Sign Language Courses celebrates the Deaf community and is pleased that Irish Sign Language or ISL is well on its way through the Seanad political stages (achieved three of five ) toward achieving formal recognition. This will put the language on equal footing with Irish and English and will have legal and formal positive effects on how information is disseminated, circulated, and on how accessible formal and informal technologies such as television will be experienced, with increased number of programmes subtitled and interpreted by sign language. Services and social life in general will become more accessible. The organisation encourages the non-deaf community to participate with the Deaf community so that they may experience its culture and appreciate ISL.
Irish Sign Language Awareness Week, based on the theme ‘With Sign Language, I am Equal’ will take place from September 18 to 24.
Sign Language Courses has announced its new e-learning resource for sign language, and for the awareness week it will provide some access to signs used in greetings and introductions, especially for those who live too far to travel weekly to a sign language course.
The Irish Deaf Community is a linguistic community, an active community with a network of local, regional, national, and international organisations. As with all communities, people need services. How accessible is your service? If you work in education, social services, are a healthcare provider, work in a frontline job, or would simply like to add a language to your CV, try your hand at Irish Sign Language and be ready by September 11 to say hello and introduce yourself and your service to a deaf person in your shop, café, school, or place of work.
Three hours a week from September to Christmas will give you the basics to engage in a simple conversation. The course, titled Unit 101, provides a credit value of 3 at Level 1.
If you prefer to attend a class and learn with others, call Sign Language Courses on 091 790084 or email [email protected].
Families with deaf children, employers, schools, and community groups, can call directly on 091 790084.
For more details email [email protected], or see www.signlanguagecourses.ie
