Deafness in Bolivia

Deafness in Bolivia refers to the conditions both deaf individuals and deaf communities face in terms of accessibility, education, early intervention, rights, and use of sign language, among other factors. The main sign language used in Bolivia is Bolivian Sign Language, commonly referred to as LSB. It is referred to as the official sign language of the nation. There are multiple federal, regional, and local Bolivian organizations working to increase awareness of deaf needs, including the push to implement deaf programs to provide education, employment, and day-to-day accessibility.

Human and civil rights for DHH people

The UN CRPD

The referenced State Party Report of Bolivia is from 2011. It outlines the premises to help people with disabilities according to the list of issues, in accordance with the UN's requirements along with the nation's policies, resources, and plausible abilities.

• Sign Language Rights (Articles 2, 21.b, 21.3, 23.3, and 24.3b)
• Deaf culture and linguistic identity (Article 30.4)
• Bilingual education (Article 24.1, 24.3b, 24.4)
• Lifelong learning (Article 5, 24.5, and 27)
• Accessibility (Article 9 and 21)
• Equal employment opportunities (Article 27)
• Equal participation (Article 5, 12, 20, 23, 24, 29)

State Party Report

Sign language rights

This information is from Bolivia's State Party Report from 2013, and more recent information has been published in Spanish.

Article 21.283 of Bolivia's State Party Report is trying to fulfill its obligations in sign language rights by promising communication in alternative languages, approving the integration of sign language, and providing sign language interpretation within institutions. Article 21.284 intends to incorporate Bolivian sign language as well as other forms of alternative communication in public, private, and educational institutions. Article 21.287 aims to gradually introduce sign language interpretation on television to expand access to information to all individuals, including those with disabilities or impairments. Article 21.288 focuses on the right of students to have access to sign language education if needed, including it in the regulatory multilingual training of teachers. Article 24.310 of Bolivia's State Party Report defines the rights of students who require it to be taught in sign language as part of the multilingual training of primary school teachers. Article 24.315 describes the use of appropriate tools, including sign language interpreters, as well as the promotion of sign language. Article 24.324 mentions that educational institutions should ensure appropriate evaluation tools, including sign language interpretation, as well as the need to promote the teaching and learning of sign language throughout disciplines.^[1]

Deaf culture and linguistic identity

Article 30 of Bolivia's State Party Report does not explicitly mention promoting or providing access to leisure or sporting activities to the deaf and hard of hearing community.^[1]

Bilingual education

Article 24.306 of Boliva's State Party Report states that every person has the right to communication in an alternative language. Article 24.310 states that "students in the education system who require it have the right to be taught in sign language." This is one part of the multilingual training of Bolivian educators.^[1]

Lifelong learning

Article 5.111 of Bolivia's State Party Report describes the right to communication in an alternative language and the right to education on an equal basis but does not explicitly make any claims about sign language or deaf and hard of hearing people.^[1]

Accessibility

Article 9.161 of Bolivia's State Party Report aims to ensure accessibility for the deaf community. "Public institutions, private services and educational establishments are obliged to provide alternative means of communication and Bolivian sign language interpretation for persons with hearing disabilities." The Ministry of Education coordinates with the Bolivian Sign Language Council to implement this measure, which forms part of the Bolivian Federation for the Deaf. Article 21.282 defines the Constitutional right to an alternative form of communication. Article 21.287 states that "sign language interpretation is gradually being introduced in all television programmes and in national, departmental and municipal events with the aim of integrating persons with hearing disabilities in society with all their rights and duties as persons."^[1]

Equal employment ppportunities

Article 27 of Bolivia's State Party Report does not make any explicit statements or claims about equal employment opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing people or the protection of deaf and hard of hearing people in the workplace, such as accommodations.^[1]

Equal participation

Article 5.111 of Bolivia's State Party Report states the right to education on an equal basis, the right to decent work and fair remuneration in accordance with the capabilities and potential of the person concerned, the right to communication in an alternative language, and the right to decent treatment and equal opportunities in the productive, economic, political, social and cultural domain without discrimination of any kind. Article 12.182 states the right to an alternative language of communication. Article 24.306 states that every person has the right to communication in an alternative language. Article 24.310 states the students in the education system who require it have the right to be taught in sign language. Article 24.215 describes the provisions for appropriate evaluation tools, including sign language interpreters, as well as promoting the use of sign language. Article 24.324 ensures that applicants to technical institutes, further education colleges and public and private universities should ensure that applicants and students have appropriate evaluation tools, particularly sign language interpretation, as well as the need to promote the teaching and learning of sign language in different disciplines.^[1]

Sign languages

Bolivian Sign Language is based on American Sign Language with influence from missionaries from the Spanish. There are some groups, including in La Paz and in Santa Cruz, that incorporate some local signs from the areas surrounding them.^[2]

There are reports of 350-400 users of Bolivian Sign Language in areas including Cochabomba, La Paz, Riberalta, and Santa Cruz, according to a report from 1988. The current number of users is estimated to be significantly higher.^[3]

Legal recognition

Bolivian Supreme Decree No.328 was originally written in Spanish and has been translated into English for the purpose of this research.

Bolivian Supreme Decree No.328 aims to recognize Bolivian Sign Language as a form of communication for deaf people living in Bolivia, as well as ways to increase the use of it through the National Sign Language Council's establishment.^[1]

Article 1 of Bolivia Supreme Decree No.328 recognizes Bolivian Sign Language (LSB) as a way for deaf people in Bolivia to access communication, as well as establishing ways to keep LSB in use. Article 2 of Bolivia Supreme Decree No.328 defines a deaf person as a person with hearing loss and/or limitation. Bolivian Sign Language is defined as a linguistic system whose medium is visual rather than auditory. Article 3 recognizes LSB "as a means of communication for deaf people, which allows them to actively participate at different levels of society, within the legal framework and the right to inclusion in society as a whole and access information." Article 4 requires public institutions to incorporate the participation of interpreters for translations of individuals with hearing loss.^[4]

Language preservation and revitalization

Section 6.2 of the "Bolivia Deaf Community and Sign Language Pre-Survey Report" by David Holbrook details indicators of language vitality for a sign language. This includes the number of schools teaching it, the number of people using it, the number of deaf clubs and associations, the number of deaf signers at deaf gatherings, and the spread of the language itself. The number of deaf signers in these organizations in Bolivia remains unclear, but "the fact that [FEBOS] was able to mobilize approximately 1,000 people for a celebration on the World Day of the Deaf is impressive and a good indicator of potential vitality." Another interesting point that comes up here is the reports that have come up from interviews explaining how the introduction of ASL starting in the 70s has since dispersed widely throughout the country and is now at the point where any pre-existing indigenous sign language has mostly been replaced.^[5]

The Endangered Languages Project reports Bolivian Sign Language as threatened, with a 40% certainty level "based on the evidence available." Worldwide, they report 100-999 speakers, which is clearly a wide range, but still not very large even on the higher end.^[3] I have found some evidence of another sign language used here, but the official name for it is unclear. It "may be used in Catholic circles and in La Paz."^[5]

There are multiple deaf organizations, clubs, groups, etc. in Bolivia that are currently active. This includes comprehensive associations in various Bolivian regions, audiological centers, general federations like the Bolivian Federation of the Deaf (FEBOS), sports federations like Bolivian Integrated Sports Federation of the Deaf (FEDEBOISO), the Special Education Center for Deaf Children, the Bolivian Integrated Federation of the Deaf, etc. These are evidence of an active sign language community in Bolivia.^[5]

Bolivia has one of the highest numbers of official languages in the world, with 39 recognized by the 2009 Constitution. Bolivian Sign Language is one of these, which is used by the deaf community in Bolivia with about 22,600 people. The first Bolivian Sign Language book was published in 1992 by the Bolivian Ministry of Education and Culture, called Primero Libro de Señas en Bolivia (First Book of Signs in Bolivia). There are also a number of schools with services for deaf students and many active deaf associations across the country. "The Bolivian Federation for the Deaf (FEBOS) was able to mobilize approximately 1,000 people for a celebration on World Day of the Deaf, demonstrating the potential vitality of the language." Most of the deaf population in Bolivia reside in the larger cities including La Paz, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, El Alto, Oruro, and Sucre. Some other towns that house deaf communities include Trinidad, Tarija, Potosí, and Chuquisaca.^[6]

There are limited programs available to learn Bolivian Sign Language, making it difficult for individuals, families, and others who would benefit from being able to communicate through LSB.

Universal Newborn Hearing Screening

UNHS is not reported as being mandated in Bolivia, with zero laws enacted to mandate neonatal hearing screening. 58.1% of newborns are screened, with 23.3% of them being with the UNHS. In a study involving 89 otolaryngologists, Bolivian respondents disclosed that neonatal hearing screening is not conducted within one month of an infant's life. This research claims that the presence of legislation mandating neonatal hearing screening is higher in countries with a higher gross domestic product (GDP), ensuring neonatal hearing screening is prioritized, providing a framework for consistent execution. This means that countries like Bolivia (which has a lower GDP) lack specific legislation, which correlates with the lack of systematic screening programs.^[7]

Early intervention

Early intervention services for deaf and hard of hearing children are limited in Bolivia, and adequate national programs are not widespread. There are some supportive resources, however, including:

• Camino de Sordos: A school in Bolivia that uses sign language to focus on deaf education, providing specialized instruction to enhance literacy skills among deaf children. This is a signing-based school for deaf children that works on reading skills, often using a multi-sensory approach to improve phonemic awareness in students.
• Foundación CEREFE: A center offering physical rehab and special education services to deaf and hard of hearing kids, as well as children with other disabilities, providing specialized support to address the individual needs of each kid. Located in El Alto, Bolivia. This is the Center for Physical Rehabilitation and Special Education that works with children and teenagers with a range of disabilities.
• Hospital del Niño: National pediatric hospital in La Paz, Bolivia that collaborates with international students to provide early intervention services, works with parents of infants and toddlers, offers guidance on feeding therapy as well as early stimulation techniques to promote development.^[8]

There is a new facility being implemented in Bolivia called Don Bosco Salesian Center for the Deaf in Cochabamba. It will offer primary and secondary education and technical formation for both youth and adults. There are already some current deaf students attending traditional courses or evening classes taught here, but the construction of this facility that is especially dedicated to their care will be more specific and cover a larger number of people.^[9]

References

1. "Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 35 of the Convention" (PDF). UN Treaty Body Database. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
2. "Bolivian Sign Language". Ethnologue. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
3. "Bolivian Sign Language". Endangered Languages Project. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
4. Morales Ayma, Evo (14 October 2009). "Bolivia: Supreme Decree No. 328". Lexivox. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
5. Holbrook, David J. (2009). "Bolivia Deaf Community and Sign Language Pre-Survey Report" (PDF). SIL International. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
6. Lindsey, Lyla (16 October 2024). "Indigenous Languages Of Bolivia: A Rich Cultural Heritage". Shun Culture. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
7. Peñaranda, Daniel (5 October 2024). "Advancing neonatal hearing screening in Latin America: Insights from pediatric otolaryngologists". Science Direct. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
8. "In Bolivia, Helping Children to See and Be Heard". Teachers College, Columbia University. 18 October 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
9. "Education and technical formation for deaf children and young people: a new facility". 23 April 2012.