Interpreting the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages: Sign Languages as Regional and Minority Languages.

This article critically examines the exclusion of sign languages from the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages (the Charter), arguing that sign languages meet the Charter’s criteria as regional or minority languages and should be formally included within its legal framework. It highlights how sign languages have historically been marginalized due to misconceptions about their linguistic status and their frequent framing within disability rights rather than language rights. The article analyzes the Charter’s provisions, demonstrating that its flexible and evolving definitions can accommodate sign languages, which possess distinct sociohistorical, sociocultural, and sociolinguistic characteristics integral to Deaf communities’ cultural identity. It also reviews the Council of Europe’s evolving but incomplete recognition of sign languages and advocates for the establishment of a working group to promote their protection and promotion under the Charter, emphasizing the importance of Deaf community participation in policy development. Ultimately, the article calls for the Charter’s extension to include sign languages to advance linguistic justice and ensure the full inclusion of Deaf people within Europe’s multilingual landscape.