[EDLING:229] South Africa: Signing could be 12th official language

[Francis M. Hult]

The Herald Online

"Signing could be 12th official language"

PARLIAMENT‘S joint committee on constitutional review has called for an 
investigation of whether South African sign language should become the 12th 
official language of the country.

In its reports tabled in Parliament yesterday, the committee says that after 
meeting with a delegation from Deaf South Africa in February it agreed that the 
status quo was both unacceptable and discriminatory, “as experienced by an 
appreciable section of our community”.

At the same time, it said, it recognised that accommodating sign language as 
the 12th official language would have “significant logistical and budgetary 
implications, which would have to be investigated”.

Full story:
http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/news/n09_15062007.htm