DAY 2: INCLUSIVE EDUCATION:
The theme for the second day of the International Week of Deaf People advocates for quality multilingual inclusive education that provides deaf learners inclusion through national sign languages.
The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) encourages individuals, organisations, and governments to sign up for Sign Language rights by signing their Declaration on the Rights of Deaf Children.
At the WFD’s XXI General Assembly in South Korea, their members approved the Declaration on the Rights of Deaf Children. The declaration contains 10 articles proclaiming the rights of all deaf children around the world. The declaration is viewed as an essential tool for promoting the rights of deaf children.
The 10 declarations are as followed:
- Article 1: All deaf children, like all humans, are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
- Article 2: All deaf children have a right to a sign language. National sign language (s) are the only fully accessible language for deaf children from birth onwards.
- Article 3: The right of deaf children to their national sign language(s) shall not be infringed.
- Article 4: All parents, carers and family members of deaf children must be provided with free instruction in their national sign language(s).
- Article 5: All deaf children have a right to quality, inclusive, multilingual education in their national sign language(s) and the national written language(s).
- Article 6: All deaf children have a right to learn the linguistic identity and culture of the deaf community.
- Article 7: All deaf children have the right to protection from language deprivation. Not providing access to the national sign language(s) to all deaf children constitutes discrimination.
- Article 8: All deaf children have a right to fluent national sign language models, including teachers in education.
- Article 9: All deaf children have a right to express their views on all matters affecting them.
- Article 10: All the above declarations must be implemented for all deaf children immediately and without delay.
Here at Signature, for the last 15 years, we have been heavily involved in campaigning for the BSL GCSE, with the hope to bridge the communication gap between deaf and hearing students. We hope that this approach to inclusive education will reduce the education gap between deaf and hearing students.
In order to maximise the benefits of the declaration, the World Federation of the Deaf promotes individuals to use articles in advocacy work at local, regional, national, and international levels.
