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The legal recognition of sign languages is one of the major concerns of the international Deaf community. There is no unique way in which such a recognition can be formalized; every country has its own interpretation. In some countries, the national sign language is an official state language, whereas in others it has a protected status in certain areas such as education. A symbolic recognition is no guarantee though for an effective improvement of the life of sign language users. A sign language (also signed language) is a language which uses manual communication instead of sound to convey meaning - simultaneously combining handshapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speakers thoughts. ...
Sign language status by state
Australia Auslan was recognised by the Australian Government as a "community language other than English" and the preferred language of the Deaf community in policy statements in 1987 and 1991. This recognition does not ensure any provision of services in Auslan, but use of Auslan in Deaf education and provision of Auslan/English interpreters is becoming more common. Auslan is the sign language used by the Australian Deaf community. ...
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| Australia's Language: The Australian Language and Literacy Policy. (Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1991) | "It is now increasingly recognised that signing deaf people constitute a group like any other non-English speaking language group in Australia, with a distinct sub-culture recognised by shared history, social life and sense of identity, united and symbolised by fluency in Auslan, the principal means of communication within the Australian Deaf Community." (Page 20) |
Belgium French Community The Parliament of French-speaking Belgium recognised LSFB (French-Belgian Sign Language) in a decree of October 2003. This recognition entails: The French Community of Belgium (French: Communauté française de Belgique, Dutch: Franse Gemeenschap van België) is one of the three official communities in Belgium along with the Flemish Community and the German speaking Community. ...
Decree is an order that has the force of law. ...
2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
- a cultural (symbolical) recognition and
- the foundation of a commission that will advise the Government of the French Community in all matters related to LSFB.
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| Décret relatif à la reconnaissance de la langue des signes (Decree on the recognition of the sign language) | From three possible legal interpretations of the term 'recognition',[1] the following one was retained: "It concerns a symbolic recognition that goes hand in hand with a general measure, permitting every minister to take action in fields relative to his authority." | Flemish Community The Flemish Sign Language was recognised on 2006-04-26 by the Flemish Parliament. This recognition entails: This article needs to be wikified. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ...
The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: Vlaams Parlement, and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the legislative power in Flanders, for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and a cultural and linguistic community of Belgium. ...
- a cultural (symbolical) recognition (see excerpt below),
- the foundation of a commission that will advise the Flemish government in all matters related to VGT and
- the structural funding of research and development of VGT.
This recognition was accelerated by the most successful petition ever with the Flemish Parliament and the presence of a Deaf member of parliament, Helga Stevens, and her interpreters in the Flemish Parliament. -
| Decreet houdende de erkenning van de Vlaamse Gebarentaal (Decree on the recognition of the Flemish Sign Language) | "Cultural recognition entails that the Flemish Government recognises the Flemish Sign Language as the language of the Deaf Community in Flanders. This 'recognition' encompasses the following three meanings: (1) the Flemish Government acknowledges the correctness of the fact that the Flemish Sign Language is the language of the Deaf Community in Flanders, (2) the Flemish Government also accepts the existence of this language in the judicial domain and treats her accordingly and (3) the Flemish Government expresses her respect for this language." |
Brazil A 2002 law recognizes Brazilian Sign Language in the area of education. It determines that every Deaf child has the right to learn in its language and to have Portuguese as a second language. As of 2005, the law is in the process of being implemented (or "regulamentalized"). Brazilian Sign Language, also known as Libras (from LÃngua de Sinais Brasileira), previously known as LSB or LGB, is the language of the Deaf communities of Brazil. ...
2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Czech Republic Czech Sign Language gained legal recognition as a human language with the passage of the Sign Language Law 155/1998 Sb ("Zákon o znakové řeči 155/1998 Sb") - see the legislation here (in Czech language).
European Union The European Parliament unanimously approved a resolution about Deaf Sign Languages on June 17, 1988 (available online here). The resolution asks all member countries for recognition of their national sign languages as official languages of the Deaf. The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The inside of the building The European Parliament (formerly European Parliamentary Assembly) is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ...
June 17 is the 168th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (169th in leap years), with 197 days remaining. ...
1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
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Finland Finnish Sign Language was recognised in the constitution in August 1995. Finnish Sign Language is the sign language most commonly used in Finland. ...
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| The Constitution of Finland | "Section 17 - Right to one's language and culture: [...] The rights of persons using sign language and of persons in need of interpretation or translation aid owing to disability shall be guaranteed by an Act." |
Iceland Icelandic Sign Language has been recognised by law in education but not yet been recognised as deaf people's first language. There was a deaf member of Parliament who campaigned on this issue but so far without success. The icelandic sign language is the sign language of the deaf community in Iceland. ...
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| The National Curriculum Guide for Compulsory School (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2004) | "This National Curriculum Guide contains, for the first time, provisions on special Icelandic instruction for students whose mother tongue is not Icelandic. There are also new provisions on special Icelandic instruction for deaf and hearing-impaired pupils and sign-language instruction for the deaf. The objectives for Icelandic instruction of immigrants and the deaf and of sign-language instruction fall under the subject area of language arts (Icelandic) in compulsory school." [...] "Sign language is of basic importance for the development of language, personality and thinking of deaf children. For the deaf, sign language is the most important source of knowledge and their route to participation in Icelandic culture and the culture of the deaf. Sign language is of great importance for all school work and for the pupils’ life and work." |
India There is no official recognition of Indian Sign Language. ...
Northern Ireland In Northern Ireland, both British Sign Language (which may be understood to include Northern Ireland Sign Language) and Irish Sign Language were recognised as official languages by the Northern Ireland Office, but they don't yet have the same status as the county's two official minority languages, Irish and Ulster-Scots. British Sign Language (BSL) is the sign language used in the United Kingdom (UK). ...
Northern Ireland Sign Language (NISL) is a sign language used in Northern Ireland, mainly Belfast. ...
Irish Sign Language (ISL) is the sign language of Ireland, used primarily in the Republic of Ireland. ...
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is an arm of the United Kingdom government, responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. ...
Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scotch-Irish, refers to the variety of the Scots language spoken in parts of the province of Ulster, which spans the six counties of Northern Ireland and three of the Republic of Ireland. ...
Kenya There is no legal recognition as yet, but the latest draft of the Kenyan constitution is currently (as of 2005) considering the inclusion of Kenyan Sign Language (see the KNAD report on the proposal). 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Kenyan Sign Language is the language of the Deaf community in Kenya, used throughout the country by a large number of the countrys estimated Deaf population of 200,000. ...
The Netherlands The Sign Language of the Netherlands has not been recognised officially by law. There is some public funding for sign language projects. Dutch Sign Language (Nederlande GebarenTaal or NGT) is the sign language used by deaf people in the Netherlands. ...
Portugal -
| Constitution of Portugal | "Art. 74, 2 (h): In implementing the education policy, the state shall be charged with protecting and developing Portuguese sign language, as an expression of culture and an instrument for access to education and equal opportunities." |
Spain The Autonomous Communities of Catalonia, Andalusia, and Valencia grant the use of sign languages to the Deaf. Although there is a Spanish Sign Language, the communities are more inclined to recognise the local sign languages. Autonomous communities of Spain. ...
Capital Barcelona Official languages Catalan,Spanish,Aranese Area – Total – % of Spain Ranked 6th 32 114 km² 6,3% Population – Total (2005) – % of Spain – Density Ranked 2nd 6 995 206 15,9% 217,82/km² GDP Total (2004) GDP: €157,124 billion GDP per /capita: $26,550 (4nd) Demonym – English – Catalan...
Motto: Dominator Hercules Fundator AndalucÃa por sÃ, para España y la humanidad (Andalusia for herself, for Spain, and for humankind) Capital Seville Area – Total – % of Spain Ranked 2nd 87 268 km² 17,2% Population – Total (2005) – % of Spain – Density Ranked 1st 7. ...
Capital Valencia Official languages Valencian (Catalan) and Castilian (Spanish) Area – total – % of Spain Ranked 8th 23,255 km² 4. ...
In the other Spanish regions no sign languages are recognised. Furthermore, the support in terms of sign language interpretation for Deaf persons is minimal or confined by different budgets.
Catalonia Catalonia officially recognised the Catalan Sign Language (LSC) in 1994. A regional law guarantees the presence of LSC in all areas under the Catalan Government, such as education and media. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal. // Events January Bill Clinton January 1 : North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect. ...
Andalusia The legal situation in Andalusia is similar to the one in Catalonia. Andalusia is the only community recognising the Spanish Sign Language (LSE).
Valencia Until recently, Valencia had poor legal support for the Deaf. The approved 2006 Statute of Autonomy grants to Valencian Deaf their right to use Valencian Sign Language (LSCV). Valencian Sign Language (LSCV or LSPV) is a sign language used by people with hearing impairments in Valencia. ...
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Galicia Galicia is said to be working on a bill concerning the recognition of a sign language. There are two well-known places called Galicia: Galicia (Spain), an autonomous community in Spain. ...
New Zealand The Office for Disability Issues developed a New Zealand Sign Language Bill to "provide official recognition of Deaf people’s language as a unique New Zealand language and give it status equal to that of spoken languages. This work also includes looking at provisions for New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreters in legal proceedings, and on access to language in education, health, employment and public broadcasting." This would make NZSL the third official language of New Zealand alongside Māori and English. New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand. ...
MÄori or Te Reo MÄori, commonly shortened to Te Reo (literally the language) is an official language of New Zealand. ...
The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...
The bill passed its second reading in parliament 119 to 2 on February 23, 2006. It became law on April 6. February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ...
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Norway Norwegian Sign Language is recognised by law in education. Norwegian Sign Language is the third official language in Norway, and is the preferred sign language amongst deaf Norwegians. ...
Slovak Republic Slovak Sign Language was recognized in 1995 by law: "Zákon o posunkovej reči nepočujúcich osob 149/1995 Sb" - the Law of the Sign Language of the Deaf 149/1995.
Thailand Thai Sign Language was acknowledged as "the national language of deaf people in Thailand" on 17 August 1999, in a resolution signed by the Permanent Secretary for Education on behalf of the Royal Thai Government that affirmed the rights of deaf people to learn this distinct sign language as their first language at home and in schools. According to a report by Charles Reilly (1999),"specific actions will be taken by the government, including hiring deaf people as teachers and instructors of sign language in deaf schools, and providing interpreters for deaf people in higher education." Thai Sign Language (TSL) or Modern Standard Thai Sign Language (MSTSL), is the national sign language of Thailands Deaf community and is used in most parts of the country by an estimated 56,000 deaf people. ...
August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...
Uganda On October 8th, 1995, Uganda's national sign language was recognised in the country's new constitution, making Uganda Sign Language one of the few constitutionally recognised sign languages in the world (WFD News, April 1996). A Deaf signer (27-year-old Alex Ndeezi) was elected to parliament in 1996. The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) is an international non-governmental organisation that acts as a peak body for national associations of Deaf people, with a focus on Deaf people who use sign language and their friends and family. ...
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| Preamble to The Constitution of Uganda | "XXIV (iii). The State shall [...] promote the development of a sign language for the deaf." |
United States of America Many individual states have laws recognising American Sign Language as a "foreign language" for educational purposes; some recognise ASL as a language of instruction in schools. American Sign Language (ASL, also Amslan obs. ...
Venezuela Venezuela Sign Language was recognised in the country's constitution on November 12th, 1999.
Sources - Report on the status of Sign Languages in Europe (PDF link)
- Official Recognition of British Sign Language
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