NAD Requests That ICED Recognize Sign Language As A Human Right

Submitted by Bobbie Beth.Scoggins [1] on Thu, 07/01/2010 - 19:25

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) sent a letter [2] to the 21st International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (21st Congress) requesting that they grant official recognition to the use of sign language as a civil, human and linguistic right, particularly in educational settings.

Further, the NAD requested that the 21st Congress formally reject resolutions passed at the 2nd Congress, commonly known as the 1880 Milan Conference, where sign language in educational settings was strongly discouraged. The resolutions passed at that time sent a horrifying message and caused irreparable damage to the educational system, impacting deaf and hard of hearing children worldwide for generations to come.

Due in part to the 1880 Milan Conference, the NAD was established in 1880 by deaf leaders who believed in the right of the American deaf community to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and to have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs remain true to this day, with American Sign Language [3] as a core value [4].

The NAD has joined world leaders who believe that an official reversal of opinion by the 21st Congress would be positive step forward in the struggle for the widespread recognition of sign language as a human right, also in line with the U.N. Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD) [5].

“We trust that the 21st Congress will take action to right the wrongs that were done to our global deaf community, so that we can move together forward in furthering our shared dream of bringing high-quality educational opportunities to all deaf and hard of hearing children,” declared NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins.

Click here [2] to review the full text of the letter sent by NAD to the 21st International Congress on Education of the Deaf