Legal recognition of sign languages
Encyclopedia
The legal recognition of sign languages is one of the major concerns of the international Deaf community. There is no standard way in which such a recognition can be formally or legally extended; 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. However, symbolic recognition is no guarantee for an effective improvement of the life of sign language
users.
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.
(Österreichische Gebärdensprache, ÖGS) was recognised by the Austrian Parliament in 2005. On 1 September 2005 the Austrian Constitution was amended to include a new article: „§8 (3) Die Österreichische Gebärdensprache ist als eigenständige Sprache anerkannt. Das Nähere bestimmen die Gesetze.“ ("Austrian Sign Language is recognised as independent language. The laws will determine the details.")
For further information please contact the Austrian Deaf Association: http://www.oeglb.at
http://minderheiten.at/stimme/stimme56f.htm
Krausneker, Verena (2006) taubstumm bis gebärdensprachig. Die österreichische Gebärdensprachgemeinschaft aus soziolinguistischer Perspektive. Verlag Drava
recognised LSFB (French-Belgian Sign Language) in a decree
of October 2003. This recognition entails:
In 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',http://www.ffsb.be/doc/LS/decret_LS.pdf#page=8 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."
was recognised on 2006-04-26 by the Flemish Parliament
. This recognition entails:
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.
was legally recognized in 2002; the law was regulated
in 2005. The language must be taught as a part of the education
and speech and language pathology
curricula. LIBRAS teachers, instructors and translators are recognized professionals. Schools and health services must provide access ("include
") to deaf people.
specifies that an accused person who does not understand the language in which his or her trial is carried out, or is deaf, is entitled to an interpreter.
Question Period in the Canadian House of Commons
is interpreted in Quebec Sign Language
.
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 EP issued another resolution in 1998 with more or less the same content as in 1988, (see RESOLUTION on sign languages for the deaf, Official Journal C 187 , 18/07/1988 P. 0236 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:51987IP0302:EN:NOT
was recognised in the constitution in August 1995.
has been recognised by law in education but not yet been recognised as deaf people's first language, as the official language of deaf people is Icelandic
. There was a deaf member of Parliament who campaigned on this issue but so far without success.
yet. However, there have been calls to make Irish Sign Language the third official language in Ireland, after Irish and English, which would require an amendment to the constitution - which can only happen via a referendum. http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhcwidsnidkf/rss2/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0922/breaking8.htm
) yet. The language is widely considered "grammarless," although, by definition, a language cannot be, in fact, grammarless.
(see the KNAD report on the proposal).
(Македонски знаковен јазик, Makedonski znakoven jazik) is officially recognized as "natural way of communication between the people". The language is regulated by a law, which allows students and every individual in Macedonia to study the language. Also, the law secures the right of interpreter for the students with special needs, and every other deaf person can request an interpreter, as well. Currently, there are more than 6.000 Macedonian citizens with deafness.
became the third official language of New Zealand
in April 2006, joining Māori
and English
when the bill was passed in the New Zealand Parliament on April 6, 2006.
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 province's two official minority languages, Irish
and Ulster-Scots
.
) have one corner of the screen with a person translating what's being said into sign language.
is not specifically recognised as a Language of South Africa
by the country's constitution
, instead it contains the phrase "sign language" in the generic sense.
There is a process underway in parliament to investigate the possibility of upgrading the status of SASL to become the country's 12th official language.
So far, the Autonomous Communities
of Catalonia
, Andalusia
, and Valencia had granted the use of sign languages to the Deaf. In the other Spanish regions no sign languages were so far recognised, and support in terms of sign language interpretation for Deaf persons has been minimal or confined by different budgets. As pointed out, there are three signed languages claimed by Deaf organisations: Spanish Sign Language
, Catalan Sign Language
(LSC) and Valencian Sign Language
(LSPV), although some linguists consider these to be the same.
since 1994 in all areas under the Catalan Government, such as education and media, until recently it was officially recognised the LSC in the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia
of 2006.
(LSE) in all social scopes since 1998. Recently, a recognition of it is included in the reforming of their Statute of Autonomy. At the moment, Andalusia is the unique Community where LSE is recognised with regards to the rest of Spain. In any case, in linguistic terms, the LSE used there has a strong dialectal variation.
(LSPV or LSCV). In the Statute there is no mention about which signed language is telling, but Valencian Deaf entities usually refer it as Llengua de Signes en la Comunitat Valenciana.
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."
, the de facto sign language in use by the Turkish deaf community.
On July 1, 2005, the Turkish Grand National Assembly enacted an updated Disability Law
(No. 5378), which for the first time in Turkish law made references to sign language. Law no. 15 says that a sign language is to be used in the deaf education system, and law no. 30 says that sign language interpreting is to be provided to deaf people. http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/hypermail/slling-l/0508/0013.html However, these laws are yet to be implemented (as of 2007), and it remains to be seen what form of sign language, if any, will be supported. There has been some discussion in parliament about "developing" a standardised sign language.http://www.abgs.gov.tr/tarama/tarama_files/19/SC19DET_People%20with%20disabilities.pdf
Turkey also has action plans for disability issues, such as the Employment of Disabled Persons Plan (2005–2010) and the Prevention of Discrimination Against Disabled Persons Plan (2006–2010).
'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.
as a "foreign language" for educational purposes; some recognize ASL as a language of instruction in schools.
LEY No. 17.378. Reconócese a todos los effectos a la Lengua de Señas Uruguaya como la lengua natural de las personas sordas y de sus comunidades en to do el territorio de la Republica. 10 de Julio de 2001. Parlamento del Uruguay.
In the 2008 law 18.437 ("Ley General de Educación. 12 de Diciembre de 2008"), LSU is "considered" to be one of the mother tongues of Uruguayan citizens (along with Español del Uruguay and Portugués del Uruguay). In the policy documents of the Comisión de Políticas Lingüísticas en la Educación Pública (the Public Education Language Policy Commission, which is part of the Administración Nacional de Educación Pública, ANEP) it is proposed that LSU be the principal language of Deaf education.
was recognised in the country's constitution
on November 12, 1999.
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
users.
Australia
AuslanAuslan
Auslan is the sign language of the Australian deaf community. The term Auslan is an acronym of "Australian sign language", coined by Trevor Johnston in the early 1980s, although the language itself is much older...
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.
Austria
Austrian Sign LanguageAustrian Sign Language
Austrian Sign Language, or Österreichische Gebärdensprache , is the sign language used by the Austrian Deaf community — approximately 10,000 people. -Classification:...
(Österreichische Gebärdensprache, ÖGS) was recognised by the Austrian Parliament in 2005. On 1 September 2005 the Austrian Constitution was amended to include a new article: „§8 (3) Die Österreichische Gebärdensprache ist als eigenständige Sprache anerkannt. Das Nähere bestimmen die Gesetze.“ ("Austrian Sign Language is recognised as independent language. The laws will determine the details.")
For further information please contact the Austrian Deaf Association: http://www.oeglb.at
Further reading
Krausneker, Verena (2005) Österreichs erste Minderheitensprache, in: STIMME von und für Minderheiten # 56http://minderheiten.at/stimme/stimme56f.htm
Krausneker, Verena (2006) taubstumm bis gebärdensprachig. Die österreichische Gebärdensprachgemeinschaft aus soziolinguistischer Perspektive. Verlag Drava
French Community
The Parliament of French-speaking BelgiumFrench Community of Belgium
The French Community of Belgium is one of the three official communities in Belgium along with the Flemish Community and the German speaking Community. Although its name could suggest that it is a community of French citizens in Belgium, it is not...
recognised LSFB (French-Belgian Sign Language) in a decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
of October 2003. This recognition entails:
- 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.
In 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',http://www.ffsb.be/doc/LS/decret_LS.pdf#page=8 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
Flemish Sign LanguageFlemish Sign Language
Flemish Sign Language is the language used by signers in Flanders, which is the northern part of Belgium, a country in Western Europe...
was recognised on 2006-04-26 by the Flemish Parliament
Flemish Parliament
The Flemish Parliament constitutes the legislative power in Flanders, for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and a cultural community of Belgium The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: , and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the...
. This recognition entails:
- 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.
Brazil
The Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS)Brazilian Sign Language
Brazilian Sign Language, also known as "Libras" and previously known as LSB, LGB or LSCB , is the language of the Deaf communities of urban Brazil....
was legally recognized in 2002; the law was regulated
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
in 2005. The language must be taught as a part of the education
School of education
In the United States and Canada, a school of education is a division within a university that is devoted to scholarship in the field of education, which is an interdisciplinary branch of the social sciences encompassing sociology, psychology, linguistics, economics, political science, public...
and speech and language pathology
Speech and language pathology
Speech-Language Pathology specializes in communication disorders.The main components of speech production include: phonation, the process of sound production; resonance, opening and closing of the vocal folds; intonation, the variation of pitch; and voice, including aeromechanical components of...
curricula. LIBRAS teachers, instructors and translators are recognized professionals. Schools and health services must provide access ("include
Inclusion (education)
Inclusion in education is an approach to educating students with special educational needs. Under the inclusion model, students with special needs spend most or all of their time with non-disabled students. Implementation of these practices varies...
") to deaf people.
Canada
Section Fourteen of the Canadian Charter of Rights and FreedomsSection Fourteen of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Section Fourteen of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is the last section under the "Legal rights" heading in the Charter. It provides anyone in a court the right to an interpreter if the person does not speak the language being used or is deaf.-Text:The section states:-Background:Before...
specifies that an accused person who does not understand the language in which his or her trial is carried out, or is deaf, is entitled to an interpreter.
Question Period in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
is interpreted in Quebec Sign Language
Quebec Sign Language
Quebec Sign Language, known in French as Langue des signes québécoise , is a sign language used in Canada. Most LSQ users are located in Quebec, but a few are scattered in major cities in the rest of the country....
.
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 ParliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
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 EP issued another resolution in 1998 with more or less the same content as in 1988, (see RESOLUTION on sign languages for the deaf, Official Journal C 187 , 18/07/1988 P. 0236 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:51987IP0302:EN:NOT
Finland
Finnish Sign LanguageFinnish Sign Language
Finnish Sign Language is the sign language most commonly used in Finland. There are 5000 Finnish deaf who have Finnish Sign Language as a mother tongue...
was recognised in the constitution in August 1995.
Iceland
Icelandic Sign LanguageIcelandic Sign Language
The Icelandic sign language is the sign language of the deaf community in Iceland. It is based on the Danish Sign Language; until 1910, deaf Icelandic people were sent to school in Denmark, but the languages have diverged since then...
has been recognised by law in education but not yet been recognised as deaf people's first language, as the official language of deaf people is Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
. There was a deaf member of Parliament who campaigned on this issue but so far without success.
Ireland
There is no official recognition of Irish Sign LanguageIrish Sign Language
Irish Sign Language is the sign language of Ireland, used primarily in the Republic of Ireland. It is also used in Northern Ireland, though British Sign Language is also used. Irish Sign Language is more closely related to French Sign Language than to British Sign Language, which was first used...
yet. However, there have been calls to make Irish Sign Language the third official language in Ireland, after Irish and English, which would require an amendment to the constitution - which can only happen via a referendum. http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhcwidsnidkf/rss2/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0922/breaking8.htm
Italy
There is no official recognition of Lingua Italiana dei Segni (Italian Sign LanguageItalian Sign Language
Italian Sign Language or ISL is the visual language employed by deaf people in Italy. Deep analysis of it began in the 1980s, along the lines of William Stokoe's research on American Sign Language in the 1960s. Until recently, most of the studies about Italian Sign Language have dealt with its...
) yet. The language is widely considered "grammarless," although, by definition, a language cannot be, in fact, grammarless.
Kenya
There is no legal recognition as yet, but the latest draft of the Kenyan constitution is currently considering the inclusion of Kenyan Sign LanguageKenyan Sign Language
Kenyan Sign Language is the language of the Deaf community in Kenya, used throughout the country by over half the country's estimated Deaf population of 600,000....
(see the KNAD report on the proposal).
Macedonia
The Macedonian sign languageMacedonian Sign Language
The Macedonian sign language is a sign language of the deaf community in Macedonia. As all sign languages, the Macedonian sign language is also based on gestures and body movements, particularly movements with the hands...
(Македонски знаковен јазик, Makedonski znakoven jazik) is officially recognized as "natural way of communication between the people". The language is regulated by a law, which allows students and every individual in Macedonia to study the language. Also, the law secures the right of interpreter for the students with special needs, and every other deaf person can request an interpreter, as well. Currently, there are more than 6.000 Macedonian citizens with deafness.
The Netherlands
The Sign Language of the Netherlands has not been recognised officially by law. There is some public funding for sign language projects.New Zealand
New Zealand Sign LanguageNew Zealand Sign Language
New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL is the main language of the Deaf community in New Zealand. It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006, alongside Te Reo Māori....
became the third official language of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in April 2006, joining Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
when the bill was passed in the New Zealand Parliament on April 6, 2006.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, both British Sign LanguageBritish Sign Language
British Sign Language is the sign language used in the United Kingdom , and is the first or preferred language of some deaf people in the UK; there are 125,000 deaf adults in the UK who use BSL plus an estimated 20,000 children. The language makes use of space and involves movement of the hands,...
and Irish Sign Language
Irish Sign Language
Irish Sign Language is the sign language of Ireland, used primarily in the Republic of Ireland. It is also used in Northern Ireland, though British Sign Language is also used. Irish Sign Language is more closely related to French Sign Language than to British Sign Language, which was first used...
were recognised as official languages by the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
, but they don't yet have the same status as the province's two official minority languages, Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and Ulster-Scots
Ulster Scots language
Ulster Scots or Ulster-Scots generally refers to the dialects of Scots spoken in parts of Ulster in Ireland. Some definitions of Ulster Scots may also include Standard English spoken with an Ulster Scots accent...
.
Portugal
As an example, many shows (such as the news) in public channels (RTPRádio e Televisão de Portugal
Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, S.A.,commonly known as RTP, is Portugal's public service broadcasting organization. It operates four terrestrial television channels and three national radio channels, as well as several satellite and cable offerings....
) have one corner of the screen with a person translating what's being said into sign language.
Russia
The Russian Sign Language (Русский жестовый язык) has very limited legal recognition. In accordance with the Federal "Law on Protection of People with Disabilities" the sign language is considered a language used for inter-personal communication only, which means that no state support for the language is provided.South Africa
South African Sign LanguageSouth African Sign Language
South African Sign Language is the name of the sign language favoured by the South African government. SASL was formally recognised in 1995, and is still being codified...
is not specifically recognised as a Language of South Africa
Languages of South Africa
South Africa has eleven official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. Fewer than one percent of South Africans speak a first language other than an official one. Most South Africans can speak more than one language. Dutch and...
by the country's constitution
Constitution of South Africa
The Constitution of South Africa is the supreme law of the country of South Africa. It provides the legal foundation for the existence of the republic, sets out the rights and duties of its citizens, and defines the structure of the government. The current constitution, the country's fifth, was...
, instead it contains the phrase "sign language" in the generic sense.
There is a process underway in parliament to investigate the possibility of upgrading the status of SASL to become the country's 12th official language.
Spain
On June 28, 2007, Spanish and Catalan Sign Languages were recognised by the Spanish Parliament to be official languages in Spain. This recent legal development has opened a door to reinforced communication in the areas of healthcare, justice, education and MCM.So far, the Autonomous Communities
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, and Valencia had granted the use of sign languages to the Deaf. In the other Spanish regions no sign languages were so far recognised, and support in terms of sign language interpretation for Deaf persons has been minimal or confined by different budgets. As pointed out, there are three signed languages claimed by Deaf organisations: Spanish Sign Language
Spanish Sign language
Spanish Sign Language is a sign language used mainly by deaf people in Spain and the people who live with them.There are small differences throughout Spain with no difficulties in intercommunication, except in Catalonia and in Valencia...
, Catalan Sign Language
Catalan Sign Language
Catalan Sign Language is a sign language used by 18,000 signers in Catalonia. About 50% intelligibility by users of Spanish Sign Language.Since 1994, it has an official status thanks to a law to promote and diffuse the language promulgated by Generalitat de Catalunya...
(LSC) and Valencian Sign Language
Valencian Sign Language
Valencian Sign Language is a sign language used by deaf people in the Valencian Community, Spain. Some linguists consider LSV, Spanish Sign Language and Catalan Sign Language as variants related to a language group, while others believe it is a dialect of the latter...
(LSPV), although some linguists consider these to be the same.
Catalonia
Although a regional law guarantees the presence of Catalan Sign LanguageCatalan Sign Language
Catalan Sign Language is a sign language used by 18,000 signers in Catalonia. About 50% intelligibility by users of Spanish Sign Language.Since 1994, it has an official status thanks to a law to promote and diffuse the language promulgated by Generalitat de Catalunya...
since 1994 in all areas under the Catalan Government, such as education and media, until recently it was officially recognised the LSC in the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia
Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia
The Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia provides Catalonia's basic institutional regulations. It defines the rights and obligations of the citizens of Catalonia , the political institutions of the Catalan nationality, their competences and relations with the rest of Spain, and the financing of the...
of 2006.
Andalusia
The legal situation in Andalusia is similar to the one in Catalonia, where a regional Law guarantees the presence of the Spanish Sign LanguageSpanish Sign language
Spanish Sign Language is a sign language used mainly by deaf people in Spain and the people who live with them.There are small differences throughout Spain with no difficulties in intercommunication, except in Catalonia and in Valencia...
(LSE) in all social scopes since 1998. Recently, a recognition of it is included in the reforming of their Statute of Autonomy. At the moment, Andalusia is the unique Community where LSE is recognised with regards to the rest of Spain. In any case, in linguistic terms, the LSE used there has a strong dialectal variation.
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 LanguageValencian Sign Language
Valencian Sign Language is a sign language used by deaf people in the Valencian Community, Spain. Some linguists consider LSV, Spanish Sign Language and Catalan Sign Language as variants related to a language group, while others believe it is a dialect of the latter...
(LSPV or LSCV). In the Statute there is no mention about which signed language is telling, but Valencian Deaf entities usually refer it as Llengua de Signes en la Comunitat Valenciana.
Galicia
Galicia is said to be working on a bill concerning the recognition of a sign language.Slovak Republic
Slovak Sign Language was recognised 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 LanguageThai Sign Language
Thai Sign Language or Modern Standard Thai Sign Language , is the national sign language of Thailand's Deaf community and is used in most parts of the country by the 20% of the estimated 56,000 pre-linguistically deaf people who go to school...
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."
Turkey
There is currently no official recognition of the Turkish Sign LanguageTurkish Sign Language
Turkish Sign Language is the language used by the deaf community in Turkey. As with other sign languages, TİD has a unique grammar that is different from the spoken languages used in the region....
, the de facto sign language in use by the Turkish deaf community.
On July 1, 2005, the Turkish Grand National Assembly enacted an updated Disability Law
Disability discrimination act
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a number of countries have passed laws aimed at reducing discrimination against people with disabilities. These laws have begun to appear as the notion of civil rights has become more influential globally, and follow other forms of anti-discrimination and...
(No. 5378), which for the first time in Turkish law made references to sign language. Law no. 15 says that a sign language is to be used in the deaf education system, and law no. 30 says that sign language interpreting is to be provided to deaf people. http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/hypermail/slling-l/0508/0013.html However, these laws are yet to be implemented (as of 2007), and it remains to be seen what form of sign language, if any, will be supported. There has been some discussion in parliament about "developing" a standardised sign language.http://www.abgs.gov.tr/tarama/tarama_files/19/SC19DET_People%20with%20disabilities.pdf
Turkey also has action plans for disability issues, such as the Employment of Disabled Persons Plan (2005–2010) and the Prevention of Discrimination Against Disabled Persons Plan (2006–2010).
Uganda
On October 8, 1995, UgandaUganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
's national sign language was recognised in the country's new constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, making Uganda Sign Language one of the few constitutionally recognised sign languages in the world (WFD
World Federation of the Deaf
The World Federation of the Deaf is an international non-governmental organization that acts as a peak body for national associations of Deaf people, with a focus on Deaf people who use sign language and their family and friends...
News, April 1996). A Deaf signer (27-year-old Alex Ndeezi) was elected to parliament in 1996.
United States of America
Many individual states have laws recognizing American Sign LanguageAmerican Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
as a "foreign language" for educational purposes; some recognize ASL as a language of instruction in schools.
Uruguay
Although there are no "official" languages in Uruguay, nevertheless, Lengua de Señas Uruguaya, or "LSU" (In English: "Uruguayan Sign Language"), was "recognized" as the language of Deaf persons in 2001 by the law:LEY No. 17.378. Reconócese a todos los effectos a la Lengua de Señas Uruguaya como la lengua natural de las personas sordas y de sus comunidades en to do el territorio de la Republica. 10 de Julio de 2001. Parlamento del Uruguay.
In the 2008 law 18.437 ("Ley General de Educación. 12 de Diciembre de 2008"), LSU is "considered" to be one of the mother tongues of Uruguayan citizens (along with Español del Uruguay and Portugués del Uruguay). In the policy documents of the Comisión de Políticas Lingüísticas en la Educación Pública (the Public Education Language Policy Commission, which is part of the Administración Nacional de Educación Pública, ANEP) it is proposed that LSU be the principal language of Deaf education.
Venezuela
Venezuelan Sign LanguageVenezuelan Sign language
Venezuelan Sign language or VSL is the national deaf sign language of Venezuela. The term, "Venezuelan Sign Language," began to be used in the 1930s. It is widely used, and Venezuela has a national bilingual education program for VSL and Spanish, though the language used by adults differs from...
was recognised in the country's constitution
Constitution of Venezuela
||The Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the current and twenty-sixth constitution of Venezuela. It was drafted in mid-1999 by a constitutional assembly that had been created by popular referendum. Adopted in December 1999, it replaced the 1961 Constitution - the longest...
on November 12, 1999.