Bhutanese Sign Language

{{Short description|Deaf sign language of Bhutan}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Bhutanese Sign Language

|altname=BhSL, Drukgi Lagdai Khakay

|states=Bhutan

|speakers=?

|familycolor=sign

|family=unclassified

|iso3=none

|glotto=none

}}

Bhutanese Sign Language (BhSL; {{transl|dz|Drukgi Lagdai Khakay}} in Dzongkha) is the indigenous sign language of Bhutan, used especially at the Wangsel Institute for the Deaf, Paro, Bhutan.

Bhutan set up the program for the deaf in a hearing school in Thimphu ca. 2000, and the first dedicated school, in Paro, was approved in 2013.{{Cite web |title=Gallaudet Alumna Helps Set Course for Deaf Education in Bhutan |url=http://www.gallaudet.edu/news/bhutan_.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219053000/http://www.gallaudet.edu/news/bhutan_.html |archive-date=2015-02-19 |access-date=2015-02-19 |website=Gallaudet University}} Part of government funding for deaf education includes developing Bhutanese Sign Language as the language of instruction. Development includes at least creating vocabulary for technical subjects,{{Cite web |title=Consultancy: Research, Bhutanese Sign Language |url=http://georgem.co.tz/showthread.php?t=938 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425123210/http://georgem.co.tz/showthread.php?t=938 |archive-date=2015-04-25 |access-date=2015-02-19 |website=Georgem}} and deciding on which regional signs to use where they differ.{{Cite web |date=19 May 2003 |title=Bhutan to Begin Deaf Education |url=http://www.deaftoday.com/news/archives/2003/05/bhutan_to_begin.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219054307/http://www.deaftoday.com/news/archives/2003/05/bhutan_to_begin.html |archive-date=2015-02-19 |access-date=2015-02-19 |website=Deaf Today}}

It is not clear if there are multiple sign languages in Bhutan, or merely local differences in vocabulary. It is unknown whether Bhutanese Sign Language is related to Indian Sign Language or Nepali Sign Language.{{Cite web |date=2012 |title=The Deaf Community of India |url=http://joshuaproject.net/profiles/text/t19007_in.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219052611/http://joshuaproject.net/profiles/text/t19007_in.pdf |archive-date=2015-02-19 |access-date=2015-02-19 |via=Joshua Project}}