As the World Federation of the Deaf marks its 75th anniversary, this webinar provides an opportunity to reflect on one of the most pressing human rights issues affecting deaf children worldwide: language deprivation.
Language acquisition begins in the earliest stages of life and is fundamental to children’s cognitive, social, emotional and educational development. Yet many deaf children do not have timely and consistent access to a fully accessible natural language during the critical period of language development.
Language deprivation is not an inevitable consequence of being deaf. It occurs when a deaf child does not have adequate access to a fully accessible language during the critical period of language development.
For many deaf children, particularly those born into hearing families, access to sign language may be delayed while families are often encouraged to prioritise spoken language development, the use of hearing technologies or other interventions. Sign language is often presented as a secondary or last-resort option rather than as an accessible language from the beginning of life, deaf children may experience significant delays in language acquisition.
Research increasingly demonstrates the consequences associated with inadequate early language access, including impacts on cognitive development, reduced educational outcomes, and challenges in mental health and social participation.
Language deprivation begins before a child enters school. In many countries, including across the Global South, deaf children may not start school until age five or later, which makes early access through families and health systems more critical. Prevention therefore requires action across healthcare, early childhood education, family support systems, and referral systems, as well as meaningful involvement of deaf communities.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognises sign languages as languages and establishes obligations related to their recognition, promotion and use. It also recognises the linguistic identity of deaf people and the importance of facilitating their acquisition of sign language. The World Federation of the Deaf has consistently emphasised the importance of early access to sign language as a fundamental human right. Ensuring that deaf children grow up with full linguistic access is essential not only for their individual development but also for their full inclusion in society.
This webinar aims to raise awareness about language deprivation, its causes and impacts, and to promote rights-based, evidence-informed approaches to prevention and intervention, drawing on deaf-led perspectives from both the Global North and the Global South.
Panel
- Dr Joseph J. Murray, WFD President
- Yarett Piñeiro Rodríguez – Puerto Rico
- Aurélien Mancino – France/Denmark
- Dr Naomi Caselli – USA
- Mr Valdano Tobias – Trinidad and Tobago
- Mr Hasan Dikyuva – Türkiye
- Dr Sibaji Panda – India
