Sign Language and Astronomy
Sign languages grew out of the need of communities of deaf people to communicate with each other and with others. Like all natural languages, they are linked to the traditions and cultures of the communities that invented and developed them. The sign language used in our country is LIS, Italian Sign Language.
The strong iconicity of LIS makes it very interesting from the point of view of communicating and teaching astronomy even for those who do not know and/or use it. The signs used for astronomical concepts and objects often express the meaning and nature of what is being represented, much more than a single word in the Italian language does. The collection of some of these signs in different Languages is available as part of the “Hands in the Stars” project that can be reached at this link.
LIS is therefore effective not only for inclusive communication aimed at deaf people, but it can be so for all people, both in terms of equity and awareness of diversity, and in terms of deepening knowledge of astronomy and its connection to culture and tradition.
The main activities carried out by the UNIVERS@LL group in this field are as follows.
The Universe in LIS
As part of the “The Universe in LIS” project, four videos marked by astrophile Mirko Govoni were made showing and explaining the language signs for Sun, Solar System, Moon and Milky Way in LIS with Italian subtitles.
Collaboration with UAI and LACaM
The group collaborates with the Unione Astrofili Italiana (UAI) and the Language and Communication Across Modalities Laboratory (LACaM) of the Institute of Technologies for Cognition at the National Research Council (CNR). The main aim is the creation of a community that can work, together with experts, on the definition of astronomical signs and the creation of new ones, where necessary, as well as on the dissemination of LIS and the culture of the deaf community in external environments such as schools and museums.
In this context, two videos marked by Mirko Govoni (“The Moon in LIS”) and Dania Malerba (“The Sun in LIS”) and subtitled in Italian, were made to integrate astronomical terms and concepts marked in LIS into a storytelling process on our experience and knowledges of the Sun and the Moon and their physical aspects. The choice of the signs used was made after specific evaluation and validation steps regarding existing signs and the proposal of LIS neologisms.
LIS at “Macchine del Tempo” exhibition
On the occasion of the Macchine del Tempo exhibition (Palazzo Esposizioni Rome, November 2023-March 2024) curated by INAF, an Italian Sign Language interpreting program was organized for four events related to the exhibition.
