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Signs of the timesEvolving language | PC pitfalls | Help and infoVEE-TV has been in the news about our policy not to use certain BSL signs. But what is 'acceptable' language? And who should judge? The football commentator Ron Atkinson recently resigned after using language about a black player that he admitted was 'racist'. And last week, Richard Desmond, owner of the Daily Express, hit the headlines after an extraordinary boardroom tirade against Germans. So if some words are unacceptable on the grounds of racism and stereotyping, what about signs? For example, are the old signs for some racial groups still acceptable? Evolving languageOur policy is not to use such signs, and the BDA has supported our decision. 'The BDA agrees that Channel 4's VEE-TV, like any other programme maker, has the right to make sure offensive language is not screened,' it said in a statement. '[BSL] has evolved in the UK's Deaf community over hundreds of years and like any other language it continues to develop as words and attitudes change (much in the same way as English does) … As an organisation which promotes the use of BSL and supports its users, the BDA takes advice from minority groups concerning what signs they use and want.' The problem is offensive stereotyping, and because BSL is mainly based on visual representation, it can present particular problems in this respect. For example, signs representing Jewish people by mimicking a beard or a hook nose have been in use. The 'politically correct' sign is both hands mimicking the shape of a menorah candle-holder. PC pitfallsBut as with all attempts to sanitise language, there can be problems. For instance, the original sign for 'Chinese' referred to the eye-shape of Chinese people. The sign was changed to represent the outline of a Chinese worker's tunic, but some Chinese deaf people have said they find this offensive too, as the tunic was the uniform for workers under Chairman Mao and is itself an outdated stereotype. Not everyone agrees that the old 'politically incorrect' signs should be eradicated. And who is to decide what is offensive anyway? At the 2003 World Federation for the Deaf conference in Canada, a Chinese deaf woman asked delegates what their sign for 'Chinese' was. The old BSL sign showing eye-shape was the only one suggested by Chinese people. And the Chinese use a 'round eye' sign for Western people. So what do you think? Should we be trying to ban some signs and use politically correct alternatives? Should the old signs still be taught? Are there any signs that you think should be on the outlawed list? Or do you think it's all a fuss about nothing? Let us know on the message board. Help and infoLinksDaily Telegraph: 'Limp wrists and
slant eyes must go as political correctness demands new signs for
the deaf' Deafsign Ethnologue BooksDictionary of British Sign Language (Faber and Faber, 1992) The Linguistics of British Sign Language: An introduction by
Rachel Sutton-Spence and Bencie Woll (Cambridge University Press, 1999) Sign Language Companion by Cath Smith (Souvenir Press Ltd,
1996) Sign Language Link: A pocket dictionary of signs by Cath
Smith & David Hodgson (Illustrator) (Co-Sign Communications, 2002) Seeing Voices by Oliver Sacks (Picador, 1991) OrganisationsBritish Deaf Association (BDA) Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People |
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