South African sign language: changing policies and practice

In April 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections, and as a result of the election of the new government, the policy of apartheid that had governed every aspect of the lives of all South Africans was officially abolished. Needless to say, the simple abolition of apartheid did little to affect the many years of profound damage; the heritage of apartheid will be with us for many years to come. The consequences of the policy of apartheid can clearly be seen in the way that education is carried out in South Africa. Deaf people in South Africa have been affected by the policies of apartheid and by its educational and linguistic consequences in a profound and comprehensive way. We focus on the Western Cape Provicnce where we both live and work. Both authors are hearing and have been involved in Deaf community affairs for about ten years. The first author is a sign language linguist, and the second author is a language therapist. This chapter was written as an initial step to investigate the issue of variation in the signed language that is used in South Africa.