“Isn’t sign language international?” It’s a question many people ask, and the answer is a resounding no. Sign languages are as varied, rich, and distinct as spoken languages. Today, on International Sign Languages Day, we celebrate that extraordinary diversity and the cultural heritage it represents.
Countries that share a spoken language often have completely different sign languages. The UK, Ireland, and the USA are perfect examples. While ISL (Irish Sign Language) and ASL (American Sign Language) share some similarities, both differ significantly from BSL (British Sign Language). I vividly remember attending an international Deaf event, struggling to communicate with an ASL user while they struggled with my BSL, until we realised we were both hearing and could simply switch to spoken English!
I recently returned from Lourdes in the south of France, where each Sunday an International Mass brings together readings and prayers in a multitude of spoken languages. There is a beauty in hearing people pray in different languages, and witnessing that same diversity expressed through sign languages is equally moving and very powerful. Each sign language carries the history, identity, and lived experience of Deaf communities around the world.
Over the years, this rich variety has meant that my Deaf friends have often been my interpreters, rather than the other way around. Once, while walking by the seaside, my friend effortlessly chatted with a Deaf couple using ASL and then relayed everything to me in BSL. On a trip to Portugal, we met a group of Deaf people from France. Their hearing group leader spoke no English, and my long-forgotten French O Level wasn’t up to the task, but one of the Deaf men in our group (who used ISL) was able to sign with them and translate their responses back into BSL so I could understand. Irish and French Sign Languages share historical roots: in the nineteenth century, Catholic religious orders brought French-influenced signing practices to Deaf education in Ireland, contributing to the development of Irish Sign Language as a distinct language.
Communication, in all its forms, gives us the freedom to express ourselves and share our lives and experiences with others. Sign languages are equally as important as spoken languages, with their own rich heritage and fascinating history. The use of gesture stretches back centuries: gestures used in ancient Rome are reflected in sign languages around the world; children often learn to express themselves through signs before they can speak; and we begin every Mass with a sign – the Sign of the Cross.
International Sign Languages Day reminds us, therefore, that communication is something we all share, so perhaps today is an opportunity to learn a new sign, start a conversation, and help make communication more inclusive for everyone!
To learn more about having sign language at your parish (and in this instance, we can only offer BSL!), please contact a member of the Caritas Deaf Service team. www.caritaswestminster.org.uk/deafservice
