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On the Way project preserves Sign Language
Our Lives & Signs project - what we achieved
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On the Way project preserves Sign Language
Location: North Tyneside
April 2003
Deaf and hearing people who use sign language are mounting a drive to prevent the loss of historic and regional sign languages which are at risk of being forgotten forever.
On the Way, A North Tyneside group is leading the way, with the help of a £25,000 grant from the Local Heritage Initiative which is to be used to make a permanent record of the region’s ‘disappearing’ sign language.
Just like spoken languages, signing evolves and has regional dialects. The passing of time and changes in the way we live mean new sign ‘words’ constantly come into use, enter common parlance and then may later be dropped from everyday language. There are numerous regional variations, or dialects in signing, reflecting different learning routes and localities.
To tackle the problem the group has been set up by local people who are as protective of their sign language and ‘dialect’ as are the ardent supporters of the Geordie tongue. Youth and community development officer for North Tyneside Disability Forum, Paula Appleby, who is providing practical support to the group, explains:
"The history of signing in the region is fascinating and it is easy to see how our changing lives can result in aspects being forgotten. For example, at one time signs for shillings, pennies and half crowns were in common use but since decimalisation the number of people who remember these is dwindling fast."
The On The Way group is expecting to take about two years to complete the process of interviewing local people and compiling a detailed record of the region’s signs.
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