Analysis of the discussion in the Chamber of Deputies regarding Deaf individuals in Law No.21.303 in Chile

Abstract

The “Deaf community” is constituted based on the recognition of individuals with specific cultural characteristics and the use of sign language. Although in 2010 Chile legalized sign language as a means of communication for Deaf people, it did not recognize it as an official language. Subsequently, a bill was proposed in the Chamber of Deputies to make it official. This qualitative research carried out a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) with the objective of analyzing the discussion in the Chamber of Deputies about Deaf people in Law No. 21,303. The results make up four discursive axes: 1. general positions regarding the law, 2. recognition of Deaf people, 3. profile of the sign language teacher, 4. official recognition status. Finally, this study provides a deep understanding of how these discourses can validate, legitimize, and/or perpetuate the barriers that Deaf people face in various social settings.