The WFD has released a Position Statement on Educational Rights for Deaf Learners During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on access to education has significantly impacted deaf learners. Around the world, deaf children and youth lack access to quality bilingual education in national sign languages, and parents of deaf children lack support for learning sign languages.

The WFD calls on all governments to ensure deaf children and youth receive equitable access to information and education in national sign languages during and after the pandemic, including:

• Access to instruction by sign language-proficient teachers and the provision of visual learning materials.
• Parents of deaf children must also receive support for sign language learning, including remote learning where available, to support family communication and children’s language development.