Cape Town - In efforts to further break down communication barriers for the Deaf community, the first bilingual South African Sign Language (SASL) dictionary app has been developed.
The Iziko Museums of SA, TH Barry Lecture Theatre was packed on Thursday as many were interested to see the groundbreaking video dictionary.
The launch by the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) in conjunction with the National Institute for the Deaf (NID) also coincided with the start of Deaf Awareness Month.
The app will be available on smartphones and can be downloaded on laptops to provide standardised SASL lexical terminology.
The dictionary, developed by the NID, has over 3000 signs and 2500 English words which will facilitate teaching and learning between the two languages. PanSALB chief executive officer Lance Schultz said: “Deaf Awareness Month provides an opportunity for government and civil society alike to reflect on the privilege enjoyed by the hearing to access to quality information and services that is often not extended to the Deaf community.
“As the board, we shall continue to advocate for the adoption of the South African Sign Language Charter which must be effectively implemented in all sectors of our society for it to effect any meaningful change in the lives of Deaf people.”
NID chief executive Cobus van Deventer said the non-profit organisation believes in shifting the focus off the disability and onto the barriers which prevent the persons living with the disability from reaching their full potential.
“A well-researched SASL video dictionary is an important step in affording SASL the status of an official language in South Africa.”
Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the dictionary’s launch could not have come at a better time as South Africa was working towards making the SASL Language the 12th official language.
Mthethwa said this was to ensure that deaf communities used their language freely, like any other South African.
“It will also enable broader South African society to learn and appreciate the language.
“At present, it is not yet an official language of South Africa, but it is recognised and protected in various legislative and governmental policies and is even acknowledged as a language equal in status to the 11 official languages in the country. The dictionary signifies the milestone of work that the country has done so far in promoting and developing South African sign language.
“This launch of the first edition dictionary will discourage disjointed language, where each fragment had its own accents in the gestures signed which affect the language. This dictionary will further unify the deaf community as a fundamental tool for language learning, allowing the learner to look up unfamiliar words,” he said.
Stellenbosch University Lecturer in South African sign language, Modiegi Njeyiyana said more funding was important for research and to ensure material resources that are much needed for the deaf community.
MEC for Community Safety and Police Oversight, Reagan Allen added that they were building an inclusive community for all and working with the community to see how they can improve services.
Cape Times