"Deaf people yesterday won  formal recognition of British sign language as a language in its own right, requiring educational authorities to provide better opportunities for deaf children to learn communication skills.

Sign language is the preferred method of communication for 70,000 people in Britain, making it second to Welsh as a minority language, 
but until yesterday it lacked legal status.

At present there are only 182 qualified interpeters in Britain.

Susan Daniels, the chief executive of the National Deaf Childrens Society, 
said the decision should end a "post code lottery" that stopped children 
using sign language at school in areas such as Surrey, where the local authority disapproved of it.

Campaigners have been strugglling for more than 20years for official recognition of BSL."

congratulations!