For years, Deaf Communities have been fighting to guarantee the linguistic rights of Deaf people who use Libras as their legal means of expression. Goal 4.7 of the National Education Plan, set out in Law No. 13.005/2014, ensures “the provision of bilingual education, in Brazilian Sign Language – LIBRAS as a first language and in the written form of Portuguese as a second language, to Deaf students and students with hearing impairments from 0 (zero) to 17 (seventeen) years old, in bilingual schools and classes and in inclusive schools”.
We understand the need to maintain the Directorate of Bilingual Education Policies for the Deaf, in such a way that it does not set legal precedents for creating specialized schools to serve people with disabilities who “do not benefit” from regular education, which would totally contradict our Constitution.
However, we hope that President Lula and the current Minister of Education, Camilo Santana, will speak out ensuring all the linguistic rights and guarantees of an inclusive education won through years of struggle by the Deaf Communities.
VNDI is available for other Deaf and Black people to join our movement, where they can hold this debate democratically and with the due precautions the topic requires.
PS: this statement was written by one of our Black and Deaf activists, and is endorsed and signed by the movement as a whole.
