Banjo's World

Last night, an article was published over the internet. This is good news for the deaf communities across the province of Ontario in Canada. The government of Ontario is making a promise to improve the learning environment for the students who are deaf or hard of hearing. They are going to allow ASL and LSQ to be used in classrooms. This is for public-funded schools, not just schools for the deaf. The schools for the deaf across Ontario have been using ASL for years.

McGuinty Government Delivering More Support For Students Who Are Deaf

Teachers Can Use American Sign Language In Ontario's Schools

TORONTO, July 12 /CNW/ - The McGuinty government is improving the learning environment for students who are deaf or hard of hearing by permitting American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) to be used in Ontario schools, Education Minister Kathleen Wynne announced today.

"We are committed to ensuring that students who are deaf receive an education that helps them reach their full potential," said Wynne. "I'm proud of the partnerships we have built with the deaf community to take this important step forward together."

Publicly funded school boards are encouraged to offer ASL and LSQ to students in the classroom if it will benefit their education. These sign languages can also be used for discipline or school management.

A number of initiatives are also underway to help school boards and provincial schools for students who are deaf and hard of hearing hire qualified staff. These initiatives include:

• Developing a sign language curriculum
• Increasing the number of colleges and universities that offer ASL and LSQ courses to teachers and interpreters
• Helping staff in provincial schools improve their ASL and English communication skills
• Working with the Ontario College of Teachers to offer a new qualification program requiring teachers to have some ASL or LSQ training before teaching students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

In addition, the government is currently working with VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children to find ways to enhance the education of students who use an auditory-verbal approach to learning and communicating.

"Thank you to the government for working with us to find solutions that will help more students succeed," said Wayne Nicholson, president of the Ontario Association of the Deaf. "More teachers using sign languages in schools means more students who are deaf receiving a top-quality education."

"We are moving in the right direction to ensure all children who are deaf succeed - linguistically and academically," said Chris Kenopic, chair of the American Sign Language Services for Deaf Children in Ontario, a parent support group. "This announcement will build a promising future for students in their education and employment opportunities, and most importantly, provide students with greater self-esteem and confidence as deaf individuals in achieving goals to succeed in life."

Click here to read the full article.