The aim is to create a “welcoming and inclusive” city through the promotion of different languages such as Irish and Ulster-Scots – Scots language spoken in parts of Ulster, Ireland.
The decision to update the signage is part of the Council’s 2018-2023 Language Strategy and will focus on external naming and internal directional signage at four citywide leisure centres.
These new centres are being delivered as part of the Council’s £105m Leisure Transformation Programme and can be found in Andersontown, Lisnasharragh, Olympia and Templemore.
As well as adopting the use of Irish and Ulster Scots in signs where they will be seen primarily by users of these dialects, the Council plans to meet the needs of new communities’ languages which it says will “take into account the increasing ethnic diversity of the city”.
We want Belfast to be a welcoming and inclusive city for all. The Council is mindful of the location and history of each centre, along with the needs of new communities and disabled people.”
In addition to incorporating more multilingual information on the signage, the Council also discussed plans to include pictorial signage for improved accessibility.
In the report following the consultation, the Council says: “We want Belfast to be a welcoming and inclusive city for all. To help achieve this aim and to meet other best practice guidance and legal requirements, we want to develop and implement the workstreams associated with our Language Strategy (2018-2023).
“The Council is mindful of the location and history of each centre, along with the needs of new communities and disabled people.”
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