The Deaf as a linguistic minority in Poland: Legal Aspirations and Legal Pursuits

Abstract

The article aims to introduce the issue of Deaf language rights in Poland. It is a linguistic minority that derives its identity from deafness, and its culture is based on Polish Sign Language. The Deaf linguistic minority, both in the world and in Poland, face discrimination because of their language. Therefore, we analyze the relationship between deafness and disability, outline the complexities of Deaf culture as a linguistic minority, and then contextualize Deafness and Polish Sign Language within a legal framework.

An analysis of the laws and initiatives undertaken by the Deaf community in Poland shows that the current status of the Deaf in Poland is still far from satisfactory with regard to their access to goods, services and full enjoyment of their civil rights due to challenges in accessing information in Polish. An analysis of initiatives undertaken by the Deaf shows that there is a growing awareness among the Deaf community of their civil rights. These activities are inspired by the changes taking place in other countries and the initiatives of international organizations for the Deaf.