Hearing in the family and culture committee

Today, the Lion Mothers participated in the oral hearing on the Ministry of Culture and Equality's budget for 2026 (the state budget). Deputy Chair Elin Gunnarsson participated on behalf of the organization.

The Lion Mothers have also submitted a written consultation note to the committee members ahead of the oral hearing in which we raise everything from ASK (alternative and supplemental communication), universal design, companion certificates, foster parents and inclusive leisure.

You can see and read both below here.

The oral hearing in text format

Elin, deputy leader of the Lion Mothers.

Imagine being sexually harassed. Or being beaten up on your way home from work. Or the baguette in the cafeteria is moldy. Or you want to run for re-election. But because someone has taped your mouth shut, you never get the chance to speak up. You're left with limited body language and eyes desperately trying to be understood! How do you think this hearing would have gone if more people had taped their mouths?

For many of our children, ASK – sign language – is the only language they have. It is not an aid. Not an app. It is their language. And when it is now proposed to remove the Storting’s request to incorporate sign language into the Language Act, it is a direct attack on children’s right to language, culture and identity.

To remove this decision is to deny our children the right to be understood and to understand themselves. It is to say to them: You do not deserve a language.

Let me be clear:

The Storting unanimously decided in 2021 that the government should return with proposals for how symbolic language should be included in the language act – not about. When the Ministry of Culture and Equality now chooses to stop this work, they are violating both the will of the Storting and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

And it might look like they're doing it based on a translation error?

The CRPD states that language includes “"spoken and signed languages and other forms of non-spoken languages"”.

The Norwegian translation says “non-verbal communication”.

Language and communication are not the same!

With one stroke of the pen, our children's language is reduced to a tool. And that's not just a mistake – it's an injustice.

When ASK is not recognized as a language, children do not receive enough training or resources to master it. They never learn to use their language fully – and thus they are deprived of the right to testify, to be questioned, to receive justice.

When children who use ASK are subjected to violence or sexual abuse, they are completely unable to explain themselves. We know of cases where the police say:

“We cannot question the child if they cannot speak for themselves, an assistant interpreter is not approved.”

And then the case is dropped.

Think about that for a moment.

Being abused – but no one is going to listen to you!

A child who can tell – but not with his mouth or hands – will never be told.

So in practice, it is free for abusers to target speechless children, both in the form of violence and sexual abuse, because the children do not have the opportunity to speak out anyway. And that is supported by the ministry, and you if you allow this proposal to go through.

You must be aware of your responsibilities.

This is not just a linguistic debate. This is about freedom of expression. About legal certainty. About human dignity.

The lion mothers demand that ASK (symbol language) be recognized and protected as part of Norway's linguistic diversity – in line with other minority languages. Our children could have a language – if the superpower itself hadn't banned them!

Written consultation input from the Lion Mothers

The Lion Mothers represent seriously ill and disabled children and youth, and their families. We have over 9,400 members. We are concerned that the budget proposal for 2026 continues good schemes, but without real improvements for families in demanding life situations. Many of the measures that are described as "inclusive" never reach our children.

Alternative and augmentative communication (ASK/sign language)

For many children of the lions, ASK (sign language) is the only language they have. Yet ASK is completely absent from the budget, and the Ministry of Culture and Equality is now proposing to remove the request decision to incorporate sign language into the Language Act. This is a serious step backwards. Removing the decision is to deny our children a language.

The Storting unanimously decided in 2021 that the government should return with proposals for how the right to symbolic language should be incorporated into the Language Act – not about. When the ministry now chooses to stop this work, it violates both the Storting's intention and the recommendations from NOU 2023:13. It's high time – realizing the rights of people with disabilities, which clearly states that ASK must be recognized as a language on par with sign language.

The Ministry refers to Article 2 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), but has misunderstood the interpretation of the term language. The original English text reads:
“"Language" includes spoken and signed languages and other forms of non-spoken languages.

The Norwegian translation incorrectly states:
«"Language" includes spoken language and sign language and other forms of non-verbal communication.

This changes the meaning. «Other forms of non-spoken languages» means non-speaking language, that is, ASK, not body language or mimicry. The Norwegian translation reduces ASK to a communication tool, while the CRPD states that it is language. This misinterpretation must be corrected – otherwise the state will continue to deny an entire group of children the right to language, culture and identity.

Lack of ASK support means that many children are isolated in school, healthcare and leisure. When teachers, assistants and healthcare personnel do not understand the child's language, the child is excluded from the community.

The Lion Mothers believe that sign language (ASK) must be recognized and protected as part of Norway's linguistic diversity. Our children should no longer be treated as if they lack language - they do. Just because you can't speak with your mouth or hands, doesn't mean you have nothing to say. The state must start listening.

Universal Design

It is gratifying that the work on universal design is continuing, but the measures are mainly about buildings and crisis centers – not about children's everyday lives. We miss a boost for universal design of playgrounds, leisure arenas, kindergartens/schools and digital solutions.

Accompanying certificate

This year, like last year, we are calling for a rights-based national and digital companion certificate scheme, regardless of age and place of residence.

Foster parents

The budget strengthens the rights of foster parents, but not those who have sick or disabled children in their care. Foster parents who care for seriously ill children currently have limited access to Health Norway, medical records systems and information that is crucial to meeting the child's medical needs. This creates insecurity and, in the worst case, risk for the child.

The Lion Mothers are asking the government to ensure that foster parents responsible for children with medical needs have access to the necessary health information and other information they need to follow up and care for the children, and that the subsidy schemes also include arrangements for this group.

Inclusive leisure time – but not for everyone

The government proposes to continue NOK 758 million for "Grants for including children and young people". This is positive, but without requirements for universal design or adaptation, these funds will in practice be inaccessible to many children with illnesses or disabilities. Children who lack necessary services such as BPA, support contact or respite do not even get the opportunity to participate in the leisure activities the scheme is supposed to open up because they cannot get out of the house. Many are in the middle of appeal processes that can last up to two years. In the meantime, the children live in isolation, without coping or social participation. There is a need for a separate grant scheme for organizations that ensure that children can actually participate.

The lionesses on the state budget

In 2024, the Patient and User Ombudsman received 17,723 new inquiries, with 68 employees. In comparison, the Lion Mothers answered a total of 109,700 inquiries in the same year – without a single permanent employee and without a permanent position in the state budget. The Lion Mothers are run exclusively by voluntary efforts from parents who themselves have experience with seriously ill and disabled children. Many of our volunteers have both experience and professional expertise in health, law, education and social sciences. In addition, the organization is affiliated with a lawyer, so that we can provide guidance and quality-assured advice to parents and professionals.

We answer daily inquiries from families who cannot get help elsewhere, but also from health personnel, case managers and municipalities seeking advice. We regularly receive cases forwarded from the Patient and User Ombudsman, NAV's care money hotline, hospitals and municipal service offices, because the systems know that we have unique expertise and provide quick, precise answers. When families in crisis more often get help from a voluntary organization than from the public sector, it shows how critically necessary Løvemammaene is as part of the welfare structure. We fill a void that the state would otherwise have to fill with paid professional personnel – and we do it for free, on a voluntary basis and with heart.

We ask the Storting to establish a fixed, annual allocation for Løvemammaene from the state budget, in line with other national user and interest organizations. Such basic funding is necessary to ensure sustainability, continuity and quality in the comprehensive support we provide to families, professional communities and public actors.

The lionesses are not a supplement to the system – we is the system for many families where the system has failed. A fixed allocation is a socio-economically sound policy and a matter of legal certainty for children and families with the greatest needs.

Our main recommendations

Establish a state grant scheme for organizations with the purpose of helping children, young people and families to obtain necessary, rights-based and legally mandated services, and ensure their participation in society.

ASK must be recognized and protected as a language in the Language Act.

ASK must be given funding and a competence boost in kindergartens, schools and leisure time.

Include ASK as a priority area in the budget line «"Everyone included!"» and earmark funds for training, equipment and skills development.

Introduce a national, digital companion certificate scheme without age limits.

Ensure foster parents of sick children have access to Health Norway, necessary health information, NAV and other relevant information.

Expand the universal design initiative to include recreational arenas, playgrounds and digital solutions.

Strengthen municipalities so that rights-based services can be granted more quickly – no child should wait two years for the opportunity to participate, or in the worst case, die while waiting.

We are in the midst of the reality that the budget is supposed to capture. Behind every table and record is a child waiting to be included and a family fighting for it to happen.

The most serious thing in the budget is everything that is not there. No new measures address the children who currently live in isolation because they lack help to participate. They are not included in «All included!», because participation requires services they do not receive. This is not about «choice of leisure activities», but about the right to a life. Without sufficient adaptation, children not only lose play and friendship, but also development, language and mental health. This is a violation of both Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the CRPD.

No child should be isolated because the system is not enough. It is time for the budget to take this seriously.

With best regards
The lion mothers