Signing for the Deaf

I feel we have been here before Mr Servo. But it is because many deaf people aren't literate, not in the way we understand the English language.

BSL has a completely different grammar, and in a similar way to some Welsh-speaking people have a right to access to Welsh-medium facilities in life, and programming, despite the fact they may know English anyway -- deaf people ought to have a right to access to BSL-supported media, as their mother tongue, even though they may well be literate.

Last time this was asked, Katherine posted a number of other reasons, but I'm afraid I've forgotten them. Needless to say there are other reasons.

I am, nevertheless, still surprised there is no function on digital tv to support a red button signer or suchlike.

Oh yeah ... now I remember. I thought I was having déja vu there for a moment!

http://homepage.mac.com/robertpalmer/tvforum/sig.gif

I've seen how that operates, but keeping the signer to a corner and superimposed onto the television picture with that as a backdrop reduces the clarity of the signing and acts as a significant distraction to the deaf viewer. I read somewhere that to have a neutral background on a slightly shrunken picture actually improves the visibility of the signing.

I see a lot of the 'Sign Zone' programmes whilst getting ready for bed and I find the presence of the signer and subtitles is not offputting at all and I can easily tolerate them without problem. However, I think it's rather bad that the Sign Zone shows are on in the small hours. Signed programmes should really should be available in prime-time so people with a hearing impairment can watch these programmes at the same time as their hearing peers. Is it really fair to expect the deaf to stay up till all hours to see these programmes or to tape them all the time?