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Deafnet was created as a demonstration project in 1978 by SRI International (previously known as Stanford Research Institute) at Washington's Gallaudet University for the deaf. It was funded by The United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to demonstrate the advantages of e-mail for deaf people. Deafnet was the first real use of the telecommunications device for the deaf.
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Sign languages are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with non-manual markers. Sign languages are full-fledged natural languages with their own grammar and lexicon. Sign languages are not universal and are usually not mutually intelligible, although there are also similarities among different sign languages.
British Sign Language (BSL) is a sign language used in the United Kingdom, and is the first or preferred language among the deaf community in the UK. Based on the percentage of people who reported 'using British Sign Language at home' on the 2011 Scottish Census, the British Deaf Association estimates there are 151,000 BSL users in the UK, of which 87,000 are Deaf. By contrast, in the 2011 England and Wales Census 15,000 people living in England and Wales reported themselves using BSL as their main language. People who are not deaf may also use BSL, as hearing relatives of deaf people, sign language interpreters or as a result of other contact with the British Deaf community. The language makes use of space and involves movement of the hands, body, face, and head.
SRI International (SRI) is an American nonprofit scientific research institute and organization headquartered in Menlo Park, California. The trustees of Stanford University established SRI in 1946 as a center of innovation to support economic development in the region.
Deaf Child Worldwide is the International Development arm of the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS). It is the only UK-based international development agency dedicated to enabling deaf children to overcome poverty and isolation. Deaf Child Worldwide currently supports projects in South Asia, East Africa, and South America. It works alongside inclusive schools, NGOs and parents groups in the host countries to campaign for rights protection and positive change for deaf children and young people.
Indo-Pakistani Sign Language (IPSL) is the predominant sign language in the subcontinent of South Asia, used by at least 15 million deaf signers. As with many sign languages, it is difficult to estimate numbers with any certainty, as the Census of India does not list sign languages and most studies have focused on the north and urban areas. As of 2021, it is the most used sign language in the world, and Ethnologue ranks it as the 151st most "spoken" language in the world.
The legal recognition of signed languages differs widely. In some jurisdictions, a signed language is recognised as an official language; in others, it has a protected status in certain areas. Although a government may stipulate in its constitution that a "signed language" is recognised, it may fail to specify which signed language; several different signed languages may be commonly used.
Mainstreaming, in the context of education, is the practice of placing students with special education needs in a general education classroom during specific time periods based on their skills. This means students who are a part of the special education classroom will join the regular education classroom at certain times which are fitting for the special education student. These students may attend art or physical education in the regular education classrooms. Sometimes these students will attend math and science in a separate classroom, but attend English in a general education classroom. Schools that practice mainstreaming believe that students with special needs who cannot function in a general education classroom to a certain extent belong in the special education environment.
Sri Lankan Sign Language is a visual language used by deaf people in Sri Lanka and has regional variations stemming from the 25 Deaf schools in Sri Lanka.
Weitbrecht Communications, Inc. (WCI) is a Santa Monica, California company that specializes in providing products for deaf people. The company was founded as Applied Communications around 1965 by Robert Weitbrecht and James C. Marsters based on Weitbrecht's invention of the teleprinter at SRI International.
Gambian Sign Language is a national sign language used in Gambia by the deaf community there. The only school for deaf children in the Gambia, St John's School for the Deaf, was set up by a Catholic priest from Ireland. Dutch Sign Language was introduced to the school along with British Sign Language which developed into Gambian Sign Language, incorporating some indigenous gestures used by the general population. Unlike much of West Africa, American Sign Language was not introduced to the Gambia until much later so the deaf community is not familiar with American Sign Language.
Senator E. W. Kannangara, CCS was a Sri Lankan civil servant and statesmen. A senator, he had a long career in the Ceylon Civil Service during which he served as a Permanent Secretary and as the Clerk of the State Council.
Enga Sign Language is an apparent village sign language among the Tato Enga people in Enga province, Papua New Guinea. It was reported in 1980 in three articles by Adam Kendon, based on ethnographic films of three signers in the upper valley of the Lagaip River, but with reports of wider use in the surrounding region. Its current status is unknown, as no more recent information is available.
Kingsley Clarence Dassanaike, the first non-foreign Principal of the Ceylon School for the Deaf & Blind in Ratmalana, Sri Lanka was the inventor of the Sinhala Braille system, and served as the Chairman of the Extension Scout Committee for disabled Scouts of the World Organization of the Scout Movement as well as National Headquarters Commissioner, District Commissioner for Colombo of the Sri Lanka Scout Association from 1958 to 1963 and acting District Commissioner of Moratuwa–Piliyandala in the 1960s.
Sri Lanka National Deaf Cricket Team represents Sri Lanka in international deaf cricket arena. The team consists of players who are having hearing problems (deaf). The team also participated in the 3rd edition of the 2017 Deaf Cricket Asia Cup tournament in India. The team ended up as runners-up to India in the finals, lost the match by a big margin of 156 runs.
People with disabilities in Sri Lanka typically face significant stigma and discrimination. The main causes for disability in Sri Lanka are poor hygiene, lack of medical care, the prevalence of 30 years of war, the aftereffects of the 2004 tsunami, and an increase in accidents.
The 2018 Deaf T20 World Cup was the 3rd edition of the Deaf Cricket World Cup tournament, and was held from 23 to 30 November 2018 for 8 days in India and all of the scheduled matches were held in the city of Gurugram, New Delhi. In the final, Sri Lanka defeated hosts and defending champions India by 36 runs to secure their first ever Deaf T20 World Cup title. Five teams including hosts India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and Nepal played in the tournament. The tournament was hosted by Deaf Cricket Society in India affiliating with the Deaf International Cricket Council. The tournament began with hosts India played against South Africa on 23 November 2018.
Azerbaijani Sign Language is the sign language used by the deaf community in Azerbaijan. As with other sign languages, AİD has a unique grammar that differs from the oral languages used in the region. Although there are approximately 31,000 deaf people in Azerbaijan, most of them use Turkish Sign Language as their primary sign language. Azerbaijani Sign Language is not recognized as an official language by Azerbaijan, nor does not have any language codes.
Mount Avejaha Sign Language is a village sign language of Papua New Guinea. It is spoken in a remote village with many deaf children in the foothills of Mount Avejaha, in Oro Province. It is dissimilar from other village sign languages in New Guinea. The deaf are well integrated into the community.
Rossel Island Sign Language is a village sign language of Rossel Island, Papua New Guinea reported by Stephen Levinson. He reports that,