Cabinet approves Sign Language Bill

The government will introduce the Sign Language Bill to recognise sign language as an official language in Sri Lanka.

The draft bill submitted to Cabinet by Minister of Social Empowerment, Welfare and Kandyan Heritage, S.B. Dissanayake was approved on Tuesday.

Official statistics estimate the population of deaf persons to be 389,677. Furthermore, the National Policy on Disabilities has accepted that sign language more often than not is the only language of communication for deaf persons.

The Minister had pointed out that official recognition of sign language will allow a deaf person access to education and have government services delivered to them without discrimination.