Deaf in Switzerland

People Name:	Deaf
Country:	Switzerland
10/40 Window:	No
Population:	18,000
World Population:	50,265,850
Primary Language:	Swiss-German Sign Language
Primary Religion:	Christianity
Christian Adherents:	75.76 %
Evangelicals:	0.00 %
Scripture:	Unspecified
Ministry Resources:	No
Jesus Film:	No
Audio Recordings:	No
People Cluster:	Deaf
Affinity Bloc:	Deaf
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

Switzerland probably has the most complex sign language situation in all of Europe. There are four official verbal languages in Switzerland (French, German, Italian and Romansch.) Three of these geo/political area have their own regional variety of sign. These include Swiss-French Deaf schools (more western Switzerland), Swiss-German Deaf schools (more in the middle of Switzerland), Swiss-Italian Deaf schools (more in the southern part) of Switzerland. There are no Deaf schools for the Romansch Language in the eastern part of Switzerland and any Deaf born in that area usually go to the Italian or German Deaf schools. More investigation is needed to see how much regional variation there is and whether the Deaf can understand one video Bible translation done for all of Switzerland. In the Swiss-German part of Switzerland there are at least six churches and at one church they have an informal Bible College for Deaf. There appear to be active Deaf Christians in Switzerland who are in active outreach programs to reach other Deaf, but there is a lack of workers throughout the whole country to reach this un-reached people group. Understanding of the scripture is poor due to a low literacy level in any of the four official languages in Switzerland.