The Legal Recognition of Sign Languages: Advocacy and Outcomes Around the World

Author:   Maartje De Meulder ,  Joseph J. Murray ,  Rachel L. McKee
Publisher:   Multilingual Matters
ISBN:  

9781788923996


Pages:   352
Publication Date:   17 June 2019
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
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The Legal Recognition of Sign Languages: Advocacy and Outcomes Around the World


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Overview

This book presents the first ever comprehensive overview of national laws recognising sign languages, the impacts they have and the advocacy campaigns which led to their creation. It comprises 18 studies from communities across Europe, the US, South America, Asia and New Zealand. They set sign language legislation within the national context of language policies in each country and show patterns of intersection between language ideologies, public policy and deaf communities' discourses. The chapters are grounded in a collaborative writing approach between deaf and hearing scholars and activists involved in legislative campaigns. Each one describes a deaf community's expectations and hopes for legal recognition and the type of sign language legislation achieved. The chapters also discuss the strategies used in achieving the passage of the legislation, as well as an account of barriers confronted and surmounted (or not) in the legislative process. The book will be of interest to language activists in the fields of sign language and other minority languages, policymakers and researchers in deaf studies, sign linguistics, sociolinguistics, human rights law and applied linguistics.

Full Product Details

Author:   Maartje De Meulder ,  Joseph J. Murray ,  Rachel L. McKee
Publisher:   Multilingual Matters
Imprint:   Multilingual Matters
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 1.80cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.540kg
ISBN:  

9781788923996


ISBN 10:   1788923995
Pages:   352
Publication Date:   17 June 2019
Audience:   College/higher education ,  General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Maartje De Meulder, Joseph J. Murray and Rachel L. McKee: Introduction: The Legal Recognition of Sign Languages: Advocacy and Outcomes Around the World Section 1 – Recent Sign Language Laws Chapter 1. John Bosco Conama:“Ah, That’s Not Necessary, You Can Read English Instead”: An Analysis of State Language Policy Concerning Irish Sign Language and its Effect Chapter 2. Sung-Eun Hong, Hyunhwa Lee, Mi-Hye Lee and Seung-Il Byun: The Korean Sign Language Act Chapter 3. Marie Azzopardi-Alexander, Karl Borg, Dorianne Callus, Keith Callus, Steven Mulvaney, Alison Vere, Annabelle Xerri and Loran Ripard Xuereb : The Road to Maltese Sign Language Recognition Chapter 4. Lilian Lawson, Frankie McLean, Rachel O’Neill and Robert Brian Wilks: Recognising British Sign Language in Scotland Section 2 – Implicit Legal Recognition Chapter 5. Deniz İlkbaşaran and Okan Kubus: A Roof Without Foundation: Shifts in the Legal and Practical Status of Turkish Sign Language (TİD) Since 2005 Chapter 6. Soya Mori and Atsubumi Sugimoto: Progress and Problems in the Campaign for Sign Language Recognition in Japan Chapter 7. Joseph J. Murray: American Sign Language Legislation in the United States Chapter 8. Maribel González, Andrea Pérez, Juan Luis Marín and Camila Villavicencio: Towards the Recognition of Chilean Sign Language Chapter 9. Yann Cantin, Florence Encrevé and Marie-Thérèse L’Huillier: The Societal and Political Recognition of French Sign Language (LSF) in France: 1970-2018 Section 3 – On-going Campaigns Towards Explicit Legal Recognition Chapter 10. Richard Cokart, Trude Schermer, Corrie Tijsseling and Eva Westerhoff: In Pursuit of Legal Recognition of The Netherlands Chapter 11. Carlo Geraci and Humberto Insolera: The “Language Issue”: The Struggle and Path for the Recognition of LIS Chapter 12. Arnfinn Muruvik Vonen and Paal Richard Peterson: Sign Language Legislation in Norway Section 4 – Implementation of Sign Language Laws Chapter 13. Franz Dotter, Verena Krausneker, Helene Jarmer and Lukas Huber: Austrian Sign Language: Recognition Achieved but Discrimination Continues Chapter 14. Rachel L. McKee and Victoria Manning: Implementing Recognition of New Zealand Sign Language: 2006-2018 Chapter 15. Valgerður Stefánsdóttir, Ari Pall Kristinsson and Julia G. Hreinsdottir: The Legal Recognition of Icelandic Sign Language: Meeting Deaf People’s Expectations? Chapter 16. Ronice Müller De Quadros and Marianne Rossi Stumpf: Recognizing Brazilian Sign Language: Legislation and Outcomes Chapter 17. Maria Josep Jarque, Marta Bosch-Baliarda and Menchu González: Legal Recognition and Regulation of Catalan Sign Language Chapter 18. Maartje De Meulder and Thierry Haesenne: A Belgian Compromise? Recognising French-Belgian Sign Language and Flemish Sign Language Chapter 19. Maartje De Meulder, Joseph J. Murray and Rachel L. McKee: Epilogue: Claiming Multiple Positionalities: Lessons from the First Two Decades of Sign Language Recognition

Reviews

This is an absolutely fantastic book and it is impossible to even start describing its richness. Read it! -- Tove Skutnabb-Kangas * Language Policy (2019) 18 * This will be a welcome addition to the library of anyone interested in sign language status, language planning, advocacy, and broader areas of legal strategy and rights for deaf people and other sign language users from both language rights and disability rights perspectives. -- J. Albert Bickford * Sign Language Studies, Vol. 20 No. 4 Summer 2020 * This book gives the reader a deep understanding of the complex process of sign language recognition. It serves as a wonderful source for those who plan to advocate for sign language recognition or who would like to improve the current status and legislation of sign language and rights of its users in their respective countries. * Markku Jokinen, Finnish Association of the Deaf, Finland * This is a timely and important book. It provides the first comprehensive analysis of the growing legal recognition of sign languages internationally, as well as the wider social and political advocacy movements underpinning these developments. Drawing together deaf and hearing contributors, academics and activists, this volume traverses the fields of language rights, language policy, and sociolinguistics. Expertly curated, it will be an essential guide and benchmark for academic and legal discussions of sign languages for years to come. * Stephen May, University of Auckland, New Zealand * Formal recognition campaigns have recently elevated the 140-year battle for Deaf children's rights to access their sign languages, cultures and Deaf educators to new levels of political discourse. The authors of this book have succeeded magnificently in illustrating current progress and highlighting some of the obstacles which remain to be overcome. * Paddy Ladd, author of Understanding Deaf Culture * Only a small number of the thousands of endangered languages are legally recognized or protected, but among them, the 19 sign languages discussed in this volume show how acknowledgement in national legislation reveals a significant advance in 21st century language management. This collection detailing the way this happened is a major contribution to the study of language policy. * Bernard Spolsky, Emeritus, Bar-Ilan University, Israel *


This book gives the reader a deep understanding of the complex process of sign language recognition. It serves as a wonderful source for those who plan to advocate for sign language recognition or who would like to improve the current status and legislation of sign language and rights of its users in their respective countries. * Markku Jokinen, Finnish Association of the Deaf, Finland * This is a timely and important book. It provides the first comprehensive analysis of the growing legal recognition of sign languages internationally, as well as the wider social and political advocacy movements underpinning these developments. Drawing together deaf and hearing contributors, academics and activists, this volume traverses the fields of language rights, language policy, and sociolinguistics. Expertly curated, it will be an essential guide and benchmark for academic and legal discussions of sign languages for years to come. * Stephen May, University of Auckland, New Zealand * Formal recognition campaigns have recently elevated the 140-year battle for Deaf children's rights to access their sign languages, cultures and Deaf educators to new levels of political discourse. The authors of this book have succeeded magnificently in illustrating current progress and highlighting some of the obstacles which remain to be overcome. * Paddy Ladd, author of Understanding Deaf Culture * Only a small number of the thousands of endangered languages are legally recognized or protected, but among them, the 19 sign languages discussed in this volume show how acknowledgement in national legislation reveals a significant advance in 21st century language management. This collection detailing the way this happened is a major contribution to the study of language policy. * Bernard Spolsky, Emeritus, Bar-Ilan University, Israel *


Author Information

Maartje De Meulder is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Namur Institute of Language, Text and Transmediality (NaLTT), University of Namur, Belgium. Her research interests include sign language policy and planning, sign language rights, family language policy, multilingualism and sign language maintenance and revitalisation. Joseph J. Murray is Professor in the Department of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC, USA. A trained historian, his work explores ways in which deaf people navigate their societies as sign language minorities. Rachel L. McKee is Programme Director of NZSL Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Her research interests include sign language documentation, sign language policy, sociolinguistic variation in sign language, interpreting, and sign language teaching and learning.

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