Note: This was originally published in a column by Tim Curry in GONG magazine of the Czech Republic, November 2015.
Signed Languages Recognized. Is it Good?
Many countries have legally recognized national signed languages. The Deaf communities, their friends and supporters have celebrated these achievements. This recognition is a step forward to awareness of a Deaf native language. It plants the seeds of knowledge of Deaf culture and community in the country’s majority population. However, how much has such recognition changed the daily lives of the Deaf community?
Czech Sign Language recognition (CZJ) was a good step. However, has it improved the lives of the Deaf? Has CZJ become equal to spoken Czech, written Czech? Have Deaf schools starting teaching in CZJ? Are courts honoring the recognition and allowing court sessions to always be interpreted by qualified interpreters, deaf and hearing? Do universities offer Deaf students the right to learn in CZJ? Are CZJ/Czech interpreters consistently provided for settings of legal, medical, job training or even government offices? Does the public respect Deaf users of sign language?
We cannot answer these in a positive way. Perhaps, we should be asking other questions. Why is the recognition of CZJ not strong enough to make quality change?
What does the legal recognition mean? How do we make true improvements to the daily lives of the Deaf community? Who should make these improvements?
Laws that support the rights of people, should be strong enough to enforce those rights. When laws are not strong then they are an insult to the people whom they are supposed to defend. The time of celebrating language recognition is over. It is now time for equal access to be fought for and won. Many people in the Czech Republic have been already trying to do this. As an interpreter and a friend of the deaf community, I ask that we all support the next step.
Tim Curry, M.S.
Note: This was originally published in a column by Tim Curry in GONG magazine of the Czech Republic, November 2015.