Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Havana, Sep 20.- Cuban sign language is a necessary element for the exercise of the rights of deaf people by facilitating their social inclusion.
Approximately 26 thousand people with hearing problems are members of the National Association of the Deaf of Cuba (Ansoc in Spanish), Doctor of Science Rita Simón Valdés, director of the National Center for the Improvement and Development of the Deaf, told Prensa Latina.
The Caribbean country has specific schools for deaf children, who attend all mandatory educational levels and also study polytechnic schools and universities and even master's degrees and doctorates.
During the debates in the National Assembly (parliament) of Cuba, representatives of each of the associations of disabled people on the island participate, the researcher said.
According to the specialist, a legal norm to establish the legal framework that allows recognizing and regulating the use of Cuban sign language will be analyzed next year by the Legislature.
The Cuban sign language as a symbol of the country's deaf community, its background, evolution, scientific studies, recognition and levels of socialization was discussed by a panel of experts from the Cuban Association of the United Nations and Ansoc, regarding the Day International Sign Language International on September 23.
According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are currently around 72 million deaf people living around the world, who use more than 300 different sign languages.
Meanwhile, more than 80 percent of them belong to developing countries.
Sign language is recognized as a natural language and first language of the deaf community in 77 nations, 18 of them in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
A UN statement noted that the International Day of Sign Languages ??is a unique opportunity to support and protect the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all deaf people and other sign language users.
The UN General Assembly proclaimed the International Day of Sign Languages ??to raise awareness about the importance of the full realization of human rights for those who suffer from hearing limitations.
Early access to this form of communication and services in this language, including quality education, is vital for the growth and development of these people and decisive for achieving sustainable development goals.
It also highlights the importance of preserving sign languages ??as part of linguistic and cultural diversity.
This year the International Week of the Deaf, from September 18 to 24, promotes the inclusion in society of people with hearing problems and chronic deafness. (Text and photo: PL)
