Sign Language Courses and Interpreters
Sign language is a language which chiefly uses manual communication to convey meaning, as opposed to acoustically conveyed sound patterns. This can involve simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to express a speaker’s thoughts. Sign languages share many similarities with spoken languages, which depend primarily on sound, which is why linguists consider both to be natural languages. There are however some significant differences between signed and spoken languages, such as how they use space grammatically, sign languages show the same linguistic properties and use the same language faculty as do spoken languages. They should not be confused with body language, which is a kind of non-linguistic communication.
Wherever communities of Deaf people exist, sign languages have developed and are at the cores of local deaf cultures. Although signing is used primarily by the Deaf, it is also used by other people who can hear but cannot physically speak.
Readers can explore the categories listed on the right, or below which links to further information.
What Are You Looking For?
1. Sign Language and Interpreters
Types of Sign Languages
2. South African Sign Language
3. Official Recognition
4. General Recognition
5. Educational Recognition
6. Fingerspelling
7. Sign-names and Idioms
4. Sign Language and Interpreters
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can We Help You?
Companies and Organisations That Can Assist
An increasing number of persons with disabilities are participating in sports and activities, leading to the development of new assistive technology that enable more sports enthusiasts with physical disabilities to play and enjoy a variety of sports and to participate in various activities. More complex assistive technology devices have been developed over time, and as a result, sports for persons with disabilities has evolved from being a therapeutic tool to competition activities.
Edit Microsystems (Pty) Ltd is an award-winning company that is devoted to finding alternative and state-of-the-art technical solutions to improve curriculum delivery in educational institutions and effective communication in business with a focus on high-speed functional connectivity and on-going support.
They have a proud tradition of innovation and are on the cutting edge of technological advances in education. Many of their products are designed to enhance interactivity in a classroom or lecture theatre. Edit Microsystems are also a leader in finding and providing specially adapted hardware and software for Learners with Special Educational Needs throughout South Africa.
Contact: 086 111 3973
Head Office: 13 Boy De Goede Circle, Table View, Cape Town, 7441.
They also have branches in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng.
Website at: www.editmicro.co.za
Email them at: info@editmicro.co.za
Blind SA is a national disabled People’s Organisation (DPO) of the blind and for the blind. Established in 1946 as the South African Blind Workers Organisation (SABWO) and became Blind SA in 2004. Head office is situated at 5 Fuchs Street, Alrode, Alberton, however our services are rendered to blind and visually impaired in all provinces in South Africa.
The vision of Blind SA is to do whatever is necessary or conducive to empower visually impaired people to become economically self-supporting and to live a full and meaningful life as citizens of South Africa.
The biggest challenges faced in our communities are the shortage of financial resources to enable our blind and visually impaired beneficiaries to reach their full potential as independent members of society.
The impact that Blind SA has had on the community is a more informed, empowered and enabled blind and visually impaired community. Because we have so many such people who are in serious need of our assistance, we would welcome the opportunity and resources to be able to reach more people with the view of creating a self-supporting, independent and informed blind and visually impaired community throughout South Africa.
“Our Purpose is to end the cycle of poverty for Blind South Africans, empowering them with knowledge and information through education, braille and developmental services and to break down barriers, provide opportunities and create answers that improve the quality of life for the blind community so that they can live the life they choose.”
Blind SA also stock and sell a variety of Assistive Devices to assist persons who are Blind, these include the Mali-Bhala, Tatrapoint Mechanical Brailler and Braille-Me. For any other requirements, contact Blind SA on: Tel: +27 11 839 1793/4 or Email: ceo@blindsa.org.za, Jennine Pare – sales@blindsa.org.za, or visit us at: Address: 5 Fuchs Street, Alrode, Gauteng, South Africa. Website: www.blindsa.org.za.
Types of Sign Languages
Sign languages generally do not have any linguistic relation to the spoken languages of the lands in which they arise. The correlation between sign and spoken languages is complex and varies depending on the country more than the spoken language. For example, the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand all have English as their dominant language, but American Sign Language (ASL), used in the US and most parts of Canada, is derived from French Sign Language whereas the other three countries sign dialects of British, Australian and New Zealand Sign Language. Similarly, the sign languages of Spain and Mexico are very different, despite Spanish being the national language in each country, and the sign language used in Bolivia is based on ASL rather than any sign language that is used in a Spanish-speaking country. Variations also arise within a ‘national’ sign language which don’t necessarily correspond to dialect differences in the national spoken language; rather, they can usually be correlated to the geographic location of residential schools for the deaf.
International Sign, formerly known as Gestuno, is used mainly at international Deaf events such as the Deaflympics and meetings of the World Federation of the Deaf. While recent studies claim that International Sign is a kind of a pidgin, they conclude that it is more complex than a typical pidgin and indeed is more like a full sign language.
Some countries which use a single spoken language throughout may have two or more sign languages, or an area that contains more than one spoken language might use only one sign language. South Africa, which has 11 official spoken languages and a similar number of other widely used spoken languages, is a good example of this. It has only one sign language with two variants due to its history of having two major educational institutions for the deaf which have served different geographic areas of the country.
South African Sign Language (SASL)
South African Sign Language (SASL) is a fully developed, visual-gestural language used by the Deaf community across South Africa. It has its own grammar, sentence structure, and cultural nuances, distinct from spoken languages such as English or Afrikaans. SASL is the primary language of instruction in many schools for the Deaf and plays a vital role in identity, community, and cultural expression for Deaf South Africans.
In 2023, South African Sign Language was officially recognised as the country’s 12th official language, marking a historic step toward inclusion, equality, and linguistic rights for Deaf people. This recognition strengthens access to education, public services, justice, and media, while reinforcing the importance of interpreters, accessible information, and Deaf-led participation in all areas of society.
a. Audio Book Players
Beyond accessibility, audiobooks and audio players offer significant cognitive, emotional, and social benefits. They support lifelong learning, literacy development, and professional growth while reducing eye strain and mental fatigue.
Audiobooks also provide companionship, entertainment, and relaxation, helping to combat isolation and enhance overall well-being. For people with visual impairments, these tools are not just alternatives to print—they are powerful enablers of inclusion, independence, and equal participation in society: