"Educated deaf signers favor the use of ASL, whereas the vast majority of signers have not been formally educated and use LSM."
"Having virtually no child users and a lower status than ASL, LSM is being replaced by ASL in the deaf community in Bamako and in other places with deaf schools."

"Deaf education in Mali has always been accepting of sign language use, and oralism has not been an official method. Although LSM predominantly emerged outside a school environment and continues to be used there, the language was the initial medium of instruction at both schools for deaf children in Bamako. At the EDA, LSM was replaced by Langue des signes francaise (LSF) following contacts with supporting organizations in France (Bala Keita, pers. comm.). Around 2001 these two schools jointly decided to use ASL for instruction. Around 2009 a volunteer from CECI was appointed for one year to teach Langue des signes quebecoise to a group of deaf pupils."

"Malian Sign Language has arisen outside of a school context. According to Pinsonneault (1999), the Malian Sign Language was elaborated mostly, if not exclusively by male signers, as a result of gender based patterns of interaction in Malian society. Especially the tea groups (referred to as 'grins') of Deaf men are claimed to be crucial locations for the transmission and innovation of LaSiMa (Moustapha Magassouba, personal communication). Deaf people meet in 'grins' as well, typically gathering at a popular deaf person’s work place (e.g. in front of the central post office in Bamako). According to Deaf signers, communication with hearing people, predominantly in and around the house, contributed to the formation of the language as well and continues to do so."

"Most deaf signers in Bamako below the age of 35 are dominant users of American Sign Language"