Sign language as the bridge across Deaf boundaries: a South African experience

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article provides a discussion of some of the communication boundaries Deaf people encounter in a hearing world and the consequences of their seriously delayed language development on the social, emotional, educational and vocational aspects of their lives. Three related issues are addressed: early language development in Deaf children, approaches to Deaf education, and the results of a field study conducted at a school for the Deaf in South Africa. The background for the discussion is the new South African government's education and language policies which attempt to redress some of the injustices of the apartheid past. The role of sign language in education is emphasised as it is through the ability to communicate that the Deaf community will be empowered to assert their rights and gain acceptance as a minority group with a distinctive language and culture.