"A historic moment", this is how the National Deaf Organization commented on the official recognition in Italy of the Lis Sign Language and of the Tactile Sign Language List. A great step forward towards social inclusion and openness towards disability, in particular that affecting deaf people or people with hypocusis. A path over a decade long, started in 2009 with the ratification by the Government of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Where were specific rules relating to this matter. This Convention was only partially re-conceived by Italy, without there having been an official recognition of the linguistic identity of deaf people.

Lis official recognition
Enthusiasm for the official recognition of Sign Language (ph credit: page Fb Ente Nazionale Dordi)

The actual ratification has arrived in recent days with the approval of Support Decree. Article 34-ter, in fact, "recognizes, promotes and protects the Italian sign language (Lis) and the Italian tactile sign language (List)". Not only. The decree also officially recognizes the professional figures linked to these specific languages, the interpreters specialized in the translation and interpretation activities of the Lis and the List.

A real language with its own lexicon and its grammatical rules

We have become accustomed to seeing the "visual" translation of a news program, a speech, an intervention on more and more occasions. That allows those who cannot hear or hear little, access to the contents and consequently a better participation in the social, cultural, political and economic life of our country. All this, however, had not yet had real recognition. With the Support Decree finally Italy has caught up with the other European countries, the last to have reached this official recognition for what is a real language with its lexicon and its grammatical, syntactic and morphological rules.

Lis Moni Ovadia
Interpreter interprets Moni Ovadia in Lis (ph credit: Uascoli, CC BY 3.0)

“It is a fundamental and historical crossroads - commented the president of the National Deaf Organization (ENS) Giuseppe Petrucci - towards the inclusion of deaf people and the removal of communication barriers. We have been waiting for this for too long. Today we have to celebrate. We have arrived at this law of civilization and equality which guarantees accessibility, the freedom of linguistic-communicative choice of deaf people and represents the first step to finally guarantee all their citizenship rights. This victory belongs to ENS, its managers, its collaborators, its staff and, above all, our entire community ”.

The Public Administration will also make use of the interpreting services in Lis and List

The new decree, to promote accessibility to its services, indicates to public administrations the promotion and dissemination of interpreting services in LIS and LIST. Subtitling and any other method as appropriate as possible to promote understanding of the verbal language is also provided. Appropriate personnel training initiatives and specific communication campaigns will also be promoted. A provision that as a whole will also meet the needs of many elderly people. An age group in which hearing difficulties and forms of hearing loss frequently occur.

Specializations in Lis and List at the Ca 'Foscari University of Venice

Sign languages they are independent of the languages ​​spoken in the same territory and do not reproduce their structure. To express themselves, they rely not only on signs but also on the shape and movement of the hand or hands. On the position - with respect to the body - where the sign is articulated, but also on the expression of the face, the looks, the position of the torso and shoulders.

Lis sign language
The sign to mark, in Sign Language (ph credit: EliasaileLIS, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Already in 1999 theUniversity Ca 'Foscari from Venice he had initiated the teaching of Lis on an experimental basis. In 2001 this teaching became a specialization of the Bachelor's Degree in Languages ​​and Language Sciences and of the Master's Degree in Language Sciences. Also at Ca 'Foscari, in 2011, the teaching of List, tactile sign language, was also introduced, useful for deaf people who also lose sight. This new course was born in collaboration with the Lega del Filo d'Oro. In Veneto (one of the few regions in Italy to move early) Lis and List were recognized as early as 2018 with an ad hoc law.

Official recognition for Lis, the Italian Sign Language last edit: 2021-06-12T15:30:00+02:00 da Cristina Campolonghi

Post comments

Subscribe
Notify
1 How
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline feedback
View all comments
0
Would Love Your Thoughts, Please Comment.x
()
x