BE

Legal Recognition

"Sign Language Legislation in the European Union", Wheatley, M., A. Pabsch., Edition II. Brussels, EUD, 2012:

"a. Flanders
Flemish Sign Language is recognised in a Decree from 2006 (Decreet houdende de erkenning van de Vlaamste Gebarentaal):
'Flemish Sign Language is hereby recognised.' (Article 2)

The recognition was achieved after a long process. (...)

The Decree does not only contain the official abbreviation of Flemish sign Langauge (VGT), it also states that it is the language of Deaf people who belong to a linguistic-cultural minority group in Flanders, as well as the bilingual region Brussels-Capital. The Decree further regulates the establishment of an advisory committee for VGT. Its main tasks are to advise the Flemish government and to formulate proposals. The Decree also recognises the need for research and funding, giving VGT the status of a language in its own right. "

b. Wallonia
French Belgian Sign Language was recognised in a Decree from 2003 (Decret rélatif à la reconnaissance de la langue des signes). Article 1 states:

' French Belgian Sign Langauge (LSFB) hereafter abbreviated as 'sign language', is recognised.' (..)
The recognition decree regulates the establishment of an advisory committee. Its main tasks are similar to the Flemish decree and include advising the Wallonian government."

"The status of sign languages in Europe", Nina Timmermans, ISBN 92-871-5720-0 © Council of Europe, April 2005:

Flanders:

"While participating in the Sign Languages Project of the European Union of the Deaf in 1997, the Flemish National Commission brought together experts in several areas, such as linguistics, Flemish Sign Language users, schools for the deaf, and parents associations. After the Sign Languages Project came to an end, Fevlado (Federatie van Vlaamse Doven Organisaties) decided to try to maintain the intellectual values and know-how that had been developed. As a result, Fevlado set up the Flemish Sign Language Centre that has continued the research work on Flemish Sign Language. The Centre also supports contacts with schools for the deaf, developing sign language teaching, and promoting sign language research at academic level."

Walloon and Region of Brussels-Capital:

"On 25 November 2003, the Belgian Moniteur published the text of a Decree dated 22 October 2003 on the recognition of sign language. Article 1 of the Decree provides “that the sign language of French-speaking Belgium shall be recognised, and this language shall be the language of visual gesture specific to the hearing-impaired population of the French-speaking Community”. Article 2 of that Decree set up an advisory board on sign language with the function of submitting to the government, of its own motion or on request, opinions and proposals on all issues relating to the use of sign language.

(..)

Training for parents
The French-speaking Community’s Promotion Sociale system offers Belgian-French Sign Language courses, but these are often unsuited to parents’ needs, particularly as not many parents have access to the reduction of working hours that is normally part of the Promotion Sociale package.

However, the courses are very popular and many institutions include Belgian-French Sign Language as one of their courses. One consequence of this, in view of the lack of qualified deaf teachers, is that the system engages deaf persons with no basic training in language teaching. FFSB is unable to intervene with the organising bodies of these institutions.

More and more parents meet the deaf community in order to familiarise themselves with deaf culture and Belgian-French Sign Language but many others opt for PLC, which is much easier to learn."

German-speaking Community:

"Sign language for deaf people has no officially recognised status. There are no government measures to encourage media to make their services accessible for persons with disabilities but there are government measures to make other forms of public information services available."

Wikipedia:

"The Parliament of French-speaking Belgium recognised LSFB (French-Belgian Sign Language) in a decree of October 2003. This recognition entails: a cultural (symbolical) recognition and the foundation of a commission that will advise the Government of the French Community in all matters related to LSFB.

In Décret relatif à la reconnaissance de la langue des signes (Decree on the recognition of the sign language), from three possible legal interpretations of the term 'recognition',[2] the following one was retained: "It concerns a symbolic recognition that goes hand in hand with a general measure, permitting every minister to take action in fields relative to his authority."

Number of Deaf Sign Language Users

Number of Sign Language Teachers

Association of Sign Language Teachers

National Sign Language (Research) Centre

Training of Sign Language Teachers

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