Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Ugandan Sign Language
Ugandan Sign Language (USL) is the deaf sign language of Uganda.
Uganda has had schools for deaf children since 1959. In 1973, the Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD) was created.
The first generation of students in deaf schools used home signs that evolved to form USL. In 1994, the first training manual for the language was published, and several dictionaries have been published since then.
Uganda was the second country in the world to recognize sign language in its constitution, in 1995.[citation needed]
Deaf politician Alex Ndeezi was elected to the Parliament of Uganda in 1996. He is the chairman of UNAD.
USL has influences from American Sign Language, British Sign Language, Kenyan Sign Language, the first two from the language of instruction in early classrooms, and the latter from deaf Ugandans who went to Kenya for higher education. It is intelligible by users of KSL. Its grammar, pronunciation, and manual alphabet are influenced by English, while certain expressions come from Luganda and Swahili. It is unclear if USL is related to Rwandan Sign Language.[citation needed]
The one-handed alphabet is similar to that of French Sign Language, while a two-handed alphabet based on BSL is less commonly used. Finger-spelling and initialized signs using both alphabets are common among people who learned USL formally as children. Mouthing is also common with abbreviated syllables from both English and Luganda.[citation needed]
Local dialects exist near the country's borders.
Hub AI
Ugandan Sign Language AI simulator
(@Ugandan Sign Language_simulator)
Ugandan Sign Language
Ugandan Sign Language (USL) is the deaf sign language of Uganda.
Uganda has had schools for deaf children since 1959. In 1973, the Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD) was created.
The first generation of students in deaf schools used home signs that evolved to form USL. In 1994, the first training manual for the language was published, and several dictionaries have been published since then.
Uganda was the second country in the world to recognize sign language in its constitution, in 1995.[citation needed]
Deaf politician Alex Ndeezi was elected to the Parliament of Uganda in 1996. He is the chairman of UNAD.
USL has influences from American Sign Language, British Sign Language, Kenyan Sign Language, the first two from the language of instruction in early classrooms, and the latter from deaf Ugandans who went to Kenya for higher education. It is intelligible by users of KSL. Its grammar, pronunciation, and manual alphabet are influenced by English, while certain expressions come from Luganda and Swahili. It is unclear if USL is related to Rwandan Sign Language.[citation needed]
The one-handed alphabet is similar to that of French Sign Language, while a two-handed alphabet based on BSL is less commonly used. Finger-spelling and initialized signs using both alphabets are common among people who learned USL formally as children. Mouthing is also common with abbreviated syllables from both English and Luganda.[citation needed]
Local dialects exist near the country's borders.