Azerbaijan National Academy of Science

The most important means of communication among people is language. But language is not the only means of communication. So, during conversation hand movements and facial expressions pass information as well, reported about associate of the Institute of Information Technology Kamala Gurbanova during the scientific seminar devoted to the International Mother Language Day.

Reporter provided detailed information on the current status gesture (sign) language, history, development stages. According to her, being an independent language – gesture language, which made of a combination of gestures, has roots of the distant past. Thus, since ancient times in addition to voice language people prefer to express opinions by gestures.

She stated that, today 360 million people suffer from hearing loss communication in the world, and this figure is 5 percent of the world's population. This problem has been recorded mostly of Asia Pacific Group of States and South Africa.

According to K.Gurbanova with the proposal of the first World Deaf Society, established in 1951, every year the last Sunday of September is celebrated as the International Day of the Deaf since 1958 due to draw attention to the problems for hearing impaired people. As a result of this society’s activity was created opportunity for the public integration of hearing impaired people, their participation into the society and various events, as well as sports competitions.

Each year 130-150 dumb and deaf children are born in Azerbaijan. Nearly every one or two child of 1000 has hearing impairment. In 1929, "Azerbaijan Deaf Society" was created. In 1962, the first school was opened in Azerbaijan for people with hearing impairment. Now, operate schools for people with disabilities in Ganja, Sumgait, Mingachevir, Lankaran and other cities, she said.

K.Gurbanova said that communication with gestures clarifies and specifies ideas of people who have physical limitations as well as healthy people. For this reason, the communication of gesture language, i.e. method of non-verbal communication is very important to bring to common point for different nations.

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