LSE tele-interpreter is a
professional person who interprets and translates
the information remotely.
i) LSE tele-interpretation: Service provided
remotely by an interpreter who interprets and
translates the information contained in LSE into
the oral language, and vice versa, using public
video telephony (through fixed and mobile
networks) and other technologies, ubiquitously
present in a tele-interpretation centre and acting
as a communication bridge between one oral
language user and one LSE user, thus making
telecommunication services accessible.
j) Interpreter-guide for deaf-blind persons:


Professional person who interprets and translates
information contained in LSE into oral and written
language and into systems and means of support
used by deaf-blind persons for communication
and vice versa. In order to ensure communication
between deaf-blind persons and their
interlocutors, the interpreter-guide supplies all the
information they need from their environment,
both contextual and linguistic, facilitating their
participation on an equal basis. The interpreter-
guide acts as a guide in a mobility situation.
k) Communicator-guide for deaf-blind
persons: Professional person who uses LSE and
other non-oral alternative communication systems
and assists the deaf-blind person in developing
the communicative level and system that best
suits his/her personal needs. The communicator-
guide acts as a liaison between the deaf-blind
person and his/her environment fostering his/her
interaction with it, as well as the acquisition of
knowledge.
l) Development agent for the deaf
community: Professional person with specific
training in assisting the deaf community with the
aim to support the participation in society of deaf
persons and auditory impaired persons through
the promotion of their personal autonomy.
m) Bilingual education: Education
programme where the teaching/learning process
takes place in an environment where two or more
languages are used as vehicular languages. For
deaf persons, auditory impaired persons and
deaf-blind persons, it refers to the official oral
languages and the Spanish sign languages.
n) Closed-captioning: Support resource to
oral communication where the spoken message is
transcripted, ensuring maximum access to
information for the deaf person, auditory impaired
person and deaf-blind person.
) Audio description: Support resource to
audiovisual communication consisting in a set of
techniques and skills applied to compensate for
the lack of perception of the visual part of an
audiovisual content. It provides visually impaired
persons with appropriate sound information
through the translation, explanation or narration of
any relevant visual elements, for the purpose of
letting them perceive such content as a harmonic
whole and in the most similar manner to the way it
is perceived by a person without visual
impairments.
o) Reasonable accommodation: Adaptation
measures of the physical, social and attitudinal
environment in a practical, efficient, non-
disproportionate manner to the specific needs of
persons with disabilities, which facilitate their
access or participation on an equal basis with the
rest of the population. The factors taken into
account to determine whether a measure is
proportionate or not are its costs, the
discriminatory effects against persons with
impairments of not adopting it and, on the part of
the person, entity or organisation which shall put it
into practice, its structure, characteristics and
availability to obtain official funding or any other
assistance.

Article 6. Right to the study, knowledge and
use of LSE and of the oral language through
means of support for oral communication.
The right to free choice to study, know and
use LSE and the oral language through means of
support for oral communication is recognized for
all deaf persons, auditory impaired persons and
deaf-blind persons in terms established by the
present Act. For minors and incapacitated
individuals, this right shall be exercised by their
parents or legal guardians.

Article 7. General principles.


This Act is founded on the following
principles:
a) Non-discrimination: No person with
disabilities shall be subjected to direct or indirect
unequal treatment nor discrimination for
exercising their right to use LSE or the oral
language through means of support for oral
communication in any sphere, whether public or
private.
b) Free choice: All deaf persons, auditory
impaired persons and deaf-blind persons or, when
applicable, their parents or legal guardians, shall
freely opt for the oral language and for LSE.
c) Normalization: All deaf persons, auditory
impaired persons and deaf-blind persons shall be
able to lead a normal life and access the same
locations, spheres, goods and services which are
available to all citizens.
d) Universal accessibility: All environments,
processes, goods, products, services, objects,
instruments, tools and devices shall fulfil the
necessary conditions to be understandable,
usable and practicable by all persons in a safe,
comfortable manner, as independently and
naturally as possible.
e) Design for everyone with regard to LSE
and means of support for oral communication:
Wherever possible, those strategic activities
leading to conceiving and designing
environments, processes, goods, products,
services, objects, instruments, devices and tools
which include LSE and means of support for oral
communication shall proceed from the start in
such a way that they can be used by all persons
in Andalusia.
f) Cross-sectoral applicability of the policies
on LSE and the means of support for oral
communication: The activities engaged by the
Andalusian public administrations shall not be
solely restricted to specific plans, programs and
activities specially designed for deaf persons,
auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind persons.
Instead, they shall be included in the general
policies and action plans in any activity areas or
fields depending on the official policies and the
different needs and demands of all of their users
shall be taken into account.
g) Civil dialogue: Principle by virtue of
which the representative organisations for deaf
persons, auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind
persons and for their relatives and economic and
social agents in Andalusia participate, under the
terms established by law and other regulatory
provisions, in the development, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation of those official policies
which imply proceedings that affect them.
h) Equal treatment between women and
men: This principle implies that there shall be no
discrimination whatsoever on grounds of sex,
either directly or indirectly, in the economic,
political, social, labour, cultural and educative
areas, notably those concerning employment,
training and working conditions.

CHAPTER II

Study and knowledge of LSE and of the oral
language through means of support for oral
communication.

Article 8. Learning in formal education.
1. The education administration shall make
the necessary human, material and technological
resources available in order to make learning LSE
and oral language possible for deaf pupils,
auditory impaired pupils and deaf-blind pupils in
the given formal education institutions, in
conformity with the stipulations of the educational
legislation in force. In any event, the allocation of


school places shall take the aptitude of each
centre into consideration.
2. In the given centres, the education
administration shall offer, amongst others,
bilingual education models of free choice to deaf
pupils, auditory impaired pupils and deaf-blind
pupils or, in the case of minors and incapacitated
individuals, to their parents or legal guardians. To
this end, information regarding the bilingual
education alternative and any other available
resources shall be provided. In order to
standardize and integrate LSE, the bilingual
education alternative shall extend to the rest of
the pupils attending such centres.
3. The education administration in
Andalusia shall promote the design, elaboration
and dissemination of educational material adapted
to meet the special educational needs related to
auditory impairment, material in LSE and material
adapted to grant access to oral language for
auditory impaired pupils, whether it be with
assistive devices or augmentative communication
systems.
4. The school curricula in the given centres
may include LSE as an optional subject for all
pupils, thus contributing to the social inclusion of
the deaf and deaf-blind population of LSE users
and promoting equality and respect for linguistic
and cultural diversity.
5. With the aim of having at disposal
suitably qualified professionals for teaching LSE
and oral language through means of support for
oral communication for the use laid down in
Chapter III, the competent education
administration shall determine the appropriate
qualifications, in accordance with the existing
regulations on requirements for its exercise, and
shall foster initial and continuing training. To this
end, they shall benefit from the assistance and
advice of representative organisations for deaf
persons, auditory impaired persons, deaf-blind
persons and their relatives.
6. The education administration shall
develop training and learning programmes for
those members of the teaching body that work
with deaf pupils, auditory impaired pupils and
deaf-blind pupils and those who wish to learn LSE
for future educational and training activities.
Accordingly, in initial training for teachers, it shall
be promoted that LSE be included in the curricula
of Masters courses in teaching to provide
secondary education and in the curricula of
education science faculties.

Article 9. Learning in non-formal education.
1. The competent administration for
vocational training and non-formal education in
general shall encourage cooperation with deaf
persons, auditory impaired persons, deaf-blind
persons, their relatives and their associations with
regard to the study of LSE and of the oral
language through means of support for oral
communication and to the publication of
educational material.
2. Public administrations in Andalusia,
economic and social agents, collaborating centres
and other entities shall promote accessibility to
communication for auditory impaired users of LSE
and means of support for oral communication, in
relation to their vocational training opportunities
and to any other non-formal education through the
corresponding provision of human, material,
educational and technical resources adapted to
their needs.
3. Course offerings for professional
updating in relation to positions employing LSE
and means of support for oral communication
shall be fostered by the competent administration.
In order to reduce the risk of abandonment
and to enable deaf persons, auditory impaired


persons and deaf-blind persons to advance in
their educational pathway, recognition and
cumulative partial accreditation of professional
qualifications shall be facilitated. To this effect,
planning of training schemes with training
modules, based on units of competence, shall be
fostered. Such schemes shall be cumulative and it
shall be possible to acquire accreditation of the
full qualification through a certificate of
professional standards.
4. Public administrations in Andalusia shall
boost access to training in LSE for public
employees of the Andalusian Regional Executive,
special purpose entities and local entities, in
particular for public services staff and citizen
services staff who deal with security and
emergency.
5. In support of integration and
standardization of persons with auditory
impairment, the administrations, together with
social and economic agents in Andalusia, shall
sensitize to the needs of this group and promote
training in LSE and in the use of means of support
for oral communication.

CHAPTER III

Use of LSE and of the oral language through
means of support for oral communication

Article 10. Purpose.
1. In the terms prescribed by regulation, the
Andalusian public administrations shall promote
the provision of interpretation services in LSE,
interpreter-guide services, mediation and
availability of the necessary means of support for
oral communication for all deaf persons, auditory
impaired persons and deaf-blind persons,
whenever necessary, in any of the public and
private spheres specified in the present Chapter.
Information and diffusion of all public procedures,
goods and services shall be presented in an
accessible form.
Interpretation services in LSE may be in
situ or remotely via video-telephony or any other
technological resources. Interpreter-guide
services and mediation professional services shall
take place in situ.
2. Likewise, the public authorities, in the
terms prescribed by the 51/2003 Act of 2
December and in its implementing acts, shall
promote anti-discrimination measures and
establish positive action measures for deaf,
auditory impaired and deaf-blind users of LSE and
of the oral language through means of support for
oral communication, in accordance with the
provisions set forth herein.
3. When new goods and services be
designed, developed and made available to the
public and when reasonable accommodation be
implemented, the needs of deaf persons, auditory
impaired persons and deaf-blind persons shall be
taken into consideration, thus facilitating the use
of LSE and means of support for oral
communication.
4. Likewise, the right of deaf persons,
auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind persons
to access all public and private areas of
participation accompanied by LSE professionals
and means of support for oral communication
shall be guaranteed for all auditory impaired and
deaf-blind persons who may require it.

Article 11. Access to goods and services
available to the public.
Access to goods and services available to
the public is to be determined on the basis of the
following areas:



1. Education.
In the given centres, the education
administration shall offer LSE as a vehicular
language of education to LSE users, as well as
allow its use in such centres by deaf persons,
auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind persons
who are oral language users. The following
measures shall be implemented to ensure equal
opportunity in access to education:
a) Encourage programmes and initiatives
focusing on assistance for deaf, auditory impaired
and deaf-blind university students with a view to
offer them advice and support measures, both in
oral language and in LSE, in the context of the
assistance services for university students
experiencing disabilities.
b) Encourage the use of new
communication and information technologies and
augmentative and alternative communication
systems in the context of educational assistance
for students with special education needs based
on their personal disability.
c) Supply parents or legal guardians of
pupils with auditory impairments with sufficient
information, as well as with the necessary advice,
for them to choose the most appropriate
communication system for their children,
depending on the available resources and on the
personal situation and needs of each pupil,
starting intervention as early as possible.
d) Ensure that knowledge and use of LSE
and augmentative and alternative communication
systems is included, where appropriate, in the
educational projects and syllabuses of those
centres attended by any pupils with special
education needs, based on their auditory
disability.
e) Encourage teachers to attend continuing
training in LSE and means of support for oral
communication.
2. Health.
Public health administration shall adopt the
following measures to ensure equal opportunity in
access to health:
a) Boost training in LSE for employees of
the public health administration.
b) Promote accessibility to public health
and to plans, processes and programs by
incorporating the necessary technology and
assistive devices.
3. Education and employment.
Without prejudice to the provisions of
Section III of Chapter III of Title II of the 62/2003
Act of 30 December on fiscal, administrative and
social measures, which lays down measures
pertaining to equal treatment and non-
discrimination in the workplace, the present
regulation provides assurance of the effectiveness
of the right to equality of opportunities for auditory
impaired persons and deaf-blind persons in the
field of employment and occupation.
In particular, training in LSE for employees
of the Andalusian employment service offices and
training in assisting auditory impaired users of
LSE or oral language shall be fostered.
The administration of the Andalusian
Regional Executive shall ensure that the deaf,
auditory impaired and deaf-blind population
accesses public employment on equal terms. To
this effect, adjustment of time and means for the
selection tests shall be allowed and the necessary
human and material resources for the tests, such
as interpreters of LSE, interpreter-guides,
assistive technologies and means of support for
oral communication shall be supplied. Likewise,
these measures shall be implemented for the


accommodation of the workplace and training
processes.
All local administrations in Andalusia,
special purpose entities of all Andalusian public
administrations and all public universities shall
ensure accessibility to communication regarding
entry and internal promotion processes through
the measures laid down in the previous section,
as well as accommodate the workplaces and
training processes.
4. Culture, tourism, sport and leisure.
Public administrations in Andalusia shall
promote the approval of specific plans and
programmes which allow, thanks to interpreters of
LSE, interpreter-guides or mediation professional
services, guided tours or any other appropriate
means and techniques, access and enjoyment by
deaf persons, auditory impaired persons and
deaf-blind persons of cultural goods and activities
and of sporting, touristic, recreational and leisure
activities, such as cinemas, theatres, nature
protection areas, museums of regional
competence, monuments and any other cultural
goods.
5. Construction.
Public administrations in Andalusia and
their special purpose entities shall implant the
advanced application of information and
telecommunication technologies in buildings,
establishments and facilities used by deaf
persons, auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind
persons and promote the application of such
technologies in buildings, establishments and
facilities in public areas with private use or
ownership, with the aim of guaranteeing the use
of LSE and means of support for oral
communication. The installation and improvement
of devices adapted to the information,
communication and telecommunication needs for
accessing and using urban public spaces and
buildings, including dwellings, shall be considered
as accessibility features for deaf persons, auditory
impaired persons and deaf-blind persons.
6. Social welfare.
Public administrations in Andalusia which
are responsible for social welfare matters shall
promote accommodation of their services to the
needs of auditory impaired users. To this effect,
training in LSE shall be specifically boosted for
employees of the communitys social services
centres, for employees of assessment and
guidance centres for persons with impairments
and for employees of assessment services
regarding dependent adult status.

Article 12. Transport.
1. Those land, sea and air public transport
stations of Andalusian regional or local
competence which are determined, based on the
average passenger traffic, shall promote the
supply of services by interpreters of LSE and
interpreter-guides, either in situ or via tele-
interpretation, at information and passenger help
desks.
2. The publication and distribution of
instructions regarding rights and duties, safety
and operational planning standards for transport
shall be additionally performed, whenever
possible, in LSE and through means of support for
oral communication.
3. The measures provided for in the
previous paragraphs shall be incorporated into the
minimum content of accessibility plans described
in section 11.1 of annex IX of Royal Decree No.
1544/2007 of 23 November, regulating basic
conditions of non-discrimination and accessibility
for persons with disabilities in the use and
enjoyment of modes of transport.



Article 13. Relations with public
administrations.
1. The administration of the Andalusian
Regional Executive, its special purpose entities,
local administrations and universities shall seek to
provide appropriate attention, respect for the use
of LSE and of the oral language through means of
support for oral communication and employee
training, as well as adequate lighting conditions,
time scales and signposting of interpretation
services in LSE, interpreter-guide, mediation
services and means of support for oral
communication.
2. Accessibility for deaf persons, auditory
impaired persons and deaf-blind persons to the
telephone service of public administrations in
Andalusia shall be promoted.
3. The implementation of accessible
systems for supplementary information, such as
audiovisual systems transmitting information in
LSE, and means of support for oral
communication, such as closed-captioning of
audiovisual systems, shall be facilitated in those
information desks which are not directly staffed by
employees.

Article 14. Administration of justice.
The administration of the Andalusian
Regional Executive, through the relevant regional
ministry in charge of the provision of material and
personal means for the administration of justice,
shall promote the appropriate conditions for the
provision of interpretation services in LSE,
interpreter-guide services and means of support
for oral communication, for the purpose of making
communication in judicial and extrajudicial
proceedings, in all legal fields where it acts,
accessible to deaf persons, auditory impaired
persons and deaf-blind persons, in accordance
with the procedural laws currently in force on each
matter.

Article 15. Political participation.
1. In accordance with the provisions of
articles 13 and 22 of the 27/2007 Act enacted on
23 October, public authorities, political parties and
economic and social agents shall facilitate that
institutional information and programs of free and
compulsory broadcast in the media, in accordance
with the electoral and trade union legislation, be
fully accessible to deaf persons, auditory impaired
persons and deaf-blind persons by their broadcast
and distribution in LSE and with closed-
captioning, both live and pre-recorded.
2. The Parliament of Andalusia and the
local entities shall promote the interpretation in
LSE and the availability and use of means of
support for oral communication and closed-
captioning in public plenary meetings and in any
other meetings of general interest, when so
determined, attended by deaf persons, auditory
impaired persons and deaf-blind persons upon
their previous request.

Article 16. Means of social communication,
telecommunications and information society.
1. Public administrations in Andalusia shall
guarantee the necessary measures for the means
of social communication to be accessible to deaf
persons, auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind
persons, either LSE users or oral language users,
as is contemplated by the specific regulation.
2. Public administrations in Andalusia shall
promote accessibility to telecommunications by
the progressive incorporation of LSE, closed-
captioning and audio description, if required, and
of the corresponding systems of access to
information in web portals and websites of public


ownership or financed by public funds or owned
by undertakings that provide publicly available
services of particular economic significance,
bound by the obligation under article 2 of the
56/2007 Act of 28 December on measures to
promote the information society. This
incorporation shall comply with the established
safety standards and shall have a special effect
on information on the accessible services
provided.
3. Public administrations in Andalusia,
within the scope of their respective competences,
shall promote the incentive, development and
implementation of accessibility standards for
persons with disabilities and design for everyone
of all elements and processes based on new
technologies of information society.
Development of audiovisual carriers, such
as educational, dissemination and information
materials which include LSE, closed-captioning
and audio description shall be promoted with the
aim of providing access and accessibility in the
information and knowledge society.
4. In congresses, symposia, seminars and
any other type of events organized or subsidized
by the public administrations in Andalusia and by
any other public and private entities, when
attended by deaf persons, auditory impaired
persons and deaf-blind persons, accessibility shall
be facilitated with the provision of interpretation
services in LSE, interpreter-guide services, or the
necessary means of support for oral
communication, upon their previous request.
Likewise, adequate and accessible space shall be
reserved for such persons and appropriate
technical conditions for the performance of
interpretation and interpreter-guide services shall
be established.
5. For the purpose of bringing the
information and communications technologies
closer to deaf persons, auditory impaired persons
and deaf-blind persons, their training in new
technologies management shall be promoted.
Article 17. Research.
1. The administration of the Andalusian
Regional Executive shall promote research on
LSE and research on means of support for oral
communication with the collaboration of the
Andalusian public universities, together with the
representative organisations for deaf persons,
auditory impaired persons, deaf-blind persons and
their relatives, social and economic agents and
other research institutions.
2. It shall also promote research on
pedagogic innovation, development and
monitoring of bilingual education for deaf persons,
auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind persons.
3. The administration of the Andalusian
Regional Executive shall promote research on the
application of LSE and of means of support for
oral communication in all participation fields, such
as education, employment, culture, new
technologies, information and knowledge society,
social welfare, health and construction, among
others. To that end, the opinion of persons with
disabilities -LSE users and oral language users-
through their representative organisations and
their relatives, as well as through the economic
and social agents, shall be taken into account.
4. In the development of technological
projects in Andalusia regarding new products,
goods and services which include LSE or means
of support for oral communication, the
participation of representative organisations for
persons with disabilities and for their relatives
shall be taken into account.

First additional provision. Special Monitoring
Committee for this Act.


A Special Monitoring Committee shall be
created by order of the relevant regional ministry
in charge of the social integration of persons with
disabilities within the Andalusian council for the
support of persons with disabilities. All
organisations for deaf persons, auditory impaired
persons, deaf-blind persons and their relatives,
the representatives of the local administration and
the social and economic agents shall be
represented on it. Its aim shall be to encourage
and monitor compliance of the measures
introduced by this Act and to offer the appropriate
measures to guarantee its full effectiveness.
Gender balance shall be maintained in the
composition of that Committee.

Second additional provision. Guarantees for
the structural endowments.
Public authorities in Andalusia shall
facilitate the necessary human, technical and
financial resources for the execution of the
positive action measures concerned by this Act,
as well as for the development of cross-sectoral
applicability of the policies on deaf persons,
auditory impaired persons and deaf-blind persons.

Third additional provision. Technical support
and other resources.
The Andalusian administration, in the extent
of its competence, shall provide funding -within
the limits of the budgetary resources available- to
individuals and entities for the acquisition of
support products and technical resources, as well
as human resources facilitating accessibility to
communication for auditory impaired LSE users
and oral language users in Andalusia.
Aid may be granted to organizations in
Andalusia for such support products, technical
and human resources. Such aid shall be intended
for the implementation of reasonable
accommodation related to the accessibility to
communication in the fields of access, training
and promotion in the workplace of persons with
disabilities -LSE users and oral language users.
Public administrations in Andalusia, representative
organisations for deaf persons and their relatives,
private enterprises, non-profit organizations and
economic and social agents shall be eligible for
such aids.

Fourth additional provision. Arbitration
system.
The effective implementation of the
arbitration system shall be subject to the
constitution and operation of the arbitration board
of equal opportunities, non-discrimination and
universal accessibility in the autonomous region of
Andalusia, as provided for under the Spanish
national legislation.

Fifth additional provision. Reproduction of
the Spanish national legislation.
Articles 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
and 16 reproduce, in part, certain regulations
issued by the Spanish State, on the basis of article
149.1.1
st
of the Spanish Constitution and
recognized by the 27/2007 Act enacted on 23
October, recognizing the Spanish sign languages
and regulating the means of support for oral
communication for deaf persons, auditory
impaired persons and deaf-blind persons.

First final provision. Development of
legislation and enforcement of this Act.
1. The Governing Council of the Andalusian
Regional Executive is authorised to lay down any
provisions that may be necessary for the
development of legislation and enforcement of this


Act in accordance with the deadlines contained in
the fifth final provision of the 27/2007 Act enacted
on 23 October. The development of legislation for
this Act shall be effected in accordance with the
provisions of articles112 and 119.3 of the Statute
of Autonomy for Andalusia and article 44 of the
6/2007 Act enacted on 24 October by the
Andalusian Regional Government.
2. Likewise, the Governing Council shall
specifically draft regulations on the technical
standards concerning accessibility and removal of
barriers for communication in Andalusia.
The development of legislation referred to in
the preceding paragraph shall be executed within
a period of not more than three years.

Second Final Provision. Entry into force.
The present Act shall come into force on
the month following its publication in the Official
Gazette of the Andalusian Regional Executive
(BOJA).

Seville, 5
th
December 2011
JOS ANTONIO GRIN MARTNEZ
President of the Andalusian Regional Executive