ISPN 2025 Workshop: Ethical principles of doing toponymic research with Deaf communities

 Voices in Place: Ethical Toponymy and the Deaf Community at ISPN 2025

The Eighth International Symposium on Place Names (ISPN 2025), to be held from 26–29 November in Clarens, South Africa, will host a groundbreaking workshop that intersects toponymy, ethics, and Deaf studies. Scheduled for 26 November 2025, 14:00–15:30 at the Protea Hotel, this session titled “Ethical Principles of Doing Toponymic Research with Deaf Communities” promises to be a pivotal moment in inclusive place-name scholarship.

Led by Dr Patrick Sibanda and Dr Chrismi Loth from the University of the Free State, the workshop is part of a broader initiative by the Department of South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies. It is organized in collaboration with the Joint ICA/IGU Commission on Toponymy and the ICOS Working Group on Toponymy, reaffirming the international momentum behind ethical and inclusive naming practices.

Why this matters

Toponymy often privileges dominant voices and visible communities. However, Deaf communities, who operate in rich linguistic and cultural spheres of their own, are frequently overlooked in naming processes, street addressing, and spatial documentation. This workshop turns that tide by focusing on signed toponymy and the specific ethical considerations when conducting research involving Deaf individuals.

What to expect

The session is designed as an interactive dialogue and will include:

• Introductions to sign language, Deaf culture, and Deaf identity

• Examination of the Deaf community as a marginalised research population

• The linguistic and cultural significance of place-name signs

• Established ethical frameworks and best practices for working with Deaf participants

• Opportunities for participant feedback and shared experience

This initiative not only fills a critical gap in the field of toponymy but also represents a landmark step toward inclusive geographic naming and respectful representation of all language communities.

The registration fee is R1 000, or R1 200 for both ISPN workshops (free for ISPN delegates). Interested participants can register at the official conference site or reach out directly to the organizers at kongresETFB@ufs.ac.za.

As the landscape of global naming becomes increasingly diverse and digital, sessions like this challenge researchers to think beyond sound - and listen to the hands that shape place.