Life after school : deaf education and lifelong learning in Italy

Abstract

Most studies on D/deaf education focus on children who are in their scholar years. This follows both the trend in pedagogical studies, which have seen a great improvements in the past 40 years, and the desire/need to prepare teachers of the D/deaf to provide these children with the best possible means to face adult life. This trend is present in many countries, Italy as well, where the growing interest towards sign language is intertwined with the need to provide special needs teachers with updated information on how to teach to their students. The result is a growing interest towards all possible means of social inclusion, and the recognition of sign language as a priviledged code to communicate with deaf people. The evolution of the national laws on special education, and the formal recognition of Italian sign language, seem to reflect this change of mindset. However, while the formation of educators to the needs of D/deaf children is improving, a generational gap remains between those who were educated in special schools (now aged 40+), adults who were educated without having a specialized professional to refer to (aged between 30-40), and young adults who had all the possible opportunities to improve their abilities but still struggle to overcome linguistic or socio-cultural barriers to professionally improve in the adult’s world. This paper will cover the specific situation of lifelong learning in Italian and foreign D/deaf adults, offering a picture on D/deaf lifelong learning in Italy and Europe.