Parliament gives Maltese sign language official recognition

Parliament has approved a bill to give Maltese sign language official recognition.

Members of the Maltea Deaf Association were present at yesterday’s parliamentary sitting, with parliamentary secretary for persons with disability Justyne Caruana calling the development a “milestone”.

The Nationalist party has also expressed its gratification at the approval of the bill.

In a statement issued earlier today, PN added that it had put forward a number of amendments to strengthen the original law, and that it had ultimately voted in favour of the law.

Earlier this week, Agenzija Sapport launched sign language interpretation service, that will be available on a booking basis and useable for various activities including social events. 

The service seeks to make the life of those with hearing problems easier and it is also the first time that  sign language interpreters were being given the chance to use their skills with an added sense of job security.

At the launch last Monday, Caruana expressed her hope that the educational sector would be expanded to create a proper university degree for the subject, given the high demand and job opportunities the service was offering.