This is a communication system used by people who are deaf and those who can hear. It consists of signs using hand movements, facial expressions, visual cues, and body movements, and it has complex grammar and rich vocabulary.
Sign language represents a significant cultural element for the deaf community, and it is part of their linguistic heritage and their identity. As with any oral language, it varies from one place to another.
It is not the representation of oral language. Rather, it is a complete and different language, which is why there are interpretations from sign language to spoken languages, and vice versa, not literal translations.
References:
Comisión de Política Gubernamental en Materia de Derechos Humanos. (n.d.). Glosario de Términos sobre Discapacidad. Retrieved from Gobierno Federal Mexico: p. 26.
Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad. (2019). Guía de estilo sobre discapacidad para profesionales de los medios de comunicación. Madrid: Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad. P. 99.
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