Recognise sign language as Linguistic minority

national | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis

Friday April 08, 2005 00:40

by Aidan

The Irish Deaf association are having a demonstration on Sunday. The aim is to get sign language recognised as an offical language andd to be recognised as an official language.

The Irish Deaf Society has been at the forefront of a long struggle by Irish deaf People to preserve their language and culture. For the deaf community official recognition of Irish Sign Language (ISL) has been an issue of huge cultural and human rights significance. A formal proposal of ISL has been submitted to the government.

ISL is the indigenous language of Irish deaf people and of the deaf community. ISL has been passed down from generations of deaf people. it is a distinct visual and spatial language with its own distinct grammar. it is a language of the hands, face and body.

there are approx 5,000 people in Ireland who's first language is ISL as well as an additional language for another 40,000.

The European Parliament called on member states to recognise their respective national sign languages in 1988 and again in 1998. Despite this only Denmark, UK, Finland, Portugal, and Sweden have done so.

The right to use ones own language is a human rights issue. Like all linguistic minorities the deaf community have only limited access to the dominant communicational structures in the broader community. Thus wide areas of society are inaccessible to the deaf community. There is a need for improved access to education, health, and media to name but a few and recognising ISL as an official language will help bring down many barriers of this linguistic minority and offer them the beginnings of entering society as an equal.

All support welcome and spread the word.

Irish Deaf Society

The National Association of the Deaf

Irish Sign Language (ISL)

Our Identity and Pride Parade

Sunday, 10th April 2005

Commencing at 2.00pm

At Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, Dublin 1.

Route of the Parade:

O'Connell Street, O' Connell Bridge, D'Olier Street, College Green, Nassau Street and Kildare Street

Ending at St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2.

It will be followed by the ISL Choir by Irish Deaf Youth Association