The Tibetan finger language project is smoothly processing in Tibet since its start-up in 2001. Up to now, Tibet has published three volumes of teaching material for Tibetan finger language and three Tibetan finger language dictionaries with more than 1,000 Tibetan words collected, sources from the publicizing activity for the 17th National Day of Disabled Persons on May 20.

Wangchen Geleg, deputy director of the TAR Disabled Persons Federation says that the Tibetan finger language developing project started in September 2001 by the International Aid Disabled Persons Association and the TAR Disabled Persons Federation and all the funds are from the International Aid Disabled Persons Association.

Wangchen Geleg introduces that the Tibetan finger language is quite different from the Han finger language. Furthermore, one word in Tibetan may have many different finger language expressions, which makes the local deaf and mute inconvenient to communicate with each other. In order to make the Tibetan deaf and mute to enjoy the normal life, it becomes important to unify the finger language in Tibet.

Latse, an official from the Lhasa Tibetan Finger Language Office says that the Tibetan finger language is mainly from the local Tibetan finger language which is based upon the culture background only for the Tibetan mute and deaf daily use.

Migmar, a staffer from the Lhasa Tibetan Finger Language Office introduces that collecting the Tibetan finger language needs to collect the word list firstly, so every Sunday, the office organizes an activity for Tibetan deaf and mute. Staffers illustrate the word meaning by photo, video, things and mummery. After approved by all the deaf and mute, they will record the finger language to the dictionary according to the letter order.

Currently, there are 190,000 disabled persons in Tibet and the mute and deaf occupy a most part