2010 Brussels Declaration on Sign Languages in the ... - EUD
2010 Brussels Declaration on Sign Languages in the ... - EUD
2010 Brussels Declaration on Sign Languages in the ... - EUD
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<str<strong>on</strong>g>2010</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Brussels</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Declarati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Sign</strong> <strong>Languages</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> <br />
PREAMBLE <br />
We, <strong>the</strong> representatives of <strong>the</strong> Nati<strong>on</strong>al Associati<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> Deaf of <strong>the</strong> Member States of <strong>the</strong> <br />
European Uni<strong>on</strong> and <strong>the</strong> affiliated members, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland believe <strong>in</strong> and strive <br />
for equal rights of Deaf and Hard of Hear<strong>in</strong>g sign language users. We adopt <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g declarati<strong>on</strong> <br />
by mutual agreement and by full acclamati<strong>on</strong> today as <strong>the</strong> clos<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>ference entitled <br />
“Implementati<strong>on</strong> of <strong>Sign</strong> Language Legislati<strong>on</strong>” hosted by Dr Ádám Kósa, Member of <strong>the</strong> European <br />
Parliament and <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> Deaf (<strong>EUD</strong>). <br />
PRINCIPLES <br />
1. The treaties and pr<strong>in</strong>ciples of <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> and <strong>the</strong> regulati<strong>on</strong>s laid down <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <br />
Charter of Fundamental Rights make us -‐ Deaf and Hard of Hear<strong>in</strong>g sign language users -‐ <br />
equal citizens of <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong>, with <strong>the</strong> right to free movement. <br />
2. Deaf and Hard of Hear<strong>in</strong>g people <strong>in</strong> Europe are <strong>the</strong> users and preservers of many <strong>in</strong>digenous <br />
nati<strong>on</strong>al sign languages and form vulnerable communities equal to o<strong>the</strong>r l<strong>in</strong>guistic and <br />
cultural m<strong>in</strong>orities. <br />
3. The <strong>in</strong>digenous nati<strong>on</strong>al sign languages of <strong>the</strong> Member States are <strong>the</strong> native languages of <br />
sign language users. It has l<strong>on</strong>g been verified by research that sign languages are fully-fledged<br />
languages with <strong>the</strong>ir own grammar and syntax <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> same way as spoken languages. <br />
They serve all practical and <strong>the</strong>oretical purposes of a natural language, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g age <br />
appropriate language acquisiti<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>fants and children. <br />
4. One of <strong>the</strong> pillars of <strong>the</strong> community of sign language users is Deaf Culture. As such, it <br />
c<strong>on</strong>stitutes an <strong>in</strong>tegral part of <strong>the</strong> cultures of <strong>the</strong> Member States, and must <strong>the</strong>refore be <br />
protected and promoted nati<strong>on</strong>ally and regi<strong>on</strong>ally. <br />
5. Every sign language user must have <strong>the</strong> right to use <strong>the</strong>ir native sign language without <br />
restricti<strong>on</strong> and discrim<strong>in</strong>ati<strong>on</strong>. Communicat<strong>in</strong>g and us<strong>in</strong>g a native language is a fundamental <br />
human right. <br />
6. <strong>Sign</strong> language users must have equal access to public life, educati<strong>on</strong>, and employment. Full <br />
participati<strong>on</strong> must be promoted and protected through legislati<strong>on</strong>. <strong>Sign</strong> language <br />
<strong>in</strong>terpreters (<strong>in</strong> pers<strong>on</strong> or via modern, tailored IT soluti<strong>on</strong>s) are <strong>on</strong>e way to assist sign <br />
language users <strong>in</strong> ga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g full access. <br />
7. The European Uni<strong>on</strong> must support its Member States to take <strong>the</strong> necessary legal measures <br />
to protect and promote <strong>the</strong> nati<strong>on</strong>al sign languages to meet <strong>the</strong> objectives of <strong>the</strong> EU2020 <br />
strategy, which aims to <strong>in</strong>crease employment and liv<strong>in</strong>g standards with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> European <br />
Uni<strong>on</strong>. <br />
SIGN LANGUAGES IN USE <br />
We call up<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> and its Member States to take all legal measures necessary to <br />
secure that <strong>in</strong> c<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong> with <strong>the</strong> Deaf Community: <br />
a. The nati<strong>on</strong>al sign languages are recognised <strong>on</strong> an equal foot<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>the</strong> respective spoken <br />
languages of <strong>the</strong> Member States; <br />
b. <strong>Sign</strong><strong>in</strong>g communities and <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>in</strong>dividual members are able to use <strong>the</strong>ir language without <br />
restricti<strong>on</strong>;
c. <strong>Sign</strong> language tuiti<strong>on</strong> is provided to family members to ensure <strong>the</strong> Deaf or Hard of Hear<strong>in</strong>g’s <br />
child full participati<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> family life; <br />
d. Deaf and Hard of Hear<strong>in</strong>g sign language users have <strong>the</strong> right to learn a sign language and <br />
learn/study bil<strong>in</strong>gually, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir sign language and <strong>the</strong> written nati<strong>on</strong>al language(s); <br />
e. <strong>Sign</strong> language users have access to public services <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir nati<strong>on</strong>al sign language; <br />
f. <strong>Sign</strong> language users are treated equally <strong>in</strong> employment; <br />
g. The nati<strong>on</strong>al sign languages and <strong>the</strong>ir communities are protected and promoted; <br />
h. The provisi<strong>on</strong> of sign language <strong>in</strong>terpretati<strong>on</strong> services, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> f<strong>in</strong>anc<strong>in</strong>g and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g of <br />
sign language <strong>in</strong>terpreters is secured by develop<strong>in</strong>g and adopt<strong>in</strong>g m<strong>in</strong>imum standards for all <br />
Member States of <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong>. <br />
We especially urge <strong>the</strong> Member States of <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> to secure equal opportunities by <br />
provid<strong>in</strong>g accessible educati<strong>on</strong>al opti<strong>on</strong>s for sign language users. Teachers must be tra<strong>in</strong>ed to become <br />
fully bil<strong>in</strong>gual, while native sign language users should be preferred. This is necessary to ensure <br />
appropriate educati<strong>on</strong> for each Deaf or Hard of Hear<strong>in</strong>g child. <br />
We trust that <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> Member States, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Iceland, Norway and Switzerland have <br />
<strong>the</strong> will and means to actively support <strong>the</strong> use of sign languages. <br />
We are fully aware that both <strong>the</strong> United Nati<strong>on</strong>s and <strong>the</strong> Council of Europe have passed relevant <br />
documents <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> matters presented <strong>in</strong> this <str<strong>on</strong>g>Declarati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g>. <br />
We recall <strong>the</strong> U.N. C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> Rights of Pers<strong>on</strong>s with Disabilities and <strong>the</strong> Recommendati<strong>on</strong> <br />
1598 (2003) <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> Protecti<strong>on</strong> of <strong>Sign</strong> <strong>Languages</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Member States of <strong>the</strong> Council of Europe. <br />
We herewith rem<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> – particularly <strong>the</strong> European Commissi<strong>on</strong> <br />
and <strong>the</strong> European Parliament – of two Resoluti<strong>on</strong>s by <strong>the</strong> European Parliament <strong>on</strong> <strong>Sign</strong> <strong>Languages</strong> <br />
(Doc A2-‐302/87 of 17 June 1988 and Doc B4-‐095/98 of 18 November 1998). <br />
We request <strong>the</strong> European Instituti<strong>on</strong>s to develop laws, issue directives and support <strong>the</strong> development <br />
of horiz<strong>on</strong>tal legislati<strong>on</strong>. <br />
We call up<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> to provide sign language <strong>in</strong>terpretati<strong>on</strong> services with<strong>in</strong> its <br />
<strong>in</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong>s to model best practice. <br />
We ask <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> to request all Member States to make c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong>s to sign language <br />
research, development, and teach<strong>in</strong>g by provid<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>ancial assistance and by launch<strong>in</strong>g and <br />
support<strong>in</strong>g nati<strong>on</strong>al and local projects. <br />
We entrust Dr Ádám Kósa, Member of <strong>the</strong> European Parliament and <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> Deaf <br />
to forward this <str<strong>on</strong>g>Declarati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> to <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> and its Member States. <br />
<strong>Sign</strong>ed by <br />
- Dr Ádám Kósa, Member of <strong>the</strong> European Parliament; <br />
- President of <strong>the</strong> European Uni<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> Deaf; <br />
- The representatives of <strong>the</strong> Nati<strong>on</strong>al Associati<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> Deaf of <strong>the</strong> Member States of <strong>the</strong> <br />
European Uni<strong>on</strong> and <strong>the</strong> affiliated members, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland; <br />
- President of <strong>the</strong> European Forum of <strong>Sign</strong> Language Interpreters; <br />
- President of <strong>the</strong> World Federati<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> Deaf; <br />
- President of <strong>the</strong> World Associati<strong>on</strong> of <strong>Sign</strong> Language Interpreters <br />
<strong>in</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Brussels</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> 19 November <str<strong>on</strong>g>2010</str<strong>on</strong>g>.