| Today all of the signs in Wales are bi-lingual - but | | | | - Dim cwn / No dogs |
| not so long ago there wouldn't have been a | | | | - Dim mynediad Personel awdurdododig yn unig / |
| "Croeso i Gymru", "Araf" or an "Allanfa dân" in | | | | No admittance authorised personnel only |
| sight. | | | | In public building and all areas open to the public |
| Thanks to students from the University of | | | | Bi-lingual fire signs are used: |
| Aberystwyth, the use of Welsh took a dramatic | | | | - Allanfa dân / Fire Exit |
| turn for the better in 1970. On the 4th Feb of | | | | - Diffoddydd tân / Fire Extinguisher |
| that year 22 students held a sit-in at the highest | | | | - Dihangfa frys / emergency exit |
| Court in the country to protest about the lack of | | | | On building sites Bi-lingual construction site safety |
| bi-lingual road signs in Wales. | | | | signs are used to warn workers and members of |
| As a result of this protest - 14 of the students | | | | the public of any risks or safety rules which must |
| were held in contempt of court and subsequently | | | | be followed: |
| jailed - but they succeeded in raising the profile of | | | | - Rhaid gwisgo esgidiau diogelu / Protective |
| their campaign in the heart of the British | | | | footwear must be worn |
| Establishment. | | | | - Rhaid gwisgo helmed diogelwch / Safety |
| Ever since the Laws in Wales Acts of 1535, | | | | helmets must be worn |
| English had been the only legal language in Wales, | | | | - Stopiwch y peirant cyn tynnu'r gwarchoddion / |
| this was relaxed by the Welsh Language Act | | | | stop machine before removing guards |
| 1967, which allowed the use of Welsh in Court. | | | | On public highways and roads - signs giving |
| The protests in 1970, by members of | | | | information, instructions and place names show |
| Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (The Welsh | | | | the Welsh and the English. For example: |
| Language Society) although not immediately | | | | - Ildiwch / Give Way |
| resulting in a change in the law - convinced many | | | | - Araf / Slow |
| people that it was unfair for Welsh to come a | | | | - Caerdydd / Cardiff |
| poor 2nd to English in Wales! | | | | - Cymru / Wales |
| However it was only in 1993 that the revised | | | | Whilst many people in England may have been left |
| Welsh Language Act, raised the status of Welsh | | | | puzzled by all the fuss - Welsh is effecting a |
| to equality with English. In practical terms this | | | | revival in common use - many claim partly as a |
| brought in the requirement to use dual language | | | | result of it's new found 'official status'. In a 2004 |
| Welsh and English in all areas of public life including | | | | survey over 600,000 people in Wales said they |
| on signs. This law now means that all road signs, | | | | were Welsh speakers (21.7% of the population) |
| health and safety signs and traffic signs are | | | | of these 600,000 - 62% claimed to speak Welsh |
| required to be bi-lingual. | | | | daily. Globally there are a further 175,000 Welsh |
| Some examples of bi-lingual prohibition safety | | | | speakers - 150,000 in England and 25,000 in |
| signs in use today are: | | | | Chubut a province of Argentina. |
| - Dim ysmygu / No smoking | | | | |