Help NID-National Institute for the Deaf raise R20000 for attending a SASL Authentication & Verification workshop

Help NID-National Institute for the Deaf raise R20000 for attending a SASL Authentication & Verification workshop

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South African Sign Language (SASL) is the primary language of Deaf people in South Africa. Due to communication barriers, spoken languages and verbal communication are often inaccessible. SASL interpreters are scarce and costly, and public awareness of the unique needs of Deaf people remains limited. As a result, many aspects of South African society are difficult for Deaf people to access. More than 80% of South Africans are unemployed. Additionally, Deaf people experience 30% more frustration stress and are therefore at a higher risk of mental illness. A Deaf person experiences daily stress in the workplace because of communication barriers. SASL is now recognised as the 12th official language, leading to a significant increase in public awareness and demand for SASL resources. However, the extent of variation within SASL remains a concern. In 2015 NID started developing the NID Online SASL Video Dictionary. This ongoing, ever-expanding project encompasses the development of the first SASL glossary. The dictionary features SASL variations used at several schools for the Deaf, Deaf communities, etc., across the country, along with the relevant English term. This allows the users to look up different English words, finding the sign, or do a reverse search to look up a sign, finding the correspondent English word. NID is very proud to report that up to date we have produced over 15 000 signs, which includes more than 5 000 signs freely available to the public. This resource is available as an app on all mobile platforms and can also be accessed at www.learnsasl.com. NID collaborates with the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), where signs are verified and authenticated before being uploaded to the Dictionary, ensuring a credible resource. This process occurs during our annual Authentication and Verification workshops. In 2026, NID will have three participants attending this workshop. We are currently seeking funding to cover expenses such as accommodation and flights, and we kindly request your support. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help promote and increase access to SASL. Please feel free to contact us for any further information. Annemarie – proposals@nid.org.za Lynette – lynettevictor@nid.org.za