USE AND DISSEMINATION OF SIGN LANGUAGE: PROBLEMS OF LANGUAGE POLICIES AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN CHILE

Abstract

The need to generate linguistic policies which lead to an equal coexistence among diverse communities has been progressively becoming visible in the world. A community that requires a revision of its inclusion not only in policies but also in coexistence practices is the deaf community, which is understood as such based on their command of a sign language. Understanding the deaf as a linguistic and cultural community means observing them not as individuals who lack an ability, but as a group that grasps the world from a visual particularity, from their own language. This article explores the analysis of the linguistic policies for the inclusion of the deaf community in the formal educational system of our country. The analysis is done based on the previous research in this area and evidence critical issues in the implementation of linguistic policies that lead to an actual inclusivity for this community.