Editing SignWriting (section)

== History ==

As Sutton was teaching [[DanceWriting]] to the [[Royal Danish Ballet]], [[Lars von der Lieth]], who was doing research on signed language at the [[University of Copenhagen]], thought it would be useful to use a similar notation for the recording of [[sign language]]s.<ref>{{cite news
 | access-date  = 2024-04-22
 | url  = https://newspapers.com/article/evansville-press-ballet-notation-system/145887642
 | via = [[newspapers.com]]
 | date         = 1983-12-09
 | newspaper    = Evansville Press
 | publisher    = United Press International
 | title        = Ballet notation system may help the deaf
}}</ref> Sutton based SignWriting on DanceWriting, and finally expanded the system to the complete repertoire of [[MovementWriting]]. However, only SignWriting and DanceWriting have been widely used.

SignWriting was not the first writing system for sign languages, being preceded by [[Stokoe notation]];<ref>{{cite news
 | access-date  = 2024-04-22
 | url  = https://newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-new-deaf-signs-touted/145888351
 | via = [[newspapers.com]]
 | date         = 1983-12-08
 | newspaper    = Vancouver Sun
 | publisher    = United Press International
 | title        = New deaf signs touted
}}</ref> but it is the first to adequately represent facial expressions and shifts in posture, and to accommodate representation of series of signs longer than compound words and short [[phrase]]s. It is the only system in regular use, used for example to publish college newsletters in American Sign Language, and has been used for captioning of [[YouTube]] videos.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

Sutton notes that SignWriting has been used or investigated in over 40 countries on every inhabited continent.<ref>{{cite web|author=Valerie Sutton |url=http://www.signwriting.org/about/who/ |title=Who Uses SignWriting? |publisher=Signwriting.org |access-date=2012-05-21}}</ref> However, it is not clear how widespread its use is in each country.

[[file:Escola Estadual de Educação Especial Dr. Reinaldo Fernando Cóser 02.jpg|alt=mural on the side of a school building|thumb|Escola Estadual de Educação Especial Dr. Reinaldo Fernando Cóser]]

In Brazil, during the [[FENEIS]] (National Association of the Deaf) annual meeting in 2001, the association voted to accept SignWriting as the preferred method of transcribing [[Lingua Brasileira de Sinais]] (Libras) into a written form. The strong recommendation to the Brazilian government from that association was that SignWriting be taught in all Deaf schools. Currently SignWriting is taught on an academic level at the [[Federal University of Santa Catarina]] as part of its Brazilian Sign Language curriculum.  SignWriting is also being used in the recently published Brazilian Sign Language Dictionary containing more than 3,600 signs used by the deaf of São Paulo, published by the [[University of São Paulo]] under the direction of Prof. Fernando Capovilla (EJ669813 – Brazilian Sign Language Lexicography and Technology: Dictionary, Digital Encyclopedia, Chereme-based Sign Retrieval, and Quadriplegic Deaf Communication Systems. Abstracted from Educational Resources Information Center).

Some initial studies found that Deaf communities prefer video or writing systems for the dominant language;<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1515/IJSL.2008.036|title = Choosing how to write sign language: A sociolinguistic perspective|journal = International Journal of the Sociology of Language|issue = 192|year = 2008|last1 = Hopkins|first1 = Jason|s2cid = 145429638}}</ref> however, this claim has been disputed by the work of Steve and Dianne Parkhurst in Spain where they found initial resistance, later renewed interest, and finally pride. "If Deaf people learn to read and write in their own signing system, that increases their self-esteem", says Dianne Parkhurst.

{{As of|2010}}, SignWriting is widely used at [[International Sign]] forums.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} It is adopted in as many as 40 countries, among which are Brazil, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Tunisia, and the United States.<ref name=vhc>{{cite book|last1=van der Hulst|first1=Harry|last2=Channon|first2=Rachel|contribution=Notation systems|year=2010|title=Sign Languages|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-88370-2|pages=151–172|editor-last=Brentari|editor-first=Diane}}</ref>

SignWriting, as the International Sign Writing Alphabet (ISWA), has been proposed as the manual equivalent to the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]].<ref>Charles Butler, Center for Sutton Movement Writing, 2014</ref> However, some researchers argue that the SignWriting is not a [[phonemic orthography]] and does not have a one-to-one map from phonological forms to written forms.<ref name="vhc"/>{{rp|163}} Although such a claim is disputed, it has been recommended that countries adapt this sign on a language-by-language basis.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Roberto Costa|author2=Madson Barreto|url=http://www.signwriting.org/symposium/presentation0032.html|title=SignWriting Symposium Presentation 32|work=signwriting.org}}</ref> There are two doctoral dissertations that study and promote the application of SignWriting to a specific sign language. Maria Galea wrote about using SignWriting to write [[Maltese Sign Language]].<ref name="GaleaLinguistic">{{cite book|last=Galea|first=Maria|title=SignWriting (SW) of Maltese Sign Language (LSM) and its development into an orthography: Linguistic considerations
|year=2014|type=Ph.D. dissertation|publisher=University of Malta|location=Malta|url=https://www.academia.edu/10451785|access-date=4 February 2015}}</ref> Also, Claudia Savina Bianchini wrote her doctoral dissertation on the implementation of SignWriting to write [[Italian Sign Language]].<ref>2012. ''Analyse métalinguistique de l'émergence d'un système d'écriture des Langues des Signes: SignWriting et son application à la Langue des Signes Italienne (LIS).'' Université de Paris VIII – Vincenne Saint-Denis. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257014854 Web access]</ref><ref>Claudia S. Bianchini. 2020. How to Improve Metalinguistic Awareness by Writing a Language Without Writing: Sign Languages and SignWriting. In ''Proc. Intl Conf." Grapholinguistics in the 21st century",'' 1039-1065. Fluxus Editions. [http://www.fluxus-editions.fr/gla5-bian.pdf Web access]</ref>