Sign language Island is one of the projects of the Communication Centre for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired and is a systematic language stimulation project for sign language children in elementary school. The project aims to create a sign language environment for children where they learn Icelandic sign language through play and work.

The Communication Centre received funding from the Ministry of Education and Children, from a fund for innovative and school development projects at the level of pre-, primary and secondary schools and leisure activities. Applications were made for funding to temporarily expand Sign language island with the aim of receiving the children twice a week and introducing them to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We have received children in Icelandic Sign Language at SHH and have worked on the Convention with them on their terms, i.e. in Icelandic Sign Language.

We connected with Borgarleikhúsið right at the beginning of the second semester, but they have been showing the play about her, Fíusól. That story makes readers think about a number of important issues related to children’s rights. In collaboration with Borgarleikhúsið, older students on Sign language island were invited to participate in the Borgarleikhúsið Krakkaþing, where they talked about how children feel that theatre in Iceland should be. Six students from Sign language island participated and they had a lot to contribute. On May 5th, the students and their families went to see a sign language interpreted play about Fíusól. The parental association of hard of hearing participated in that project with us and the play was interpreted in collaboration with Hraðar hendur.

The aim of this project is to empower the sign language children and to make them know their rights like other children working with the Convention. As stated in article 42 of the Convention all children should know about their rights and this applies to the children themselves who have the right to learn about their rights.