Croatia
National Sign Language
Hrvatski znakovni jezik, HZJ
In English: Croatia Sign Language, CSL
Language Status: 5 (Developing)
Legal Recognition
HZJ is recognized as a full and natural language of the Deaf community in Croatia, as stated in the Recommendation on the Protection of National Sign Languages of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Number of Deaf Sign Language Users
6.500 (EUD website, December 2016)
National Sign Language (Research) Centres
Laboratory for Sign Language and Deaf Culture Research (HZJ Lab): https://www.erf.unizg.hr/en/about-us/organization/institute/laboratory-for-research-of-sign-language-and-deaf-culture
The Laboratory for Sign Language and Deaf Culture Research (HZJ Lab) was established in 2004 as a result of work on the bilateral American-Croatian project A Basic Grammar of Croatian Sign Language (HZJ). The work in the HZJ Lab is primarily focused on linguistics of Croatian Sign Language (HZJ).
