Possible Beings: Deaf Children and Linguistic Justice
- Date
- February 05, 2024
- Time
- 1:00 PM EST - 2:00 PM EST
- Location
- This is a virtual event. Zoom link will be shared with those who RSVP.
- Open To
- Undergraduate students, Graduate students, Faculty, Contract lecturers, Staff, Public community
- Contact
- ecstudies@torontomu.ca
- Website
- https://www.torontomu.ca/early-childhood-studies
Carter Churchill v. Newfoundland and Labrador English School District is a test case for the standard of education provided to deaf learners in Canada who benefit from sign language. This presentation analyzes legal documents related to this case as they illuminate current understanding of linguistic justice and relational ethics.
Carter is a deaf child with cerebral palsy whose parents filed a human rights complaint alleging that he experienced discrimination on the basis of disability in the delivery of educational services. This was due to the failure of educational authorities to accommodate Carter’s sign language needs and access to an education equal in quality to that of nondeaf children in an environment free from social isolation.
On March 1, 2023, the Human Rights Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Board of Inquiry decision was released that found the school district failed to provide reasonable accommodation and discriminated against Carter during the first four years of his education. However, this decision and related events stop short of ordering linguistic justice for deaf children in the form of sign language policy and planning that fulfills a society’s ethical responsibilities to deaf people.
About the Presenter
Kristin Snoddon, PhD, is a deaf scholar and associate professor and graduate program director with the School of Early Childhood Studies. Kristin's research and professional experience include collaborative work with deaf communities in developing sign language and early literacy programming for young deaf children and their parents. Her longstanding program of research has focused on developing a parent American Sign Language curriculum that is aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Additionally, she analyzes policy issues related to inclusive education, sign language rights, and acquisition planning for ASL. Her current research focuses on sign language ideologies and ideologies of understanding.
Accessibility details
American Sign Language-English interpretation and Zoom captioning provided.