Legal Recognition of Sign Languages - Sign Language Status By State - Belgium - Flemish Community

Flemish Community

Flemish Sign Language was recognised on 2006-04-26 by the Flemish Parliament. This recognition entails:

  1. a cultural (symbolical) recognition (see excerpt below),
  2. the foundation of a commission that will advise the Flemish government in all matters related to VGT and
  3. the structural funding of research and development of VGT.

This recognition was accelerated by the most successful petition ever with the Flemish Parliament and the presence of a Deaf member of parliament, Helga Stevens, and her interpreters in the Flemish Parliament.

Cultural recognition entails that the Flemish Government recognises the Flemish Sign Language as the language of the Deaf Community in Flanders. This 'recognition' encompasses the following three meanings: (1) the Flemish Government acknowledges the correctness of the fact that the Flemish Sign Language is the language of the Deaf Community in Flanders, (2) the Flemish Government also accepts the existence of this language in the judicial domain and treats it accordingly and (3) the Flemish Government expresses its respect for this language.

—Decreet houdende de erkenning van de Vlaamse Gebarentaal (Decree on the recognition of the Flemish Sign Language)

Read more about this topic:  Legal Recognition Of Sign Languages, Sign Language Status By State, Belgium

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