As the capital of the world's most populous country,
Beijing never seems to have a problem with its workforce. It
enjoys an abundance of people in almost every industry, be it
artistic geniuses or construction workers.
The one profession, which is short-handed and also demands
delicate hands, is to provide sign language service.
According to the Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation, there are
fewer than 1,000 sign language professionals in Beijing, and most
are teachers in local schools for the hearing impaired. The 250,000
deaf-mutes living in the city aren't getting much sign language
assistance in most restaurants, post offices and hospitals.
"It is a shame to let deaf-mutes live in isolation," said Han
Runfeng, deputy director of the federation's communications
department.
Sadly, the future looks even bleaker. With the Olympic
Games coming in August 2008, Han estimates at least 900
high-caliber sign language professionals will be needed to help
deaf-mute visitors.
But currently only a few dozen people in Beijing can handle that
job, which requires not only basic communication skills, but also
the time to interpret and an understanding of the sign languages of
foreign countries.
"It's like scattering a tiny spoon of pepper powder in a huge
pot," Han said.
Among the problems in promoting sign language classes are a lack
of funds and personnel and the complexity of the language
itself.
Beijing has eight schools for the hearing impaired ranging from
the primary to the university level, including the Special
Education College of Beijing Union University (BUU), one of the few
universities in the country offering courses for deaf-mutes.
"These schools are funded by the municipal or district
governments to guarantee that deaf-mutes can receive the same
education as other people," said Liu Chuan, a teacher with the
college and also organizer of the university's sign language
society.
"But when it comes to educating a city of 15 million population
in sign language, the current resources are far from adequate."
One factor that keeps sign language from becoming a popular
study is its complexity. There are many different sign language
expressions in different areas, much like spoken dialects.
"I have a classmate from Henan Province, and the first time I
communicated with him, I came across many gestures that I didn't
understand," said Gu Baisong, a 21-year-old deaf student at BUU who
lost his hearing in a childhood accident but can speak in a limited
way.
"Many dialects or slang in sign language are difficult to
understand. It is important to teach people using a uniform sign
language, like putonghua in Chinese."
Although an ordinary person may need only three or four months
to learn basic sign language for everyday life situations, it is
more difficult to catch others' gestures, which often go slightly
outside the standard styles in textbooks, according to Gu, who is
also a member of BUU's sign language society.
What's more, to understand the sign language used by an American
or a Japanese is the same as having to learn a spoken foreign
language and would require special training, he added.
Despite all the difficulties, the Beijing Disabled Persons'
Federation is excited about promoting the wider use of sign
language in the city. It will offer free training classes for 1,000
sign language volunteers this year.
The federation has allocated a special budget for the training
program, and many teachers in local schools for the hearing
impaired, including some retired, have volunteered to teach, said
Cheng Hai, vice chairman of the Beijing Deaf-Mutes' Association, a
subsidiary of the disabled persons' federation that is responsible
for the program.
"We haven't finished the detailed plan of the program, but to my
surprise, since we announced the program, there have been hundreds
of phone calls inquiring about the admission criteria of the
classes, including
Heilongjiang Province," Cheng said.
The purpose of the training, he said, is not to produce sign
language virtuosos but to help more people to be able to understand
and use it for basic communication with deaf-mutes.
"From an economic point of view, you cannot expect every company
to hire full-time sign language professionals to take care of the
contingent visits of deaf customers," he said. "It's better to have
people working in these places know at least some sign language
skills."
Several major department stores and entertainment sites in town,
including the Friendship Store at the Lufthansa Shopping Center,
Pacific Department Store and the Beijing Aquarium, already have
sign language service.
A press liaison at Pacific Department Store said all the shop
assistants in the department store are trained with basic sign
language skills. There are also several staff members with advanced
sign language credentials.
One reason Beijing shops are faring well in sign language
assistance, Han said, is that the Beijing Chamber of Commerce has
commissioned the disabled persons' federation to train enough
people to make sure there is at least one sign language assistant
on each floor of a major department store or in each smaller store
by 2008.
Other places offering services, such as banks and hospitals, are
still lagging behind, Han added.
The China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Chaoyang District does
not have sign language service so far. "Probably it's because the
need is niche, and we haven't noticed an overall need," an
administrative assistant said. "But it's certainly an issue that
deserves more attention."
Han remained hopeful that sign language can gain wider
acceptance in society, as more and more young people have shown
enthusiasm in learning it. About 30 universities in Beijing now
have sign language societies, Han noted.
"I chose to learn some sign language because I thought it was
interesting and was a useful skill," said Ding Peng, a student in
the sign language society of the Beijing University of Aeronautics
and?Astronautics (BUAA).
"But the real stunning part is when you are able to use it to
communicate with deaf-mutes. It feels as if a barrier to
understanding is eliminated."
According to Gu of BUU, his society alone has provided training
help to the sign language societies in eight other
universities.
"Each of the societies has at least 100 members, and it makes me
feel very proud to teach them my language," Gu said.
The disabled persons' federation held sign language competitions
in 2004 and 2005. About half of the competitors were university
students, but others were from shops, schools for the deafs and
welfare businesses, Han said.
"My wish is that everyone everywhere can learn some sign
language," he said. "That would not only make deaf people's lives
easier but also enrich our social culture."
(China Daily February 15, 2006)