Our airways and print media have over the past few days been inundated with comments and outcries over the quality of sign language interpretation at the national memorial service for former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela on 10 December 2013.
Whilst the Department of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities was at no stage consulted or involved with the logistical arrangements, the Department nonetheless would like to use this opportunity to ensure that this unfortunate incident acts as a catalyst to promote and protect the rights of all South Africans – also deaf South Africans – in honour of Madiba.
Madiba taught us that true freedom only comes about when we liberate both the oppressed and the oppressor. For too long have persons with disabilities fought their struggle for liberation alone.
Chapter 2, Section 16(1) and (2) of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 guarantees freedom of expression and opinion. The Constitution places the responsibility to promote the development, usage and recognition of Sign Language as the first language of deaf South Africans, with the Pan South African Language Board (PANSALB). The Deaf community has been represented on the Board since its inception, and PANSALB employs Deaf persons to help effect the mandate. It is therefore important that we collectively, as a country, take a critical look at ourselves with regards progress made in achieving this Constitutional obligation.
South Africa ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol without reservation in 2007 (http://www.un.org/disabilities).
The Convention obliges States Parties to take specific measures that will promote the rights of persons with disabilities, including the right to equal access to information and communication and freedom of expression and opinion through freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas on an equal basis with others and through all forms of communication of their choice. Such measures could include, among others:
- the provision of professional sign language interpreters (Article 9);
- by providing information intended for the general public to persons with disabilities in accessible formats (Article 2);
- accepting and facilitating the use of sign languages (Article 21);
- recognising and supporting specific cultural and linguistic identity, including sign languages and Deaf culture.
The deaf community during the compilation of the baseline Country Report on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities voiced concern that government measures to date have been inadequate for any significant promotion of the linguistic identity of Deaf persons.
Many deaf learners in special schools are not taught in sign language due to the lack of sign language skills of educators. Many deaf children are not attending school due to the lack of sign language medium schools closer to home. The majority of deaf South Africans therefore speaks a variety of sign language dialects, often not understood by formally trained South African Sign Language (SASL) interpreters. The current outrage over the quality of sign language interpretation at the memorial service, is therefore an experience the majority of deaf South Africans experience on a daily basis, even when qualified interpreters are available.
There is currently only seven SASL interpreters accredited with the South African Translators Institute (SATI), and the challenges brought about by the lack of a universal South African Sign Language and disunity within the deaf sector, are further delaying progress in accrediting many of the interpreters trained at universities as well as through organisations such as Sign Language Education and Development (SLED).
It is important to note that these accredited SASL interpreters are not necessarily proficient in all the eleven official languages, and the quality of interpreting from a language one is not fully proficient in, to SASL, is therefore also compromised.
The Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities shares these concerns, and are working with relevant government departments, public entities and national representative organisations of deaf persons to accelerate the agenda for full recognition of South African Sign Language (SASL) as a twelfth official language, a national accreditation system for South African Sign Language interpreters, and the development of South African Sign Language.
The finalisation of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements for South African Sign Language, Grades R to 12 by the Department of Basic Education for implementation in 2014 is an important step in our national effort to give effect to our commitment to uphold the rights of Deaf South Africans.
Let this incident rally the country as a whole around collectively fighting for the rights of persons with disabilities in general, and the full recognition of South African Sign Language as a twelfth official language in particular.
Enquiries:
Emilie Olifant
Cell: 082 903 9250
