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Austrian Sign Language, or Österreichische Gebärdensprache (ÖGS), is the sign language used by the Austrian Deaf community, which comprises approximately 10,000 people. ÖGS is primarily used by deaf people, but hearing people sometimes learn it as an additional language. It evolved from the social and communicative practices of the deaf community and is passed down in schools, associations, and families.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS or OGS) |
| Used by | Austrian Deaf community |
| Number of Speakers | 10,000 |
| Recognition | Legally recognized by Austrian Parliament in 2005 |
| Related Languages | Hungarian Sign Language, German Sign Language, Swiss Sign Language, French Sign Language |
| Taught at | University of Klagenfurt, University of Graz |
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What You'll Learn
- Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS) is the primary sign language used in Austria
- ÖGS is used by approximately 10,000 deaf Austrians
- Austrian Sign Language is related to Hungarian Sign Language
- German Sign Language and Swiss Sign Language share aspects of grammar with ÖGS
- ÖGS was legally recognised by the Austrian Parliament in 2005
Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS) is the primary sign language used in Austria
Austrian Sign Language, or Österreichische Gebärdensprache (ÖGS), is the primary sign language used in Austria. It is the first language of the Austrian Deaf community, which comprises approximately 10,000 people. ÖGS is primarily used by deaf individuals but is also sometimes learned by hearing people as a second language. The language evolved from the social and communicative practices of the deaf community, which dates back to the founding of Vienna's first school for the deaf in 1779. Institutionalised associations for the deaf were established in 1865, allowing the ÖGS language to survive and develop. Since then, the language has been passed down in schools, associations, and families, as well as through poetry, theatre, and performing arts.
ÖGS shares grammatical aspects with German Sign Language and Swiss Sign Language, while its vocabulary differs. Some sources suggest that ÖGS and Hungarian Sign Language may be historically related, possibly due to the influence of the First School for the Deaf in Vienna. However, the extent of this relationship is not yet fully understood, and further research is needed.
The Österreichischer Gehörlosenverband (ÖGLB, or the Austrian National Association of the Deaf) is actively working with academic institutions to standardise and safeguard the ÖGS language through language policy. They are also promoting awareness and advocating for bilingual and bicultural inclusive education in schools for the deaf and the mainstream school system. Additionally, they are expanding training opportunities for children of deaf adults (CODAs) to become interpreters.
In recent years, efforts have been made to improve literacy and access to education for deaf adults in Austria. The "Deaf learning" project, financed by Erasmus+, aimed to raise the literacy levels of deaf adults with ÖGS as their first language and written German as their second. Following the completion of this project, Erasmus+ initiated the "Deaf language awareness" project to develop online courses for independent learning in ÖGS and written German text.
After a 15-year-long campaign by the Deaf community, Austrian Sign Language was officially recognised by the Austrian Parliament in 2005. This recognition was a significant milestone in promoting the rights and interests of the Deaf community in Austria.
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ÖGS is used by approximately 10,000 deaf Austrians
Austrian Sign Language, or Österreichische Gebärdensprache (ÖGS), is the sign language used by the Austrian Deaf community. It is the primary natural language of approximately 10,000 deaf Austrians, with German written language being their second language. ÖGS is also occasionally learned by hearing people as an additional language.
ÖGS is related to Hungarian Sign Language for historical reasons, as the First School for the Deaf was established in Vienna. However, it forms a cluster with neighbouring languages rather than with Austrian Sign Language. While ÖGS shares aspects of its grammar with German and Swiss Sign Languages, its vocabulary differs.
Vienna's first school for the deaf was founded in 1779, and institutionalised associations for the deaf became established in Austria by 1865, allowing the survival of ÖGS. Since then, the language has been cultivated and passed down in schools, associations, and families, as well as through poetry, theatre, and performing arts. The Österreichischer Gehörlosenverband (ÖGLB, or Austrian National Association of the Deaf) is currently working with academic institutions to standardise and safeguard ÖGS through language policy.
To promote awareness and ensure the continuation of ÖGS, the ÖGLB lobbies for bilingual and bicultural inclusive education in schools for the deaf and the mainstream school system. They also advocate for expanding opportunities for children of deaf adults (CODA) to become interpreters. Additionally, the "Deaf learning" project, financed by Erasmus+, aimed to raise the literacy levels of deaf adults by improving their proficiency in written German.
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Austrian Sign Language is related to Hungarian Sign Language
Austrian Sign Language (German: Österreichische Gebärdensprache, ÖGS) is the sign language used by approximately 10,000 people in the Austrian Deaf community. ÖGS is recognised as the mother tongue of deaf people in Austria and is used across the country, including in its capital, Vienna. Vienna was also home to the country's first school for the deaf, founded in 1779.
ÖGS and Hungarian Sign Language (HSL) appear to be related for historical reasons, potentially linked to the establishment of the first deaf school in Vienna. However, HSL forms a cluster with neighbouring languages, including Slovak, Czech, Romanian, Bulgarian, and Polish Sign, rather than with ÖGS. While there are no detailed studies on the extent of the relationship between ÖGS and HSL, they do share aspects of their grammar. In contrast, their vocabularies differ.
Linguistic research on ÖGS began in the 1990s and is primarily conducted at the University of Klagenfurt and the University of Graz. The Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt (AAU) worked on the "Deaf learning" project from 2015 to 2018, promoting literacy among deaf adults with Austrian Sign Language as their first natural language and written German as their second. The project was expanded by Erasmus+ to develop online courses for independent learning in ÖGS and written German.
After a 15-year effort by the Deaf community, ÖGS was legally recognised by the Austrian Parliament on September 1, 2005. Currently, the Österreichischer Gehörlosenverband (ÖGLB – Austrian National Association of the Deaf) is working with academic institutions to standardise and safeguard ÖGS through language policy. These efforts include promoting bilingual/bicultural inclusive education and training interpreters, such as children of deaf adults (CODA).
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German Sign Language and Swiss Sign Language share aspects of grammar with ÖGS
Austrian Sign Language, or Österreichische Gebärdensprache (ÖGS), is the sign language used by the Austrian Deaf community, which numbers approximately 10,000 people. ÖGS shares aspects of its grammar with German Sign Language (Deutsche Gebärdensprache, DGS) and Swiss Sign Language. German Sign Language is the sign language of the deaf community in Germany, Luxembourg, and the German-speaking community of Belgium.
German Sign Language has evolved through use in deaf communities over hundreds of years. Germany has a strong oralist tradition and has historically suppressed sign language. It was only legally recognised in The Federal Disability Equality Act (2002) in May 2002. Since then, deaf people have been entitled to sign language interpreters when communicating with federal authorities, free of charge. German Sign Language uses a one-handed manual alphabet derived from the French manual alphabet of the 18th century. It is unrelated to spoken German, which follows a subject-verb-object pattern, while German Sign Language uses a subject-object-verb strategy.
Austrian Sign Language and German Sign Language are distinct, with different vocabularies and grammatical structures. Austrian Sign Language is also related to Hungarian Sign Language for historical reasons, as the First School for the Deaf was in Vienna. However, it forms a cluster with neighbouring languages rather than with German or Swiss Sign Language.
The grammar of German Sign Language can be described in terms of conventional linguistic categories such as phonology, morphology, morphosyntax, and syntax. Signs are made up of a combination of different elements, including handshape, hand orientation, location, and movement. Changing one of these elements can result in a completely different meaning. German Sign Language uses 32 handshapes, six of which are basic handshapes found in all sign languages. Two-handed signs are necessarily performed with both hands and follow certain rules, such as the rule of symmetry and the rule of dominance.
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ÖGS was legally recognised by the Austrian Parliament in 2005
Austrian Sign Language, or Österreichische Gebärdensprache (ÖGS), is the sign language used by the Austrian Deaf community, which numbers approximately 10,000 people. ÖGS is primarily used by deaf people, but it is also learned by hearing people as a second language. It evolved from the social and communicative practices of the deaf community, which established itself institutionally in Austria as early as 1865. Vienna's first school for the deaf was founded even earlier, in 1779. ÖGS represents an important source of identity for the deaf community and offers unique "non-hearing" perspectives in terms of perception and information processing, promoting cultural diversity and creativity.
ÖGS shares grammatical aspects with German Sign Language and Swiss Sign Language, while its vocabulary differs. It also seems to be related to Hungarian Sign Language for historical reasons, possibly due to the influence of the First School for the Deaf in Vienna. However, Hungarian Sign Language forms a cluster with neighbouring languages rather than with ÖGS.
After a 15-year-long effort by the Deaf community, ÖGS was officially recognised by the Austrian Parliament on 1 September 2005. This recognition was a significant milestone, as it acknowledged the importance and validity of ÖGS as a means of communication and empowered the deaf community in Austria.
Since its recognition, there have been efforts to promote and safeguard ÖGS. The Österreichischer Gehörlosenverband (ÖGLB, or the Austrian National Association of the Deaf) has been working with academic institutions to standardise and protect ÖGS through language policy. They have also advocated for bilingual and bicultural inclusive education in schools for the deaf and the mainstream school system. Additionally, there are initiatives to train children of deaf adults (CODA) as interpreters.
The "Deaf learning" project, financed by Erasmus+, aimed to raise the literacy levels of deaf adults with ÖGS as their first natural language and written German as their second language. This project was expanded upon its completion to promote higher social, educational, and financial positions for the deaf community through improved access to written language proficiency.
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Frequently asked questions
Austrian Sign Language, or Österreichische Gebärdensprache (ÖGS), is the sign language used by the Austrian Deaf community.
Approximately 10,000 people use Austrian Sign Language.
Yes, Austrian Sign Language shares aspects of its grammar with German Sign Language and Swiss Sign Language, while its vocabulary differs.
