Members of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 deaf community were at the B.C. Legislature on Saturday afternoon advocating for American Sign Language (ASL), Langue des Signes Quebecoise (LSQ) and Indigenous Sign Language (ISL) to be officially recognized by the federal government.
Sept.22 is the National ISL, ASL and LSQ Awareness Day, and Sept. 23 is the first ever International Day of Sign Languages, which happens to falls in line with creation of bill c-81:the Accessible Canada Act. The bill aims to B次元官网网址渆nhance the full and equal participation of all persons, especially persons with disabilities, in society,B次元官网网址� and just went through its second reading. However, the Act does not specifically mention the deaf community.
B次元官网网址淥ur goal is to advocate with the federal government to recognize sign language, thatB次元官网网址檚 ASL, LSQ, and Indigenous Sign LanguagesB次元官网网址� to look at the Accessible Canada Act to also be accessible linguistically,B次元官网网址� said Lindsay Carroll, chairperson for the BC ASL-LSQ through an interpreter. B次元官网网址淔or deaf people, that means that we will have increased access to federal services. An example would be to the CRA even or even just providing more job opportunities for deaf people in the future.B次元官网网址�
Advocates also want Indigenous Sign Language to be recognized in the Indigenous Languages Act. Indigenous peoples have used different varieties of sign languages for thousands of years, but theyB次元官网网址檝e only recently been recognized as languages, even within their own communities.
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B次元官网网址淢ost Indigenous people who are hearing, are aware of Indigenous deaf people, they are aware of Indigenous Sign language, but they are not aware or had not thought of it as a formal language, they think itB次元官网网址檚 just gestures or body language used by people at home,B次元官网网址� said Nicole Sellers, National Indigenous Sign Language, ASL, LSQ representative for the Coast Salish People through an interpreter. B次元官网网址淭he Indigenous community hadnB次元官网网址檛 realized that in the beginning.B次元官网网址�
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Since then, more and more First Nations are recognizing various ISLs, but Sellars wants it formally recognized and preserved in the Indigenous Language Act. She was taught ISL by her grandmother when she was a child, but says she is not completely fluent in it.
Bill C-81 went through its second reading on Sept. 19, and will be tabled for its third reading shortly.
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