The government must address the crisis facing Taiwanese Sign Language, President William Lai (賴清德) said today while receiving members of the Tainan Athletic Association of the Deaf.
The president greeted members of the association at the Presidential Office this morning using simple sign language, thanking the group for its efforts and contributions over the past two decades.
The association upholds values of equal access to information and shared prosperity for the deaf, following the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Lai said.
Photo: CNA
It has promoted deaf sports and sign language, improved learning resources and accessibility, and fostered communication and development within the deaf community, he said.
It has also selected outstanding deaf athletes to compete in various events and is producing a five-part series using sign language to document Tainan’s culture from a deaf perspective, he said.
As a former Tainan mayor, the president thanked them for promoting sign language and highlighting the deaf community’s stories.
Since 2024, the government has been compiling a sign language database and is holding certification exams this year to encourage more people to study the endangered language, Lai said.
The government announced the Development of National Languages Act (國家語言發展法) in 2019, defining Taiwanese Sign Language as a national language, Lai said.
To promote the language, the Ministry of Culture launched a database in 2024 that has already compiled about 200 video dialogues covering about 20,000 words, the president said.
The government would continue to improve the database’s content and functionality, laying a foundation for research and practical use of Taiwanese Sign Language, he said.
The government is holding Taiwanese Sign Language certification exams this year to encourage more people to study the language and promote its sustainable development, Lai said.
The Ministry of Sports has an Adaptive Sports Division, which ensures people with different needs can participate and enjoy sports on an equal footing, he said.
Together with the Chinese Taipei Deaf Sports Association, the government would support deaf sports in Tainan and nationwide, ensuring that people with hearing impairments have stable, accessible and diverse opportunities to participate in sports, he added.
“The power of silence has no limits,” Lai said, thanking everyone for their efforts to promote deaf sports and sign language.
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