Sign language interpreting in the Pacific: A snapshot of progress in raising the participation of deaf people | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Volume 7, Issue 2
  • ISSN: 2050-4039
  • E-ISSN: 2050-4047

Abstract

Abstract

Barriers to acquiring and using a shared sign language alienate deaf children and adults from their fundamental human rights to communication, education, social and economic participation, and access to services. International data collected by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) identify that in economically developing countries, deaf individuals are at particularly high risk of marginalization, which applies to countries in the Pacific region. This report provides a snapshot of the status of deaf people as sign language users in six Pacific nations: Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste and Kiribati. Information was contributed by sign language interpreters from these countries during a panel convened at the first Oceania regional conference of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters, in Fiji, 2018. The report outlines conditions for education through sign language and the emergence of sign language interpreting as a means of increasing access and social equity for deaf people in these countries, albeit this remains largely on a voluntary basis. While Fiji and PNG governments have recognized the status of sign languages in their respective countries and allocated some resources to the inclusion of sign language users, practical support of deaf sign language users tends to be progressed on grounds of disability rights rather than language rights; e.g., several Pacific countries have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights for People with Disabilities, which includes provisions for sign language users, and deaf advocacy efforts have gained political traction from alliance with disability organizations.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/nzps_00005_1
2019-10-01
2024-04-24
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Agape School for the Deaf (n.d.), http://agapeschoolforthedeaf.com/about-us/who-we-are/. Accessed 24 May 2019 .
  2. Anderson, Melissa L.,, Leigh, Irene W., and Samar, Vincent J.. (2011);, 'Intimate partner violence against Deaf women: A review'. , Aggression and Violent Behavior, 16:3, pp. 200-06.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Anon. (2016);, 'First sign language dictionary in Kiribati'. , AVID, 19 September, https://dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/volunteers/avid-news-events/newsletters/avid-0916/Pages/first-sign-language-dictionary-in-kiribati.aspx. Accessed 4 April 2019 .
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Branson, Jan, and Miller, Don. (2004);, 'The cultural construction of linguistic incompetence through schooling: Deaf education and the transformation of the linguistic environment in Bali, Indonesia'. , Sign Language Studies, 5:1, pp. 6-38.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Branson, Jan, and Miller, Don. (2011);, 'National sign languages and language policies'. , in Stephen May. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Language and Education, Boston, MA:: Springer;, pp. 89-98.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. EMTV (2015);, 'Sign language to be introduced as fourth official language'. , EMTV, 7 May, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttq-RP5s-oA. Accessed 24 May 2019 .
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Fenlon, Jordan, and Wilkinson, Erin. (2015);, 'Sign languages in the world'. , in Adam C. Schembri,, and Ceil Lucas. (eds), Sociolinguistics and Deaf Communities, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;, pp. 5-28.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Fiji Association of the Deaf (n.d.);, 'About the project'. , Fiji Association of the Deaf, https://millneckinternational.org/our-work/fiji/. Accessed 4 April 2019 .
    [Google Scholar]
  9. The Gospel School for Deaf (n.d.), http://www.fijideaf.net/school.html. Accessed 4 April 2019 .
  10. Haualand, Hilde, and Allen, Colin. (2009), Deaf People and Human Rights, World Federation of the Deaf and the Swedish National Association of the Deaf, https://www.rasit.org/files/Deaf-People-and-Human-Rights-Report.pdf. Accessed 5 April 2019 .
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Human Rights Watch (2015), Bashed Up: Family Violence in Papua New Guinea, New York:: Human Rights Watch;.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Iseli, Jacqueline. (2018), Deaf Ni-Vanuatu and their Signs: A Sociolinguistic Study, MA thesis, Victoria University of Wellington;.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Joshua Project (n.d.);, 'Deaf in East Timor'. , https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/19007/TT. Accessed 4 April 2019 .
  14. Kendon, Adam. (1980);, 'A description of a deaf-mute sign language from the Enga Province of Papua New Guinea with some comparative discussion Part I: The formational properties of Enga signs'. , Semiotica, 31:1&2, pp. 1-34.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Kusters, Annelies,, Toura-Jensen, Outi,, Verhelst, Filip, and Vestergaard, Ole. (2015);, 'Changing the world (or not): Reflecting on interactions with the Global South during the Frontrunners program'. , in Michele Friedner, and Annelies Kusters. (eds), It's a Small World: International Deaf Spaces and Encounters, Washington, DC:: Gallaudet University Press;, pp. 249-61.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Moriarty Harrelson, Erin. (2017);, 'Deaf people with "no language": Mobility and flexible accumulation in languaging practices of deaf people in Cambodia'. , Applied Linguistics Review, 10:1, pp. 55-72.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Murray, Angela. (2009), A Booklet for Learning Basic Solomon Islands Sign Language, Aruligo:: Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands;.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Murray, Angela, and Rokotuibau, Joneti. (2011);, 'Working together to support the Solomon Islands: An emerging Deaf and interpreting community'. , in Brendan Costello,, Mary Thumann, and Risa Shaw. (eds), Proceedings of the 4th Conference of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters, Durban, South Africa:, 14-16 July .
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Napier, Jemima,, McKee, Rachel, and Goswell, Della. (2010), Sign Language Interpreting, Sydney:: The Federation Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Nelson, Karen,, Tawaketini, Inise,, Ruth, Spencer, and Goswell, Della. (2009);, 'Isa Lei: Interpreter training in Fiji'. , in Jemina Napier. (ed.), International Perspectives on Sign Language Interpreter Education, Washington, DC:: Gallaudet University Press;, pp. 171-89.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne (2018);, 'Skills for employment for i-Kiribati with disability'. , https://mspgh.unimelb.edu.au/centres-institutes/nossal-institute-for-global-health/news-and-events/skills-for-employment-for-i-kiribati-with-disability. Accessed 4 April 2019 .
  22. Okombo, D. O., and Akach, P. O.. (1997);, 'Language convergence and wave phenomena in the growth of a national sign language in Kenya'. , International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 125:1, pp. 131-44.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Reed, Lauren,, Rumsey, Alan,, Merlan, Francesca, and Onga, John. (2018);, 'The communicative ecology of deaf sign languages in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea'. , Seminar for Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Australian National University, Canberra, 12 October, https://cloudstor.aarnet.edu.au/plus/s/2ShUz8KKfmK8YaM/download. Accessed 8 April 2019 .
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Royson, Willie. (2014);, 'Be Alarmed! Vanuatu rates of violence against women and children'. , Vanuatu Daily Post, 2 October, http://dailypost.vu/news/be-alarmed-vanuatu-rates-of-violence-against-women-and-children/article_fbf9a7fb-4f4c-58f4-a305-cfc8058accec.html. Accessed 23 May 2019 .
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Tamarua, Jennifer, and Stebbins, Keith. (1994), Melanesian Signs for Communication with the Deaf, Port Moresby:: Department of Education, Papua New Guinea;.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. United Nations (2006);, 'Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities – articles'. , https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-2.html. Accessed 4 April 2019 .
  27. UNDP (2017);, 'Sign language on board for equal access to services and advocating for the rights'. , 16 November, UNDP Pacific Office, Fiji, http://www.pacific.undp.org/content/pacific/en/home/presscenter/articles/2017/11/16/sign-language-on-board-for-equal-access-to-services-and-advocating-for-the-rights.html. Accessed 30 March 2019 .
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Wikipedia (n.d.);, 'Papua New Guinean sign language',Wikipedia. , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinean_Sign_Language – cite_note-ISO-1. Accessed 24 May 2019 .
  29. Willie, Rosely. (2018);, in person interview with Angela Murray, Fiji. , 18 August .
  30. McKee, Rachel,, Iseli, Jacqueline, and Murray, Angela. (2019);, 'Sign language interpreting in the Pacific: A snapshot of progress in raising the participation of deaf people'. , Journal of New Zealand & Pacific Studies, 7:2, pp. 185-96, doi: https://doi.org/10.1386/nzps_00005_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/nzps_00005_1
Loading
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error