Recognition of Thai Sign Language

[Adam Schembri]

>>From: robert adam <robert.adam at RIDBC.org.au>
>>To: "'acschembri at hotmail.com'" <acschembri at hotmail.com>
>>Subject: FW: GU's WDL helps Thailand break-through
>>Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 15:32:22 +1000
>>
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Charles Reilly [mailto:Charles.Reilly at Gallaudet.edu]
>>Sent: Tuesday, 5 October 1999 2:47
>>To: Charles.Reilly at Gallaudet.edu
>>Subject: GU's WDL helps Thailand break-through
>>
>>
>>GOOD NEWS!!  THAILAND OFFICIALLY ACCEPTS THAI SIGN LANGUAGE
>>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>The deaf community of Thailand and its allies are celebrating a major
>>policy victory today.
>>
>>     Thai Sign Language has been officially recognized as "the national
>>language of deaf people in Thailand."  The Minister of Education signed
>>a resolution on
>>behalf of the Royal Thai Government in August, 1999.  The resolution
>>lists specific actions that will be taken by the Ministry of Education,
>>including hiring deaf people as sign language teachers in deaf schools,
>>requiring teachers to learn Thai Sign, and assuring that deaf children
>>are taught in Thai Sign by fluent signers.
>>
>>  The resolution specifies that the Thai Sign Language Dictionaries, vol.
>>1 and 2, are to be considered as reference texts on Thai Sign Language.
>>These dictionaries were  published by National Association of the Deaf
>>in Thailand (NADT) in 1986 and 1990.
>>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>
>>In addition, the resolution states that interpreters will be provided to
>>deaf people in higher education.   Thailand has recently opened
>>university studies to deaf people. However, there are practically no
>>trained interpreters available, nor is Thai Sign Language widely taught.
>>
>>     To address this need, the National Association of the Deaf in
>>Thailand (NADT), Gallaudet University and Ratchasuda College in Thailand
>>have formed a partnership under the World Deaf Leadership project .  The
>>World Deaf Leadership Program (WDL) is providing technical and financial
>>support to train deaf Thai people as sign language teachers and
>>interpreter trainers. The WDL project is funded by an endowment from the
>>Nippon Foundation.
>>
>>     Under the WDL project, deaf people are being trained as Thai Sign
>>language teachers during 36-credit certificate studies at Ratchasuda
>>College of Mahidol University in Salaya, Thailand.  For two years
>>Gallaudet University has sent faculty and staff to teach courses in sign
>>language teaching, sign curriculum development  and community
>>leadership.  (This summer the team comprised Mike Kemp, Jean Gordon,
>>Charles Reilly, Beverly Buchanan, Sam Weber and Nipapon Reilly.)
>>
>>Next year  this program will be expanded to a BA program in Deaf Studies
>>
>>and Thai Sign Language Studies, with 170 full scholarships offered by
>>the Royal Thai Government.
>>
>>The Director of Ratchasuda College is Jitprapa Sri-oon and James
>>Woodward manages the WDL project in Thailand.  At Gallaudet University,
>>the WDL program is administered by  Reginald Redding and the Thai
>>Project Officer is  Charles Reilly.   Yerker Andersson is Chair of
>>Gallaudet's WDL Steering Committee.
>>
>>
>>(This announcement is written by Charles Reilly at the request of
>>the Director of Ratchasuda College. The full text of the resolution will
>>be posted after it has been translated.)
>>
>>
>>****************************************************************************
>>
>>Charles B. Reilly, Ph.D.
>>Gallaudet Research Institute
>>Gallaudet University
>>800 Florida Ave., NE
>>Washington, DC 20002
>>Phone (202) 651-5794; Fax (202) 651-5345

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