Ugandan Sign Language

Ugandan Sign Language (USL) is the deaf sign language of Uganda.

History

Uganda has had schools for deaf children since 1959.^[2] In 1973, the Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD) was created.^[3]

The first generation of students in deaf schools used home signs that evolved to form USL. In 1994, the first training manual for the language was published, and several dictionaries have been published since then.^[4][5]

Uganda was the second country in the world to recognize sign language in its constitution, in 1995.^{[citation needed]}

Deaf politician Alex Ndeezi [fr] was elected to the Parliament of Uganda in 1996. He is the chairman of UNAD.^[6]

Linguistics

USL has influences from American Sign Language, British Sign Language, Kenyan Sign Language, the first two from the language of instruction in early classrooms, and the latter from deaf Ugandans who went to Kenya for higher education. It is intelligible by users of KSL.^[4] Its grammar, pronunciation, and manual alphabet are influenced by English, while certain expressions come from Luganda and Swahili.^[7] It is unclear if USL is related to Rwandan Sign Language.^{[citation needed]}

The one-handed alphabet is similar to that of French Sign Language, while a two-handed alphabet based on BSL is less commonly used.^[7] Finger-spelling and initialized signs using both alphabets are common among people who learned USL formally as children. Mouthing is also common with abbreviated syllables from both English and Luganda.^{[citation needed]}

Local dialects exist near the country's borders.^[2][4]

Use

There were approximately 160,000 USL users in 2008. Deaf people comprise 0.35% of Uganda's population. (Estimates vary between 160,000 and 840,000 deaf people.)^[7] Knowledge of USL is primarily urban, as access to education for the rural deaf remains poor. Nonetheless, USL is a highly valued element of group identity among the deaf community.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2014, there are eleven primary schools and two secondary schools for the deaf in Uganda, as well as about forty units for deaf students in mainstream schools, but these units exist in fewer than 40 of the 100 districts of Uganda.^[2] Fewer than 2% of deaf children in Uganda attend school.^[4]

Schools for the deaf use a combination of bilingual education and total communication. Education ranges from preschool to university and vocational school, but it is not accessible for all deaf children, and some remain in the general education system.^[7]

Although there are at least 44 languages spoken in Uganda, children in deaf schools all learn to write in English and sign in USL. According to linguist Diane Brentari, there is some interference with signed English.^[8] About 40% of deaf children learn to write in English.^[7]

The Uganda National Association of Sign Language Interpreters (UNASLI) represents USL interpreters. It estimates that there are over 100 interpreters, of which 77 have formal qualifications.^[4] It was formed by UNAD at Kyambogo University.^[7]

Though the deaf community has a positive attitude toward USL, some hearing people do not.^[7] Multiple USL dictionaries have been published.^[4]

References