Minister of Social Empowerment, Welfare and Kandyan Heritage S. B. Dissanayake stated that a draft bill has been submitted to the cabinet to grant legal recognition for Sign Language to be accepted as a language in Sri Lanka.
It has been reported that there are 389,677 persons in Sri Lanka who use Sign Language to communicate. The National Policy on Disability for Sri Lanka acknowledges Sign Language as the communicative language for all individuals suffering from a severe loss of hearing or deafness.
The establishment of Sign Language legally will enable deaf children of Sri Lanka to have the Right to an equal education. The Minister stated that the government will take steps to ensure all deaf children will be provided the means to an equal education.
It was also mentioned that these acts will be conducted to bolster the confidence of the deaf community within the country and provide them with better opportunities.
