Denmark
National Sign Language
Dansk tegnsprog, DTS
In English: Danish Sign Language, DSL
Language Status: 5 (Developing). Recognized language (2015, Law 61, amendment to Danish Language Council).
Legal Recognition
"As of May 13, 2014, Danish Sign Language gained legal recognition. The Danish Parliament established The Danish Sign Language Council "to devise principles and guidelines for the monitoring of the Danish sign language and offer advice and information on the Danish sign language."
"Sign Language Legislation in the European Union", Wheatley, M., A. Pabsch., Edition II. Brussels, EUD, 2012:
"Denmark has a number of laws relating to sign language. None of these officially recognise the national sign language or explicitly mention Danish Sign Language. the word being used is tegnsprog (sign language), not specifying which sign language. (..)"
"The status of sign languages in Europe", Nina Timmermans, ISBN 92-871-5720-0 © Council of Europe, April 2005
"Deaf teacher education
There is a working group focusing on deaf teacher education. It proposed that more and better education be made available to deaf teachers. This proposal is being considered by the Association of County Councils in Denmark.
Danish Sign Language training for parents
The parents’ association “Bonaventure” has planned a training programme for parents in conjunction with the Ministry of Education.
Danish Sign Language dictionary
In 1999, preliminary work began on a new, extended Dictionary of Danish Sign Language. A steering committee
was formed, working in co-operation with a linguist. "
Number of Deaf Sign Language Users
4,000 (EUD website, December 2016)
National Sign Language (Research) Centres
Danish Sign Language Council: "The Danish Language Council is a governmental research institution under the Danish Ministry of Culture.
The Council was established in 1955.
The Danish Language Council has three main functions:
- to monitor the development of the Danish language, for example, by collecting new words
- to answer questions about the Danish language and language use
- to investigate the accepted conventions regarding the orthography of the Danish language, and to edit and publish the official dictionary of Danish standard orthography (Retskrivningsordbogen).
More info.
Maartje De Meulder: What sign language recognition means for Deaf people in Denmark