Carolina Seguí, University Jaume I
The Spanish population has around 120,000 users of the different sign languages existing in the state. None of them has been recognized as an official language and the normalization of its use and its standardization in both administration and society is still a work in progres. Our system is regulated by the Act 27/2007 (passed on October 23rd, 2007), which recognizes the different Spanish sign languages ??and regulates how communication with deaf and hard of hearing people must be facilitated by the justice system. The consideration of sign languages as second-rate languages often makes deaf people vulnerable in front of the administration and the justice system. When considering education, the same reality applies. This poster examines legislative models where the national sign language has achieved official status. Focusing specifically on the analysis of the Austrian legislation, we will identify areas where modifications are crucial to improve the situation of deaf citizens in the Spanish legal system. Our proposal is built on contemporary postmonolingualism, as it tries to bring together the plurality of identities, specially languages and cultures, that coexist in the same territory. As of now no proposal has been developed to include sign language in the postmonolingual landscape. This contribution aims to fill in this gap and raise awareness as to the minorized condition of sign language users.
References
Ley 27/2007, de 23 de octubre, por la que se reconocen las lenguas de signos españolas y se regulan los medios de apoyo a la comunicación oral de las personas sordas, con discapacidad auditiva y sordociegas [Act 27/2007, October 23rd, recognizing the different Spanish sign languages and regulating how communication with deaf and hard of hearing people must be], Spanish official gazette no. 255, published October 24, 2007, pp. 43251 to 43259