Thelegal recognition of signed languages differs widely. In some jurisdictions (countries, states, provinces or regions), asigned language is recognised as an official language; in others, it has a protected status in certain areas (such as education). Although a government may stipulate in its constitution (or laws) that a "signed language" is recognised, it may fail to specifywhich signed language; several different signed languages may be commonly used.
The most frequently used framework for the legal recognition of sign languages, adopted and further developed by theWorld Federation of the Deaf,[1] was developed by Dr Maartje De Meulder.[2]
Extending legal recognition is a major concern ofDeaf culture. Symbolic recognition does not guarantee an improvement in the lives of signed-language users, and it has been argued that signed languages should be supported not merely as an accommodation for disabled people, but as a communication medium in language communities.[3]
Argentine Sign Language was officially recognized by the government of Argentina in 2023.[4][5]
Auslan was recognised by the Australian government as a "community language other than English" and the preferred language of the Deaf community in 1987 and 1991 policy statements. Although the recognition does not ensure the provision of services in Auslan, its use in Deaf education and by Auslan-English interpreters is becoming more common.
It is now increasingly recognised that signing deaf people constitute a group like any other non-English speaking language group in Australia, with a distinct sub-culture recognised by shared history, social life and sense of identity, united and symbolised by fluency in Auslan, the principal means of communication within the Australian Deaf Community.
— Australia's Language: The Australian Language and Literacy Policy (page 20). (Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1991)
Austrian Sign Language (Österreichische Gebärdensprache, or ÖGS) was recognised by theAustrian Parliament in 2005. On 1 September 2005, theConstitution of Austria was amended to include a new article:§8 (3) Die Österreichische Gebärdensprache ist als eigenständige Sprache anerkannt. Das Nähere bestimmen die Gesetze. ("Austrian Sign Language is recognised as an independent language. The laws will determine the details.")[6]
Belgium'sParliament of the French Community recognisedFrench Belgian Sign Language (LSFB) bydecree in October 2003. The recognition entails:
According to theDécret relatif à la reconnaissance de la langue des signes (Decree on the Recognition of Sign Language),[7] "It concerns a symbolic recognition that goes hand-in-hand with a general measure, permitting every minister to take action in fields relative to his authority."[8]
Flemish Sign Language (Dutch:Vlaamse Gebarentaal or VGT) was recognised on 24 April 2006 by theFlemish Parliament. The recognition entails:
Cultural recognition entails that the Flemish Government recognises the Flemish Sign Language as the language of the Deaf Community in Flanders. This 'recognition' encompasses the following three meanings: (1) the Flemish Government acknowledges the correctness of the fact that the Flemish Sign Language is the language of the Deaf Community in Flanders, (2) the Flemish Government also accepts the existence of this language in the judicial domain and treats it accordingly and (3) the Flemish Government expresses its respect for this language.[9]
German Sign Language was legally recognised in 2019 by theParliament of the German-speaking Community.[10]
AlthoughBrazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) was legally recognised in 2002, a 2005 law stipulated that it could not replace writtenPortuguese.[11][12] The language must be taught as a part of thespeech-language pathology curriculum, and LIBRAS is an elective undergraduate subject.
Maritime Sign Language (MSL), which derives fromBritish Sign Language, ismoribund in Canada'sMaritime provinces.[13] It is not officially recognised, and has been replaced by ASL in schools.[13] TheHalifax School for the Deaf, which operated from 1856 to June 1961, taught in MSL; after that, the Interprovincial School for the Education of the Deaf (later renamed the Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority, or APSEA) inAmherst, Nova Scotia, took over until it closed in 1995.[13][14]
Inuit Sign Language (IUR), used in Canada's Arctic communities, was developed locally by families and communities for their deaf families and community members.
TheAccessible Canada Act (ACA), passed on 21 June 2019, recognised "American Sign Language (ASL),Quebec Sign Language and Indigenous sign languages (...) as the primary languages for communication by deaf persons in Canada."[15]
The ACA only recognises ASL at the federal level.[16]
Chinese Sign Language has no formal legal protection.[23]
Chilean Sign Language (Spanish:Lengua de Señas Chilena or LSCh), was enacted as Law No. 20,422 in 2010 to ensure equal opportunity for disabled people. The law recognises sign language as the natural means of communication for the deaf community.[24]
Czech Sign Language gained legal recognition with the passage of the Sign Language Law, 155/1998 Sb ("Zákon o znakové řeči 155/1998 Sb").[25]
Cypriot Sign Language was recognised as a language equivalent to Greek.[26]
Danish Sign Language gained legal recognition on 13 May 2014. TheDanish Parliament established the Danish Sign Language Council "to devise principles and guidelines for the monitoring of the Danish sign language and offer advice and information on the Danish sign language."[27]
TheEuropean Parliament unanimously approved a resolution about sign languages on 17 June 1988.[28] The resolution suggests that all member states recognise their sign languages as official languages of the Deaf community.
The European Parliament [...] calls on the Commission to make a proposal to the Council concerning official recognition of the sign language used by deaf people in each Member State.[29]
The EP issued another resolution in 1998, with essentially the same content as the 1988 resolution.[30] A third resolution was passed in 2016. It was drafted byHelga Stevens, Europe's first deaf female MEP and president of theEuropean Union of the Deaf from 2005 to 2007. The resolution, on sign language and professional sign-language interpreters, draws onDeaf studies and linguistics.[31]
French Sign Language has been recognised since 2005 under Act No. 2005-102.[32]
Finnish Sign Language was recognised in theconstitution in August 1995:
Section 17 - Right to one's language and culture [...] The rights of persons using sign language and of persons in need of interpretation or translation aid owing to disability shall be guaranteed by an Act.[33]
German Sign Language was officially recognised in April 2002, from the perspective of it being a language of a disability group, but not from the perspective of it being a language of a cultural minority.[34][35]
Berlin has recognised German Sign Language in its equality legislation since 1999.[36]
Greek Sign Language was recognised as an official language in 2000 and gained equal status with Modern Greek in 2017.[37]
Icelandic Sign Language was recognised by law in education in 2004:
This National Curriculum Guide contains, for the first time, provisions on special Icelandic instruction for students whose mother tongue is not Icelandic. There are also new provisions on special Icelandic instruction for deaf and hearing-impaired pupils and sign-language instruction for the deaf. The objectives for Icelandic instruction of immigrants and the deaf and of sign-language instruction fall under the subject area of language arts (Icelandic) in compulsory school. [...]Sign language is of basic importance for the development of language, personality and thinking of deaf children. For the deaf, sign language is the most important source of knowledge and their route to participation in Icelandic culture and the culture of the deaf. Sign language is of great importance for all school work and for the pupils' life and work.[38]
— The National Curriculum Guide for Compulsory School (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2004) (official translation)
In June 2011, Icelandic Sign Language was officially recognized as a first language. In No. 61/2011 under Article 3 it states that "Icelandic sign language is the first language of those who have to rely on it for expression and communication, and of their children. The government authorities shall nurture and support it. All those who need to use sign language shall have the opportunity to learn and use Icelandic sign language as soon as theirlanguage acquisition process begins, or from the time whendeafness,hearing impairment ordeaf-blindness is diagnosed. Their immediate family members shall have the same right."[39]
AlthoughIndo-Pakistani Sign Language (IPSL) is officially unrecognised, it is used inIndia,Bangladesh, andPakistan.[40]
TheIrish Parliament passed theIrish Sign Language Act 2017 passed on 14 December 2017, and was signed into law byPresidentMichael D. Higgins on 24 December of that year, givingIrish Sign Language legal recognition.[41][42] Before 2017, there was no automatic right for deaf people to have an ISLinterpreter except for criminal-court proceedings. ISL recognition provides more legal rights and better access topublic services, includingeducation,healthcare,media andbanking.[43][44][45]
Italian Sign Language (Lingua dei Segni Italiana, LIS) was recognised on 19 May 2021. Although opponents of LIS recognition say that it is not a language because it lacks grammar, its grammar has been studied.[46]
Japanese Sign Language was recognized as a language by the Basic Act for Persons with Disabilities, which was enacted in 2011.[47]
In 2013, the first general sign language law was established inTottori Prefecture. A proposal for a "Japanese Sign Language Act" that started in Hakusan City in Ishikawa Prefecture in 2013, reached unanimous support across the 1788 local legislatures.[48]
The 2010Constitution of Kenya recognisesKenyan Sign Language and, according to Article 7.3b, says thatKenya would promote its development and use. KSL is given official status in Article 120 (1), which says that "the official languages of Parliament areKiswahili,English and Kenyan Sign Language and the business of Parliament may be conducted in English, Kiswahili and Kenyan Sign Language."[49]
German Sign Language was recognised in 2018 as a language for which children have the right to access education in sign language in both secondary school and primary school, and family members were given the right to access up to 100 hours of sign language courses.[50]
Maltese Sign Language (Maltese:Lingwa tas-Sinjali Maltija, or LSM) was officially recognised by theParliament of Malta in March 2016.[51]
Mexican Sign Language (lengua de señas mexicana, or LSM) was declared a "national language" in 2003, and it began use in public deaf education.[52]Deaf education inMexico had focused on oralism (speech and lipreading), and few schools conducted classes in LSM.[53]
AlthoughNepali Sign Language has not been recognised as the official language ofNepal's deaf population, legislation is proposed which will bring Nepali law into line with the UNConvention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Dutch Sign Language (Dutch:Nederlandse Gebarentaal, or NGT) was recognised by law in 2020. TheChristian Union party introduced a bill to recognise NGT in 2010, but it did not pass.[54]In October 2016, MPsRoelof van Laar (Labour Party) andCarla Dik-Faber (Christian Union) proposed a bill legally recognising NGT as an official language.[55] MPAttje Kuiken (Labour Party) took over the bill in September 2019 (after Van Laar's departure), and MPJessica van Eijs (Democrats 66) joined Kuiken and Dik-Faber.[56][57] At the end of the month, the Advisory Division of theCouncil of State said that the text of the bill was still too vague and did not clarify which problems it intended to address and how it would do so; it asked if "the Deaf culture" mentioned in the bill also needed to be legally recognised and, if so, what that term entailed.[58]
New Zealand Sign Language becamethe country's third official language, joining English andMāori, when theNew Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 was passed in the New Zealand Parliament on 6 April 2006.[59][60]
Macedonian Sign Language (Macedonian:Македонски знаковен јазик,romanized: Makedonski znakoven jazik) is officially recognized as a "natural way of communication between people", and is regulated by a law which allows anyone inNorth Macedonia to study it. The law also ensures the right to an interpreter upon request.[61]
Norwegian Sign Language is recognised by law for education.[62] It is recognized as one of Norway's national languages.[63]
Papua New Guinean Sign Language becamethe country's fourth official language in May 2015.[64]
Article 3 of Republic Act No. 11106 declaredFilipino Sign Languagethe country's national sign language, specifying that it be recognized, supported and promoted as the medium of official communication in all transactions involving the deaf and the language of instruction in deaf education.[65][66]
Peru officially recognizedPeruvian Sign Language asthe country's national sign language by law in 2010.[67][68]
Art. 74, 2 (h): In implementing the education policy, the state shall be charged with protecting and developing Portuguese sign language, as an expression of culture and an instrument for access to education and equal opportunities.[69]
Russian Sign Language (Russian:Русский жестовый язык,romanized: Russkii zhestovyi yazyk) has had legal recognition since 2012.[70] Since the federal Law on Protection of People with Disabilities passed and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was implemented, services in Russian Sign Language have been greatly expanded. A UN report in 2018 noted that, for example, between 40 and 240 hours of free interpretation are provided to each individual per year in Russia.[71]
Slovak Sign Language was recognised in 1995 by law.[72]
Until 2023,South African Sign Language (SASL) was not specifically recognised as anofficial language by the country'sconstitution. The phrase "sign language" is used generically.[73]On 13 November 2009, the Constitutional Review Committee met to explore the possibility of upgrading SASL toSouth Africa's 12th official language.[74] In May 2022 the 18th Constitutional Amendment Bill to make SASL an official language was published for public comment.[75] In May 2023 the bill was voted on by parliament, and on 19 July 2023 it was signed into law as the Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Act of 2023.[76]
South African Sign Language is specifically recognised as a language that citizens should be able to access provincial services in 5 provinces through the following legislation:
The Korean Sign Language Act (한국수화언어법;韓國手話言語法;Hanguk Suhwa Eoneo Beop), which was adopted on 3 February 2016 and came into effect on 4 August 2016, establishedKorean Sign Language as an official language for the Deaf in South Korea equal in status withKorean. The law also stipulates that the national and local governments are required to provide translation services in Korean Sign Language to Deaf individuals who need them. After Korean Sign Language had been established, it became a requirement for there to be signed interpretations in court. KSL is also used during public events and social services programs. South Korea offers sign language courses for hearing. Special sign language instruction courses are available for parents with deaf children.[82][83]
In 2007, the Spanish parliament, theCortes Generales, passed the Law 27/2007 (23 October 2007) on the recognition of sign languages in the country, includingSpanish Sign Language.[84][85]
In 2010, theParliament of Catalonia passed Law 17/2010 on theCatalan Sign Language.[86]
Article 13,4: The Generalitat shall grant the use of the sign language of deaf persons (which shall be used for education) with protection and respect.[87]
According to a 23 September 2010 report,Sri Lankan Sign Language has been officially recognised.[88]
Sweden was one of the first countries in the world to officially recognize a signed language (Swedish Sign Language) as a language, and this has led to an expansion in availability of courses in school.[89]
The Swiss Parliament approved a motion for the Government to bring forward legislation to recogniseSwiss German Sign Language,French Sign Language andItalian Sign Language.[90]
Taiwanese Sign Language was first recognised as a national language of Taiwan in 2019 by the National Languages Act in 2019.[91]
Thai Sign Language was recognised as "the national language of deaf people in Thailand" on 17 August 1999 in a resolution signed by the Permanent Secretary for Education on behalf of theRoyal Thai Government which affirmed the rights of deaf people to learn the language at home and in schools.[92] According to a 13 October 1999 report by Charles Reilly, "specific actions will be taken by the government, including hiring deaf people as teachers and instructors of sign language in deaf schools, and providing interpreters for deaf people in higher education."[92]
Turkish Sign Language is used by the country's deaf community. On 1 July 2005, theGrand National Assembly of Turkey enacted an updatedDisability Law (No. 5378) which referred to sign language. According to Law No. 15, sign language is to be used in deaf education; Law No. 30 stipulates that sign language interpretation be provided to deaf people. There has been discussion in Parliament about developing a standardised sign language.[93]
On 8 October 1995,Uganda adopted a new constitution promoting the development of a sign language for the deaf.[94]Ugandan Sign Language was not specified. Twenty-five-year-old Alex Ndeezi, executive director of the Uganda National Association of the Deaf from 2000 to 2014, was elected toParliament in 1996.[95]
XXIV (iii). The State shall [...] promote the development of a sign language for the deaf.
— National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, Constitution of Uganda
British Sign Language (BSL) achieved non-legislative recognition in 2003 by the UK government[96]
BSL was recognised by theParliament of the United Kingdom as a language of England, Scotland, and Wales in 2022. On 28 April 2022, theBritish Sign Language Act 2022 was given royal assent, giving BSL a similar status to Welsh in Wales, Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and created a duty for the UK government, public bodies and English local authorities to promote the use of BSL, but it did not extend this obligation to devolved matters for Scotland, and Wales.
BSL achieved non-legislative recognition in 2004 by the Welsh government.[97]
BSL may be recognised by theSenedd as a language of Wales, with the passage ofMark Isherwood'sBritish Sign Language (Wales) Bill, giving BSL a similar status to Welsh in Wales, and would create a duty for the Welsh government, public bodies to promote the use of BSL.
BSL achieved non-legislative recognition in 2011 by the Scottish government[98]
BSL was recognised by theScottish Parliament as a language of Scotland in 2015. On 22 October 2015, theBritish Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 was given royal assent, giving BSL a similar status Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and created a duty for the Scottish government, public bodies and local authorities to promote the use of BSL.
British andIrish Sign Language were given non-legislative recognition by theNorthern Ireland Office in 2004.[99]In 2024, the Minister for Communities, "set out proposals to increase the number of interpreters and, ultimately, bring forward a Sign Language Bill".[100]The bill was introduced in February 2025 as theSign Language Bill.[101] Unlike England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland has two sign languages – BSL and ISL, so the legislation recognises both ISL and BSL.
In 2023, theMayor of London, Sadiq Khan, signed theBritish Deaf Association’sCharter for British Sign Language "to address discrimination, empower deaf communities and improve relationships between public sector organisations and Deaf communities".[102]
In 2024, as a candidate forMayor of Greater Manchester,Andy Burnham pledged to require that there is BSL sign on the live stream of all meetings of theGreater Manchester Combined Authority.[103]
Thefederal government does not recognize any language, spoken or signed, as an official language. However, several U.S. universities acceptAmerican Sign Language credit to meet their foreign-language requirements.[104] In some states, the study of American Sign Language is eligible for foreign language credit at the high school level. In 2015, California became the first US state to legislate language development milestone guidance pertaining to children whose first language is a signed language.[105]
AlthoughUruguay has no "official" languages,Uruguayan Sign Language (Spanish:Lengua de señas uruguaya, or LSU), was legally recognised as the language of deaf persons on 10 July 2001.[106]
In the 2008 law 18.437 (Ley General de Educación, 12 December 2008), LSU is considered (withUruguayan Spanish andUruguayan Portuguese) a mother tongue of Uruguayan citizens. In policy documents of the Comisión de Políticas Lingüísticas en la Educación Pública (Public Education Language Policy Commission, part of the Administración Nacional de Educación Pública or ANEP), it is proposed that LSU be the principal language of deaf education.[107]
Venezuelan Sign Language was recognised in the country'sconstitution on 12 November 1999.[68]
TheZimbabwean sign languages, grouped as "sign language", are recognised in the 2013Constitution of Zimbabwe as one of the sixteen "officially recognised languages of Zimbabwe".[108]
Die 'erkenning' omvat hierbij de drie betekennissen van het woord: (1) de Vlaamse overheid bevestigt de juistheid van het feit dat de Vlaamse Gebarentaal de taal is van de Dovengemeenschap in Vlaanderen, (2) de Vlaamse overheid aanvaardt het bestaan van die taal ook op juridisch vlak en behandelt ze als dustanig en (3) de Vlaamse overheid uit haar waardering voor deze taal.
A reported shortcoming of the ACA as federal legislation, it only applies to federally regulated entities and therefore has limited scope. That means private businesses and public spaces not directly controlled by the federal government will see no change for people with disabilities. An average person has vastly more interactions with private businesses than with the public service.
In 1988, Manitoba became the first province to officially do so, followed by Alberta in 1990.
New Zealand Sign Language is declared to be an official language of New Zealand
Sweden was one of the first countries in the world to officially recognize a signed language as a language. In 1981, Swedish Sign Language (SSL) was recognized in a government bill (Proposition, 1980/81:100). This recognition, in turn, had major consequences for the acknowledgement of SSL as the first language of deaf children, and also increased the need for formal courses in SSL.
Deaf people yesterday won formal government recognition of British sign language as a language in its own right
This Government formally recognised British Sign Language as a language in its own right in January 2004.
For example, although BSL was recognised as an official language by the UK Government in 2003 and the Scottish Government in 2011, this is not widely known and those that are aware often think of BSL as just a signed version of English.
I am pleased to announce formal recognition for both British and Irish Sign Languages in Northern Ireland.
Speaking in the Assembly, the Minister set out proposals to increase the number of interpreters and, ultimately, bring forward a Sign Language Bill.
I am proud to have been joined by Deputy Mayor Debbie Weekes-Bernard, colleagues from the British Deaf Association and 70+ Deaf Londoners for the formal signing of the Charter for British Sign Language on behalf of City Hall. The Charter was designed by the British Deaf Association (BDA) as one way to address discrimination, empower deaf communities and improve relationships between public sector organisations and Deaf communities. The adoption of the Charter forms part of my pledge to improve access and rights for Deaf Londoners who use sign language. As part of developing the charter, the BDA held workshops with British sign language users to gather their views, experiences and feedback from their interactions with City Hall.
"So I'll make an election pledge, that from the start of my next term, should I be lucky enough to have one, I will require that there is BSL sign on the live stream of all meetings of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority," he said.
