The Rights of Deaf Children

In fact, to the already knowledgeable parents these children are a blessing to them as they enable the parents to study more than they know about deafness to an extent that they understand that deafness is not inability, but a gain as it comes with many benefits. A Human Rights Treaty that Supports Sign Language Rights The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) requires governments to recognize the significance of sign languages and support their use to bring all children and people to same level of right to information. The CRPD considers sign language as an essential right for deaf people; without full access to sign language, deaf individuals are not equal to the hearing individuals.

The CRPD also offers legality for the deaf individuals to develop their linguistic and cultural identity by utilizing sign languages and participating in deaf culture. The CRPD tasks States Parties to accept and enable the use of sign languages to give deaf people the right to receive and impart information through a mode of their choice including sign language. Competence in a first language, such as ASL, supports the acquisition of a second language, such as English,in both spoken and written forms. Moreover, acquiring a natural language (ASL) during early childhood has a positive effect on the educational practice of deaf children. An aptitude in ASL has an affirmative effect on verbal language growth and the improvement of English literacy skills.

Early exposure to ASL promotes language growth and provides cognitive benefits for deaf children by enhancing language development, critical thinking, and problem-solving competence. In the book, Cultural and Language Diversity and the Deaf Experience, (1996), François Grosjean opined that raising deaf children with ASL as a major language and with spoken language as a second language allows them full social development. Although deaf individuals regard ASL as their primary and natural language, many public schools prevent deaf students from accessing or using ASL. These schools deny deaf students’their particular right to communicate and acquire an education through their preferred and accessible language. Deaf students have the right to receive a bilingual bicultural education in which sign language is the language of instruction, with simultaneous emphasis on using the written language.

In reality, only 1 to 2% of deaf individuals throughout the world receive an education via sign language. Thus, to achieve academic success and social integration, education for the deaf students must be in a bilingual bicultural environment where they can meet deaf role models and peers. The policies of the IDEA help parents retain their voice and monitor their children’s educational path. Parents also have the right to be part of the planning of their child’s individualized education plan, present complaints, and participate in meetings. Recommendations for Parents and Educational Institutions • Parents need to ensure enrollment of their deaf child in a sign language early intervention program to develop language skills. • Sign language is a linguistic system of iconic reference items expressed in several ways, including through sign language; sign language is a complete language that has its own grammar system.