Should we have an official BSL Recognition Day, it appears it last happened on 18th March 2006.
What came of it? Could we introduce an awareness day for every year…It should be recognised and would support and promote B.S.L. teaching in schools.
Posted in: Life and Times
MM
March 19, 2010
Do they not have cultural awareness and two deaf week’s every year already to raise sign awareness ? (One by the plebs the other by the BDA). Unfortunately BSL cannot ‘travel’ to the USA as yet, it would still need captions there. I think the sign novelty has worn off frankly, a lot of awareness has been ruined by deaf apathy and in-fighting. Online seems to have more than enough BSL awareness, isn’t it working ?
gargly
March 19, 2010
I wouldn’t say BSL is a novelty, its no means a flash in the pan idea. Its a developed language that has suposed regognition from 2003 – when the government finally recognised British Sign Language as an official language.
From a personal perspective those I know prefer S.E, over BSL due to context and grammar.
I ‘d agree probably because of in-fighting and statistics, probably society has learned to adapt.
Its an important issue particularly for education in schools, and a better approach to awareness like (ie) sign week in schools.
MM
March 19, 2010
Erm the government DIDN’T recognise BSL via an educational tool at all, what it did was go along with an european directive to ‘recognise’ sign, as a minority language, but not adopt it in LAW. E.G, deaf cannot insist BSL is used as an educational tool with deaf children as yet with law backing. As I understand my area BSL isn’t used with deaf children until at least teen formative years, mostly up until that time it is SE or SSE or whatever mode appears to suit the child best.
There are still strong anti-views BSL interferes with acquiring the English language curriculum because of alleged grammatical differences. Rather than accepting the deaf view BSL is a way ‘In’ to English, they take the reverse view. The confusion of BSL acceptances was down to the BDA making a pigs ear of announcing the UK’s acceptance of a euro ‘suggestion’.
I read much about deaf children and education, basically as the law stands in the UK, children do NOT choose which mode is best for them, and neither does the deaf ‘community’ much as they would want it, it’s down to parents. Parents have many views on what is best for their child, mostly I stay out of that decision. I Prefer to leave it to parents, I wouldn’t want anyone else telling me what is best for my child. Campaigns have thus far failed it has to be said from the cultural community to change things.