The Council on Access to Information for Print-Disabled Canadians

M. SignWriting

Possible Purposes Include:

Access to printed publications for people who are deaf and read SignWriting.

"SignWriting" is a writing system using visual symbols to represent the handshapes, movements and facial expressions of American Sign Language, Langue des Signes Québecoise and other signed languages. It is still relatively new in its usage.

Many people who use Sign Language in person are able to read and write standard text. It is therefore rare that you would receive a request for a publication in SignWriting although this may change in the future if SignWriting replaces standard text as the preferred format among deaf users that communicate mainly by Sign Language.

SignWriting is currently used mainly to teach signs and signed language grammar to beginning signers. It is also increasingly used as an alternative to standard text in teaching grade school students whose command of sign language is greater than that of printed English or French.

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