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The study of sign language provides a rich and illustrative foundation for examining the influence of language policy in more general terms within the multilingual context of South Africa. This article describes two different perspectives commonly taken with respect to issues of deafness and sign language – the pathological and sociocultural approaches – and argues that neither is fully satisfactory in the South African case. We suggest the possibility of a third perspective on deafness, one grounded in a more socioeconomic framework. Research developments will be framed in the light of current language policy and practice. The historical background to this topic will be explored and the emergence of a research base described. Deafness in South Africa presents us with a context in which language choice and identity is in fact driven not by belief or ideology, but rather by poverty and economic constraints.
