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https://theconversation.com/from-jellyfish-to-basking-shark-were-developing-100-new-signs-to-deepen-deaf-peoples-connection-with-the-ocean-234417>
"For deaf people including schoolchildren, teachers and scientists, talking
about marine species like the shortfin mako shark, loggerhead turtle and tiny
phytoplankton usually means spelling out each term letter by letter. The lack
of specific British Sign Language (BSL) signs for many marine species and
concepts has made it challenging to have meaningful conversations about ocean
conservation without resorting to tedious fingerspelling.
This gap in sign language not only hinders communication, it excludes a
significant portion of the population from important environmental discussions.
Until now, most marine BSL terms have related to food or iconic groups of
animals such as whales.
That’s why my team and I have been working with project partners from five
European countries to develop 100 new signs that will enable deaf people to get
more involved with marine sciences and conservation – from an education and
public engagement perspective, and also to open up more career opportunities.
As part of a three-year project called Muffin (that stands for Marine,
Underwater, Fish For Inclusion), we will create a taxonomy of signs related to
the sea and marine life, such as seagrass, shore crabs, basking sharks and
kelp.
Like all sign languages, BSL is inherently visual – it incorporates the use of
facial expressions and body language as well as hand signals. This makes it
particularly suited for describing the dynamic and diverse world of marine
life. Unlike spoken languages, complex concepts can be explained visually
through sign language, offering new ways of understanding marine ecosystems."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
