THE Parliamentary Constitutional Review Committee is considering recognising South African Sign Language as the 12th official language.
Deputy Minister in the Presidency Department of Women Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize, said Parliament was considering amending Section 30 of the Constitution and the National Official Languages.
“I want to emphasise that South African Sign Language is a right and not a privilege, and is a language of the first line of commutation for deaf people. The strengthening of inter-sectoral collaboration between the government and the deaf community will make South Africa one of the countries that provide for deaf people’s communication mode in their own local language,” the Deputy Minister said.
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She was addressing the launch of the South African Sign Language Charter, which was conceptualised to address issues that relate to communication, access to information, facilities, and social justice for the deaf community, including the type of service provided by South African Sign Language interpreters in general.
The Charter articulates and affirms the linguistic rights of deaf people in South Africa and is aimed at creating conditions for the development of South African Sign Language.
This September marks 62 years of the celebration of the International Month for the Deaf, as declared by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD).
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