Much research regarding sign language-medium education for deaf learners has taken place in the global North, which has often been regarded as a source of expert knowledge about deaf education and sign languages (Branson & Miller, 2004; Moriarty, 2019). This special issue will focus on education for deaf learners in the global South as a site of knowledge production. The issue will highlight contributions from researchers and practitioners from the global South who study the implementation and progress of programs for deaf learners that utilize a natural sign language as a medium of instruction. We also welcome contributions from global Northern researchers who work with collaborators in the global South. For the purposes of this special issue, the global South includes not only Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean but also Indigenous communities in the global North (Pennycook & Makoni, 2020).
Recognizing that deafness, sign languages, deaf education, and the global South are not static categories (Friedner, 2017; Nguyen, 2018), this issue will prioritize ethnographic studies and contributions toward theory-building in sign language-medium deaf education. Topics may include, but are not limited to the following:
- The impact of COVID-19 on sign language-medium education for deaf learners
- The role of community activism for sign language-medium education
- Teacher training and licensure
- Bilingual pedagogy in signed and written/spoken languages
- Deaf education in multilingual contexts
- Early intervention
- Deaf learners in rural areas
- Sign language revitalization
- Innovative and/or experimental practices
- Tensions between top-down and bottom-up directives and initiatives
- Deaf-run programs and institutions
- The impact of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Sustainable Development Goals
