2 people having a discussion whilst sat on a sofa

People across Wales are being reminded of their opportunity to get in touch with the Welsh Language Commissioner’s office in a campaign that aims to improve the way we use the Welsh language in our day to day lives.

There is a duty on public bodies and other agencies in Wales to ensure that Welsh is treated equally alongside English but this is not always the case and as a result some residents are being unfairly discriminated against.

According to Gwenith Price, the Deputy Welsh Language Commissioner, this can be quite distressing for individuals and families,

“Under our remit we have a duty to regulate public sector bodies and certain agencies and ensure they are delivering services equally in Welsh and English. This is incredibly important in areas such as health and social care as the situations are already very difficult for families. If they cannot discuss with the relevant bodies in their preferred language, an already challenging situation is made much worse.

“But we also appreciate there are broader issues than those involved with the delivery of public services and we’d like to hear about those too. It may be that policy decisions are taken on a local level with no consideration for the Welsh language or potential issues in the workplace.

“By working together we can improve services for all concerned.”

A variety of issues have already been raised and they include the appropriate naming of street names, the offering of public safety courses and the need to ensure that bilingual text messaging notifications are used by relevant bodies.

As Gwenith Price explains, most cases are resolved with satisfactory results for the organisation and individual,

“The process of getting in touch with us is very easy – It can be by any means – by phone, email, even through social media. We will then put in motion the relevant steps to identify the issues and how best to resolve them for all concerned.”

To learn more about he the process or to submit a complaint please visit www.welshlanguagecommissioner.wales.