WFD Board Member and Chair of the Human Rights Group gave an Opening Statement to the CRPD Committee which raised the issues of the need for CRPD training in sign language, education rights of deaf children, and the need for national sign language interpreters at the CRPD Committee sessions for those countries which appear before the Committee. Regarding education, the WFD said that the WFD is concerned about the influence of medical authorities on educational choices made on behalf of deaf children. This influence brings medical authorities into the field of educational pedagogy, which is outside their area of professional expertise. This is not in accordance with either the spirit or best practice of CRPD Article 24. Deaf children and their families should be given full and neutral information, based on research, that shows the necessity and benefits of multilingual education in sign language for deaf children’s full academic and social development.
The WFD also met with OHCHR Human Rights Education and Training Office for a mutual exchange of views.