| Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read |
| City Ready to Lend More Helping Hands to Deaf-mutes |
| Adjust font size: |
As the capital of the world's most populous country, The one profession, which is short-handed and also demands delicate hands, is to provide sign language service. According to the Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation, there are fewer than 1,000 sign language professionals in "It is a shame to let deaf-mutes live in isolation," said Han Runfeng, deputy director of the federation's communications department. Sadly, the future looks even bleaker. With the Olympic Games coming in August 2008, Han estimates at least 900 high-caliber sign language professionals will be needed to help deaf-mute visitors. But currently only a few dozen people in "It's like scattering a tiny spoon of pepper powder in a huge pot," Han said. Among the problems in promoting sign language classes are a lack of funds and personnel and the complexity of the language itself. "These schools are funded by the municipal or district governments to guarantee that deaf-mutes can receive the same education as other people," said Liu Chuan, a teacher with the college and also organizer of the university's sign language society. "But when it comes to educating a city of 15 million population in sign language, the current resources are far from adequate." One factor that keeps sign language from becoming a popular study is its complexity. There are many different sign language expressions in different areas, much like spoken dialects. "I have a classmate from "Many dialects or slang in sign language are difficult to understand. It is important to teach people using a uniform sign language, like putonghua in Chinese." Although an ordinary person may need only three or four months to learn basic sign language for everyday life situations, it is more difficult to catch others' gestures, which often go slightly outside the standard styles in textbooks, according to Gu, who is also a member of BUU's sign language society. What's more, to understand the sign language used by an American or a Japanese is the same as having to learn a spoken foreign language and would require special training, he added. Despite all the difficulties, the Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation is excited about promoting the wider use of sign language in the city. It will offer free training classes for 1,000 sign language volunteers this year. The federation has allocated a special budget for the training program, and many teachers in local schools for the hearing impaired, including some retired, have volunteered to teach, said Cheng Hai, vice chairman of the Beijing Deaf-Mutes' Association, a subsidiary of the disabled persons' federation that is responsible for the program. "We haven't finished the detailed plan of the program, but to my surprise, since we announced the program, there have been hundreds of phone calls inquiring about the admission criteria of the classes, including The purpose of the training, he said, is not to produce sign language virtuosos but to help more people to be able to understand and use it for basic communication with deaf-mutes. "From an economic point of view, you cannot expect every company to hire full-time sign language professionals to take care of the contingent visits of deaf customers," he said. "It's better to have people working in these places know at least some sign language skills." Several major department stores and entertainment sites in town, including the Friendship Store at the A press liaison at Pacific Department Store said all the shop assistants in the department store are trained with basic sign language skills. There are also several staff members with advanced sign language credentials. One reason Beijing shops are faring well in sign language assistance, Han said, is that the Beijing Chamber of Commerce has commissioned the disabled persons' federation to train enough people to make sure there is at least one sign language assistant on each floor of a major department store or in each smaller store by 2008. Other places offering services, such as banks and hospitals, are still lagging behind, Han added. The Han remained hopeful that sign language can gain wider acceptance in society, as more and more young people have shown enthusiasm in learning it. About 30 universities in "I chose to learn some sign language because I thought it was interesting and was a useful skill," said Ding Peng, a student in the sign language society of the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA). "But the real stunning part is when you are able to use it to communicate with deaf-mutes. It feels as if a barrier to understanding is eliminated." According to Gu of BUU, his society alone has provided training help to the sign language societies in eight other universities. "Each of the societies has at least 100 members, and it makes me feel very proud to teach them my language," Gu said. The disabled persons' federation held sign language competitions in 2004 and 2005. About half of the competitors were university students, but others were from shops, schools for the deafs and welfare businesses, Han said. "My wish is that everyone everywhere can learn some sign language," he said. "That would not only make deaf people's lives easier but also enrich our social culture." (
|
| Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read |
 |
| Related Stories |
|
Product Directory China Search |
Country Search Hot Buys |
