PARLIAMNETARY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE PRESENTATION ON THE DEVELOPMENT, USE AND PROMOTION OF SOUTH AFRICAN SIGN LANGUAGE

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PARLIAMNETARY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE PRESENTATION ON
THE DEVELOPMENT, USE AND PROMOTION OF SOUTH
AFRICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
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Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Background
3. PanSALBs Programming Approach
4. Programmes - Awareness Campaigns
5. Funding-based Programmes
6. Partnership-based Programmes
7. Challenges
8. Conclusion

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Introduction
The Pan South African Language Board is please to
be a present the status of SASL to the
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women,
Children and People with Disabilities. In
response to the invitation PanSALB will be
briefing the Committee on its continuous support
of services for persons with disabilities, the
Deaf in particular. Our support is through
various programmes and projects implemented in
partnership with different stakeholders.
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Background

• The dawn of democracy and the inclusion of Sign
  Language in the constitution created space for
  the Deaf to participate in the development and
  other activities of this country thus giving a
  linguistic right to 412 421 profoundly Deaf and 1
  237 264 extremely hard-of-hearing people (2001
  Statistics SA Census).
• Since 1996, SASL has been recognised as the
  language of learning and teaching for the
  majority of Deaf learners in South Africa as can
  be seen in the Education White Paper 6.
• Recognising the situations outlined above,
  PanSALB identified a need to put in place
  awareness campaigns whose purpose is to
• Assist the Deaf to come out openly about their
  access services (education opportunities, social
  services, etc.) like other South African
  citizens, equal education opportunities and
  therefore, SASL interpreter services.
• Conscientise the hearing about deafness, Deaf
  culture and SASL Interpreting services.
•  

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PanSALBs Programming Approach

• Programmes and projects implemented by PanSALB
  are in line with the following
• The recognition of SASL as part of languages of
  South Africa
• Creation of space and environments that ensure
  the use and development of SASL such that it
  operates in all key domains of society
• Ensuring that PanSALB and relevant bodies attend
  to the developmental needs of SASL
• Providing advice to relevant bodies and
  individuals on SASL and strategies of promoting
  it as part of multilingualism in South Africa
• Monitoring the implementation of projects and
  programmes that promote the development and use
  of SASL and
• Protect the linguistic rights of the Deaf.

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Programmes - Awareness Campaigns
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Programmes - Awareness Campaigns
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Funding-based Programmes
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Partnership Based Programmes
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Future Programmes
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Challenges

• High unemployement rate of Deaf people no
  single Deaf person is employed in the Departments
  visited by PanSALB (e.g. SAPS, Health, Social
  Services in De Aar and Upington District
  Municipalities)
• Discrimination and abuse of Deaf people in
  general and particulalrly in organs of state
• Non-observance and violation of linguistic rights
  of Deaf people
• Uncoordinated effort in the development of SASL
• There are forty eight schools for the Deaf in the
  country with only one in the Northern Cape
  province
• There is a shortage of accredited SASL service
  providers in the country
• Workers at most public institutions are not
  literate / conversant in SASL. This creates
  barriers in service delivery
• SASL is a visual language with no pre developed
  spelling and orthography rules. This in itself
  requires extensive consultation with stakeholders
  with a solid funding base and
• Training programmes have been discontinued due to
  lack of funding.

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Conclusion
Continued promotion of the development and use of
SASL remains one of PanSALBs priority. This is
captured in our strategic objectives. Our
commitment to address the linguistic needs of the
Deaf community are further addressed in our
latest Strategy Document that is currently being
finalised.
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Thank You