Abbeytheatre

Last September performance artist & Irish Sign Language interpreter Amanda Coogan spoke about what National recognition of ISL means to the Deaf Community. [Text for excerpt below] Amanda Coogan: As I was saying ISL is not legally recognised here in Ireland, it is in many European countries, in America and in western developed world and even in the under developed world some countries in under developed world as well. And more than and more than legal rights, access- information- in your preferred language as we might think the Irish Language act being debated in the North at the moment, how we use our first language Irish, here, it is much more fundamental in the Deaf community, it is much more fundamental, this ISL bill will allow them to go to the doctors and understand what the doctor is saying, to go to the bank and negotiate a mortgage to go to college and get access to tutors and lecturers and all these everyday things that if- because of your disability because of your lack of hearing it makes a big