Plea for a wider European recognition of sign languages

On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the European Union of the Deaf (EUD) Helga Stevens, one of two deaf members of the European Parliament, pleaded in favour of a wider recognition of sign languages in the EU. “Many countries are already making great efforts to offer the deaf community the facilities it needs. But in several EU Member States, the policy continues to be sub-standard. Legal recognition of the national sign language is an important step forward for achieving full inclusion and language equality, although the national parliaments have to make this decision themselves.”

Over two hundred deaf people convened in the European Parliament in Brussels to exchange ideas and celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the EUD. Helga Stevens chaired the conference and was the keynote speaker. “While the European Union has 24 official spoken languages, it has 31 sign languages. I am very happy that I have been able to bring so many sign language users together here today,” she said.

Raising awareness
Helga Stevens wants to raise awareness about deafness in the EU. “This is why I have drawn up a report about how best to apply the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We mustn’t underestimate the importance of this: there are about 40 to 60 million deaf or hearing-impaired people in the EU. A tailor-made policy is by no means a luxury. According to the news, six thousand hearing-impaired French people were recently forced to move to Belgium. This should not be happening in Europe.”