German MP Heike Heubach has made history by delivering first address in sign Language at Parliament. The 44-year-old lawmaker who is hearing imped belongs to Social Democratic party of Germany. She was applauded by her fellow lawmakers as they cheered for her in sign language. Watch to know more.

German MP Delivers Address in Sign Language

South Africa has taken a quantum leap in encouraging inclusivity for people with disabilities in the country. President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially made sign language official.

South Africa makes sign language official

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<p>Sign language is now the twelfth official language of South Africa. With this, South Africa is the fourth country in the African continent to do so after Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Uganda, according to a report by the news agency PTI on Wednesday (July 19). South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed an amendment to an Act to make sign language an official language in the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“South African Sign Language (SASL) has served as an essential communication tool for our citizens living with disabilities and this step will further empower that community,” President Ramaphosa said at a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. “To empower people to use their language is to affirm their humanity and their existence,” he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">[VIDEO- SOUTH AFRICAN SIGN LANGUAGE BECOMES THE 12th OFFICIAL LANGUAGE] Mr Bruno Dunchen from the DEAF Federation of South Africa illustrates how to sign to President <a href="https://twitter.com/CyrilRamaphosa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CyrilRamaphosa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PresidencyZA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PresidencyZA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SASL12?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SASL12</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SportArtsCultur?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SportArtsCultur</a> <a href="https://t.co/Fp5jYFrifW">pic.twitter.com/Fp5jYFrifW</a></p>
— @PanSALB (@PanSALB) <a href="https://twitter.com/PanSALB/status/1681659838915289097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Ramaphosa pointed out the SASL has been accorded official language status, and many barriers between abled citizens and the deaf community would be addressed. ''This will also resolve issues of access to education, economic, and other social services. People with hearing impairments will be able to have public information,” the president added.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What does the new legislation offer?</h2>

<p>As per the PTI report, the new legislation seeks to advance the cultural acceptance of SASL, ensure the realisation of rights of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing to equal protection and benefit of the law and human dignity and promote inclusive and substantive equality and prevent or eliminate unfair discrimination on the grounds of disability, as guaranteed by Section 9 of the Constitution.</p>

<p>Earlier, the presidency had said that SASL is an indigenous language that constitutes an important element of South Africa's linguistic and cultural heritage. ''It has its own distinct grammatical structures and lexicon and it is independent of any other language,” the presidency said in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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Sign language is now the twelfth official language of South Africa. With this, South Africa is the fourth country in the African continent to do so after Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Uganda, according to a report by the news agency PTI on Wednesday (July 19).

Sign language is now the twelfth official language of South Africa. With this, South Africa is the fourth country in the African continent to do so after Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Uganda, according to a report by the news agency PTI on Wednesday (July 19). South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed an amendment to an Act to make sign language an official language in the country. “South African Sign Language (SASL) has served as an essential communication tool for our citizens living with disabilities and this step will further empower that community,” President Ramaphosa said at a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. “To empower people to use their language is to affirm their humanity and their existence,” he added. [VIDEO- SOUTH AFRICAN SIGN LANGUAGE BECOMES THE 12th OFFICIAL LANGUAGE] Mr Bruno Dunchen from the DEAF Federation of South Africa illustrates how to sign to President @CyrilRamaphosa @PresidencyZA #SASL12 @SportArtsCultur pic.twitter.com/Fp5jYFrifW — @PanSALB (@PanSALB) July 19, 2023 × Ramaphosa pointed out the SASL has been accorded official language status, and many barriers between abled citizens and the deaf community would be addressed. ''This will also resolve issues of access to education, economic, and other social services. People with hearing impairments will be able to have public information,” the president added. What does the new legislation offer? As per the PTI report, the new legislation seeks to advance the cultural acceptance of SASL, ensure the realisation of rights of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing to equal protection and benefit of the law and human dignity and promote inclusive and substantive equality and prevent or eliminate unfair discrimination on the grounds of disability, as guaranteed by Section 9 of the Constitution. Earlier, the presidency had said that SASL is an indigenous language that constitutes an important element of South Africa's linguistic and cultural heritage. ''It has its own distinct grammatical structures and lexicon and it is independent of any other language,” the presidency said in a statement. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Sign language becomes the 12th official language of South Africa

Bhutan is home to almost 20 different languages and dialects. Yet, the country does not have a standardised sign language. The Wangsel Institute for the deaf is hoping to change that. Mariam Wardak gets you a report.

South Asia Diary | Bhutan's first-ever sign language being developed

A movement to make sign language a human right

<p>A deaf woman on Wednesday won a court case against the UK government for failing to provide sign language interpreters at televised COVID-19 briefings.</p>

<p>The ruling is the latest setback for the UK government in its legal battles against citizens suing over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.</p>

<p>Judge Michael Fordham ruled in favour of citizen Katie Rowley against the Cabinet Office for not providing the interpretation during broadcasts on September 21 and October 12 last year.</p>

<p>Fordham said the omission constituted "discrimination" as it breached the "reasonable adjustments duty" but found the government was not "in present or continuing breach".</p>

<p>Campaign group The Good Law Project took it to court amid accusations of inadequate transparency and cronyism relating to the procurement of contracts for personal protective equipment.</p>

<p>In June, the High Court ruled against senior minister Michael Gove for unlawfully awarding a contract worth more than £560,000 ($777,000, 658,000 euros) for virus-related communications to a firm without going through proper procedures.</p>

<p>And state auditors last year found the government failed to account clearly for spending on supplies and services during the pandemic worth £18 billion.</p>

<p>Rowley, a self-employed actor and writer in her thirties from Leeds in northern England, wanted compensation for "injury to feelings".</p>

<p>Her lawyers claimed she should receive thousands of pounds in compensation, and a lower court will award damages at a later date.</p>

<p>Only two of more than 170 COVID-19 briefings were unlawful because British Sign Language was not provided, according to officials.</p>

<p>"Our priority has always been to reach the largest possible audience with important public information," said a government spokesperson.</p>

<p>"We will continue to ensure that British Sign Language interpretation is made available during COVID-19 briefings."</p>

<p>Televised pandemic briefings by the UK's devolved authorities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have included British Sign Language interpreters on screen.</p>

<p>The London High Court case comes at an inopportune time for the UK government, which on Tuesday launched plans to improve access to public transport and taxis for people with disabilities.</p>


A deaf woman on Wednesday won a court case against the UK government for failing to provide sign language interpreters at televised COVID-19 briefings. The ruling is the latest setback for the UK government in its legal battles against citizens suing over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

A deaf woman on Wednesday won a court case against the UK government for failing to provide sign language interpreters at televised COVID-19 briefings. The ruling is the latest setback for the UK government in its legal battles against citizens suing over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Judge Michael Fordham ruled in favour of citizen Katie Rowley against the Cabinet Office for not providing the interpretation during broadcasts on September 21 and October 12 last year. Fordham said the omission constituted "discrimination" as it breached the "reasonable adjustments duty" but found the government was not "in present or continuing breach". Campaign group The Good Law Project took it to court amid accusations of inadequate transparency and cronyism relating to the procurement of contracts for personal protective equipment. In June, the High Court ruled against senior minister Michael Gove for unlawfully awarding a contract worth more than £560,000 ($777,000, 658,000 euros) for virus-related communications to a firm without going through proper procedures. And state auditors last year found the government failed to account clearly for spending on supplies and services during the pandemic worth £18 billion. Rowley, a self-employed actor and writer in her thirties from Leeds in northern England, wanted compensation for "injury to feelings". Her lawyers claimed she should receive thousands of pounds in compensation, and a lower court will award damages at a later date. Only two of more than 170 COVID-19 briefings were unlawful because British Sign Language was not provided, according to officials. "Our priority has always been to reach the largest possible audience with important public information," said a government spokesperson. "We will continue to ensure that British Sign Language interpretation is made available during COVID-19 briefings." Televised pandemic briefings by the UK's devolved authorities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have included British Sign Language interpreters on screen. The London High Court case comes at an inopportune time for the UK government, which on Tuesday launched plans to improve access to public transport and taxis for people with disabilities.

UK govt loses court case over sign language interpreters

<p>India is home to the largest deaf community of the world. If data points by several welfare organisations working for the benefit of the deaf community are to be believed, there are an estimated 18 million deaf people in India (Lack of exact figures is because the Census of India documents an aggregate number of people with disabilities which includes all kinds of disabilities. The estimates also vary on how &ldquo;deaf&rdquo; is defined.)</p>

<p>Ayush was born deaf. He can pass off as a regular guy who works at a popular coffee chain, serving coffee and snacks to waiting for customers with a smile. He hides many stories behind that smile and wishes to tell it all,&nbsp;one day.</p>

<p>He ponders, &ldquo;I don&#39;t regret being born a deaf, yes there are complexities and challenges I must face on a daily basis but what I actually regret, is not having the infrastructure to tell what I want to say or to prove myself. I just wish someone had the patience to sit with me and talk, instead of looking at me with pity.&rdquo;</p>

<p><strong>Need for a language</strong></p>

<p>The biggest problem that the deaf community today faces is that of a common language. Who would know that only 0.25% deaf have access to bilingual education where knowledge of sign language is primary and that of a local language (to converse with the hearing community) is secondary or that for an 18 million deaf in India, there are only 250 registered interpreters?&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian deaf is scattered and is not informed. Most of them either don&#39;t reach the classrooms owing to a close link between disability and poverty in India or don&rsquo;t understand much because most schools use the oral approach to teaching.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>Those who can hear are always at an advantage. In terms of salary, career prospect; everything becomes stagnant after a while. Hearing and deaf community work separate. They don&rsquo;t collaborate with us.</h5>
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<p>Those few who are fortunate of receiving the best quality education claim that an absence of any link between the hearing and deaf community stalls their growth. Amit Vardhan is an artist who works with Atulyakala, India&rsquo;s first lifestyle brand run by deaf artists and designers.</p>

<p>A Bachelor and Masters in Fine Arts from a top college in Delhi in India, &nbsp;he says, &ldquo;Those who can hear are always at an advantage. In terms of salary, career prospect; everything becomes stagnant after a while. Hearing and deaf community work separate. They don&rsquo;t collaborate with us. There&rsquo;s a major gap between deaf and hearing in terms of the money they earn too. We don&#39;t even get campus recruitments.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Smriti Nagpal, the owner of Atulyakala, was brought up in a family where two of her elder siblings are deaf. While witnessing their world as someone who could hear, &ldquo;sign language became an integral part&rdquo; of her life &ldquo;since childhood&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She founded Atulyakala, thus, to break stereotypes. She wanted to show that they could be as efficient as those from the hearing community. Hiring a mix of both from the hearing and the deaf community, she says, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very silent, happy atmosphere that we share. Only those who are passionate to learn the sign language and use it in their daily lives, come and work with us. We only use signs to communicate--be it to share a joke or to get the work done.&rdquo;</p>

<p><strong>Why making Indian Sign Language official important?</strong></p>

<p>Till 2012, the deaf community in India used American Sign Language as it did not have its own. The American Sign Language is worldwide accepted as a universal sign language but the Indian community still felt something amiss.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>Almost every country has it own sign language and we realised that we didn&rsquo;t have our own even though we have the highest deaf population of the world. We lacked a language that is culturally fitting in our environment, signs that we would be able to relate with.</h5>
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<p>Smriti says, &ldquo;Almost every country has it own sign language and we realised that we didn&rsquo;t have our own even though we have the highest deaf population of the world. We lacked a language that is culturally fitting in our environment, signs that we would be able to relate with. Like how they would sign mother and father in American Sign Language makes no sense in the Indian context. We have a very different sign for mother and father in Indian Sign Language, something relatable for an Indian user.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;I feel language also evolves, and then comes together in a standard form. Language has a lot to do with our culture, where we grow up, they are a reflection of our rituals. There is a huge cultural difference in how we use our hands, gestures in the South India or East India. But the Indian Sign Language thus formed is standard in India--just how we have different accents in every region--similarly there are tweaks in the signs according to regions.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian Sign Language is today used by a large part of the deaf community due to several campaigns by activists and scholars, however, the language does not have an official status in the country. Smriti says, &ldquo;We have been struggling to make it an official language. We are still waiting for the Indian government to recognise it and make it a part of the languages.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Just like there are different dialects in oral language, sign language has a lot of variations. Unless the Indian Sign Language is made official, one form or structure cannot be mainstreamed. This impacts its further teachings. As a multilingual nation, the government needs to realise the need to officialise Indian Sign Language, for an inclusive growth of the community.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Way forward</strong></p>

<p>As some scholars and activists believe that deaf community must be considered as a linguistic community, the Indian Sign language has to come out of its monotonous shell.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>It is portrayed as a language for the deaf people, and not a language alone. As an entrepreneur, I realise it&#39;s all about pitching an idea--so portraying a language for all was the idea here. For example, focusing on the utility of the language rather than staying within the shackles of its limits.</h5>
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<p>Smriti says, &ldquo;It is portrayed as a language for the deaf people, and not a language alone. As an entrepreneur, I realise it&#39;s all about pitching an idea--so portraying a language for all was the idea here. For example, focusing on the utility of the language rather than staying within the shackles of its limits. Like when you are in a bar where very loud music is being played, and you can&#39;t communicate with words, you can use signs to ask the waiter for a drink or anything else. You don&#39;t have to shout on the top of your voice.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Smriti, like a few others, is encouraging people to learn the Indian Sign Language as just another language. It will go a long way in making those who can&#39;t hear and talk converse at ease.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many feel that an official recognition of their language will go a long way in strengthening the deaf community and equip them to contribute to the society in a better fashion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The biggest problem that the deaf community today faces in India is that of a common language.

India is home to the largest deaf community of the world. If data points by several welfare organisations working for the benefit of the deaf community are to be believed, there are an estimated 18 million deaf people in India (Lack of exact figures is because the Census of India documents an aggregate number of people with disabilities which includes all kinds of disabilities. The estimates also vary on how “deaf” is defined.) Ayush was born deaf. He can pass off as a regular guy who works at a popular coffee chain, serving coffee and snacks to waiting for customers with a smile. He hides many stories behind that smile and wishes to tell it all, one day. He ponders, “I don't regret being born a deaf, yes there are complexities and challenges I must face on a daily basis but what I actually regret, is not having the infrastructure to tell what I want to say or to prove myself. I just wish someone had the patience to sit with me and talk, instead of looking at me with pity.” Need for a language The biggest problem that the deaf community today faces is that of a common language. Who would know that only 0.25% deaf have access to bilingual education where knowledge of sign language is primary and that of a local language (to converse with the hearing community) is secondary or that for an 18 million deaf in India, there are only 250 registered interpreters? The Indian deaf is scattered and is not informed. Most of them either don't reach the classrooms owing to a close link between disability and poverty in India or don’t understand much because most schools use the oral approach to teaching. Those who can hear are always at an advantage. In terms of salary, career prospect; everything becomes stagnant after a while. Hearing and deaf community work separate. They don’t collaborate with us. × Those few who are fortunate of receiving the best quality education claim that an absence of any link between the hearing and deaf community stalls their growth. Amit Vardhan is an artist who works with Atulyakala, India’s first lifestyle brand run by deaf artists and designers. A Bachelor and Masters in Fine Arts from a top college in Delhi in India, he says, “Those who can hear are always at an advantage. In terms of salary, career prospect; everything becomes stagnant after a while. Hearing and deaf community work separate. They don’t collaborate with us. There’s a major gap between deaf and hearing in terms of the money they earn too. We don't even get campus recruitments.” Smriti Nagpal, the owner of Atulyakala, was brought up in a family where two of her elder siblings are deaf. While witnessing their world as someone who could hear, “sign language became an integral part” of her life “since childhood”. She founded Atulyakala, thus, to break stereotypes. She wanted to show that they could be as efficient as those from the hearing community. Hiring a mix of both from the hearing and the deaf community, she says, “It’s a very silent, happy atmosphere that we share. Only those who are passionate to learn the sign language and use it in their daily lives, come and work with us. We only use signs to communicate--be it to share a joke or to get the work done.” Why making Indian Sign Language official important? Till 2012, the deaf community in India used American Sign Language as it did not have its own. The American Sign Language is worldwide accepted as a universal sign language but the Indian community still felt something amiss. Almost every country has it own sign language and we realised that we didn’t have our own even though we have the highest deaf population of the world. We lacked a language that is culturally fitting in our environment, signs that we would be able to relate with. × Smriti says, “Almost every country has it own sign language and we realised that we didn’t have our own even though we have the highest deaf population of the world. We lacked a language that is culturally fitting in our environment, signs that we would be able to relate with. Like how they would sign mother and father in American Sign Language makes no sense in the Indian context. We have a very different sign for mother and father in Indian Sign Language, something relatable for an Indian user. “I feel language also evolves, and then comes together in a standard form. Language has a lot to do with our culture, where we grow up, they are a reflection of our rituals. There is a huge cultural difference in how we use our hands, gestures in the South India or East India. But the Indian Sign Language thus formed is standard in India--just how we have different accents in every region--similarly there are tweaks in the signs according to regions.” The Indian Sign Language is today used by a large part of the deaf community due to several campaigns by activists and scholars, however, the language does not have an official status in the country. Smriti says, “We have been struggling to make it an official language. We are still waiting for the Indian government to recognise it and make it a part of the languages.” Just like there are different dialects in oral language, sign language has a lot of variations. Unless the Indian Sign Language is made official, one form or structure cannot be mainstreamed. This impacts its further teachings. As a multilingual nation, the government needs to realise the need to officialise Indian Sign Language, for an inclusive growth of the community. Way forward As some scholars and activists believe that deaf community must be considered as a linguistic community, the Indian Sign language has to come out of its monotonous shell. It is portrayed as a language for the deaf people, and not a language alone. As an entrepreneur, I realise it's all about pitching an idea--so portraying a language for all was the idea here. For example, focusing on the utility of the language rather than staying within the shackles of its limits. × Smriti says, “It is portrayed as a language for the deaf people, and not a language alone. As an entrepreneur, I realise it's all about pitching an idea--so portraying a language for all was the idea here. For example, focusing on the utility of the language rather than staying within the shackles of its limits. Like when you are in a bar where very loud music is being played, and you can't communicate with words, you can use signs to ask the waiter for a drink or anything else. You don't have to shout on the top of your voice.” Smriti, like a few others, is encouraging people to learn the Indian Sign Language as just another language. It will go a long way in making those who can't hear and talk converse at ease. Many feel that an official recognition of their language will go a long way in strengthening the deaf community and equip them to contribute to the society in a better fashion. (WION)

How do we speak with the 18 million Indians who are deaf?

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