Sign language, Braille promoted

China will incorporate a standard sign language and Braille by 2020 in all the country's schools that serve students with special needs, as well as in the public service sector, to help those with disabilities improve their level of education, an official of the China Disabled Persons' Federation said.

Cheng Kai, deputy director-general of the federation, said on Thursday that regional differences in sign language and the lack of tonal marks in Braille have created problems in communication for people with hearing, vision and speech impairments.

To ensure the language rights of the group, as well as to facilitate education, the federation will strive to promote official standards for sign language and Braille in accordance with a five-year plan.

"We expect to see a standard language used in all the special schools in China, as well as other organizations that serve those with impaired hearing and vision," he said.

Cheng was speaking at a news conference in which China's first official standards for sign language and Braille were released.

The standards were piloted for a year and a half before being approved by the federation, the Ministry of Education and the State Language Commission. They will take effect next month, the federation said.

Li Dongmei, deputy director of the federation's education and employment division, noted that sign language and Braille are special languages employed by those with hearing and visual disabilities and as such need to be an integral part of the country's universal language.

"Using a standard sign language and Braille will promote communication between the disabled and the able-bodied, as well as people with disabilities in different regions," she said.

Li noted that the new standards are the result of vigorous promotion over the past few decades, and they will facilitate future research, talent training and public service.

According to the federation, China has more than 22 million people with impaired hearing and another 12 million who are visually impaired.