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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PETITION FOR SIGN LANGUAGE, ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATION FOR THE DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING INDIVIDUALS

Published on August 19, 2024

The rights of individuals who are neurologically disadvantaged and those challenged with physical impediments have come a long way. Before 1970, anyone who had a disability infirmity was sent away to segregated boarding schools and not integrated into society. Not surprisingly, given the rights under both the Canadian and Quebec Charter of Rights and Freedoms, these institutions have been dismantled. For good measure, In 2010, Canada, as a signatory of the United Nations, signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

For individuals who are deaf and have hearing impediments, two primary sign languages are used: American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes Québécoise (LSQ). Sign languages for Indigenous Peoples include Inuit Sign Language, Plains Indian Sign Language and Maritime Sign Language. Not all people who are deaf and are hard-of-hearing have equal rights. While Canada and Quebec have slowly evolved with Disability Pensions and Disability Tax Credits, the accommodation for the rights of those who are deaf or hard of hearing, sign language for Quebec Anglophones do not have the same access to ASL as those of Quebec Francophones with LSQ. The lack or denial of access and accommodation for Anglophones has severe consequences for those who are deaf and hearing impaired in their families, where they work and in our schools and health institutions. Moreover, little funding is provided to address the critical shortage of language interpreters.

The MNA for D'Arcy-McGee, Elisabeth Prass, has recently submitted the petition below to the National Assembly seeking official recognition of sign languages in Quebec and improvements in accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. The rights, access, and accommodation of services should be equally offered to all. We invite you to sign the petition and share it on your social media platforms and with your contacts to support this vital initiative. I encourage you to consider signing the petition. The process is simple. You fill in the form and then reply to a confirmation email of the petition you sent. For further information and resources, you can consult as follows:

Canadian Association for the Deaf, and La Société Culturelle Québécoise des Sourds. Information is available in both the French and English languages.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE:
Petition: Official recognition of sign languages in Québec and improvement of accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals

Maria Peluso, Vice President of Government Affairs
Provincial Council of Women of Quebec,
Montreal Council of Women

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