As part of the WFD 75th Anniversary Celebration Series, a panel of deaf leaders, educators and researchers from different regions of the world examines what inclusive education means from a deaf perspective, and what must change to ensure that deaf learners can fully exercise their right to education.
Inclusive education is a fundamental human right and an essential component of equality and full participation in society. Yet for deaf learners, access to quality inclusive education remains a significant global challenge. Limited opportunities to acquire and use national sign languages, a lack of teachers proficient in sign language, too few deaf teachers and adult role models, inadequate teacher preparation, limited access to signing peers, and educational approaches that do not recognise deaf learners’ linguistic and cultural identity continue to stand in the way of their education.
This webinar highlights that, for deaf learners, inclusive education cannot be reduced to placement in mainstream settings or to individual accommodations such as sign language interpreters. Quality inclusive education depends on the linguistic environment in which learning takes place, where deaf learners can acquire and learn through their national sign languages, communicate directly with teachers and peers, develop their linguistic identity and participate fully in all aspects of school life.
Participants gain an understanding of the obligations set out in Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). These include facilitating the learning of sign language, promoting the linguistic identity of deaf communities, and employing teachers, including teachers with disabilities, who are qualified in sign language. Through presentations from international experts, the webinar draws on the International Disability Alliance (IDA) Global Report on Inclusive Education and the WFD Declaration on the Rights of Deaf Children, which affirms deaf children’s right to acquire sign language from birth and to access quality education through their national sign languages.
The webinar connects the World Federation of the Deaf’s longstanding advocacy for a sign language and rights-based approach to education with contemporary research, deaf-led educational practice and experiences from different regions of the world.
Panel
- Dr Joseph J. Murray, WFD President
- Dr Wyatte Hall, University of Rochester Medicine, USA
- Dr Lucas Magongwa, Deaf educator and specialist in deaf education, South Africa
- Dr Leonides D. Sulse, Deaf educator and researcher, Philippines
- Dr Ryoko Konno and Ms Ikumi Kawamata, The Nippon Foundation, Japan
- Mr Josh Josa, Deaf international development and inclusive education specialist, USA
Transcription
Presentations
We will add the video of the webinar and presentations as soon as we receive permission from the relevant parties.
