Ministry of Federal Education moves to standardize Pakistan Sign Language

What happened

The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has moved to standardize Pakistan Sign Language (PSL) to establish it as a single national identity. To build national consensus, the Ministry and UNICEF Pakistan hosted a National Policy Dialogue on the Standardization and Nationwide Adoption of PSL at the National Institute of Special Education (NISE) on Wednesday [1, 2].

Key developments from the dialogue and associated workshops include:

• The adoption of a Joint Declaration that establishes NISE as the core federal institute for Pakistan Sign Language [1, 2].
• A mandate for the National Task Force to finalize a definitive compendium of 1,500 signs, titled Volume I, following a Deaf-led principle [1, 2].
• The ongoing Third National Consultation Workshop at NISE, which is a 21-day session running from October 7 to October 25 [1, 2].
• This workshop is dedicated to capturing high-definition photography and videography of the 1,500 standardized signs that the National Task Force developed and reviewed over the last year [1, 2].

Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar, stated that the standardization of PSL is a milestone for equity, dignity, and equal citizenship [1, 2]. She noted that inclusivity is a constitutional promise and mentioned Pakistan’s obligations under Articles 21 and 24 of the UNCRPD to promote sign languages [1, 2]. The Ministry acknowledged the participation of all federating units, including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, AJ&K, and GB, alongside UNICEF and Deaf leadership [2].

Who is affected

The initiative aims to support the Deaf community by securing their linguistic rights [1, 2]. The standardization process is intended to create a roadmap for deaf children to learn and belong [1]. The National Institute of Special Education (NISE), which has been active since 1991, will serve as the central federal institute for this language [1, 2].