Sign language to be recognized as the mother tongue of the hearing impaired in Romania

The Romanian Chamber of Deputies decided on Tuesday that the sign language is the mother tongue of the people with hearing impairments. The MPs adopted a legislative project in this sense with 241 votes in favor, local Mediafax reported.

The project, which was initiated by Liberal MP Adriana Saftoiu and supported by several parties, also needs to be promulgated by president Klaus Iohannis to come into force.

Adriana Saftoiu said that, through this project, children with hearing impairments will have easier access to education and will be able to pass final exams.

“The exams that the children finishing a high school for the deaf have to pass are not adapted at all to their needs. From the moment we recognize the sign language as their mother tongue, these children will take the exam in the sign language, and will take an exam in Romanian language at a different level of difficulty,” Saftoiu explained.

(Photo source: Katarzyna Bialasiewicz/ Dreamstime.com)**