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allAfrica.com: Africa: Promoting Sign Language for Socio-Economic Development and as a Human Rights Concern (Page 1 of 4)
The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) recognizes that any people's socio-economic development is not really possible if their language is marginalized or ignored. Linguists have long acknowledged that language is one single trait that distinguishes humans from other species (see, for example O'Grady et al 1996:1).
Moreover, humans owe their social, political, economic and technological advances to language. It is thus no surprise that the most advanced countries of the world at any given period of human history have been those that have made best use of their mother tongues and not those who have attempted to rely on foreign languages.
This paper outlines the challenges and achievements in efforts at developing and promoting Sign Language in Southern Africa with special reference to 10 countries in which the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) has a mandate to operate. The paper consists of four sections. Following the introduction which includes a brief description of the structure and thematic programmes of OSISA, some marginalised populations whose rights OSISA is committed to advocate for are briefly outlined.
A presentation of the state of national associations of the Deaf and of Sign Language as well as challenges and possibilities these groups face in the 10 countries of OSISA's focus follow in the third and fourth sections respectively. In the fifth section the contribution of OSISA to the development and promotion of Sign Language is outlined and plans for future work are presented before outlining some conclusions.
INTRODUCTION
Perhaps the best way to introduce the topic of this paper is to state what is supposed to be obvious to deaf people but not so obvious to hearing and speaking laypersons. This is the fact that Sign Language is a language just like any other natural language. Moreover, it is the only language used by the Deaf and other hearing impaired people. However, it is important to note that although it is the only language used by the Deaf, it is not required by them alone for deaf persons live amongst hearing and speaking members of their respective communities who include family and friends, colleagues at work places, fellow learners and educators in schools and tertiary institutions as well as the general public.
In recognition of these important facts, the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) based in Johannesburg, is committed to advocating for the development, promotion and use of Sign Language for both formal and informal purposes. Before presenting the state of national associations of the Deaf in the 10 countries of OSISA's focus, it is helpful to briefly describe below OSISA's vision and mission and its thematic programmes for the present work is based on the work being undertaken by this regional foundation.
The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) recognizes that any people's socio-economic development is not really possible if their language is marginalized or ignored. Linguists have long acknowledged that language is one single trait that distinguishes humans from other species (see, for example O'Grady et al 1996:1).
Moreover, humans owe their social, political, economic and technological advances to language. It is thus no surprise that the most advanced countries of the world at any given period of human history have been those that have made best use of their mother tongues and not those who have attempted to rely on foreign languages.
This paper outlines the challenges and achievements in efforts at developing and promoting Sign Language in Southern Africa with special reference to 10 countries in which the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) has a mandate to operate. The paper consists of four sections. Following the introduction which includes a brief description of the structure and thematic programmes of OSISA, some marginalised populations whose rights OSISA is committed to advocate for are briefly outlined.
A presentation of the state of national associations of the Deaf and of Sign Language as well as challenges and possibilities these groups face in the 10 countries of OSISA's focus follow in the third and fourth sections respectively. In the fifth section the contribution of OSISA to the development and promotion of Sign Language is outlined and plans for future work are presented before outlining some conclusions.
INTRODUCTION
Perhaps the best way to introduce the topic of this paper is to state what is supposed to be obvious to deaf people but not so obvious to hearing and speaking laypersons. This is the fact that Sign Language is a language just like any other natural language. Moreover, it is the only language used by the Deaf and other hearing impaired people. However, it is important to note that although it is the only language used by the Deaf, it is not required by them alone for deaf persons live amongst hearing and speaking members of their respective communities who include family and friends, colleagues at work places, fellow learners and educators in schools and tertiary institutions as well as the general public.
In recognition of these important facts, the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) based in Johannesburg, is committed to advocating for the development, promotion and use of Sign Language for both formal and informal purposes. Before presenting the state of national associations of the Deaf in the 10 countries of OSISA's focus, it is helpful to briefly describe below OSISA's vision and mission and its thematic programmes for the present work is based on the work being undertaken by this regional foundation.