SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel advanced a measure to ensure equitable access to early literacy development for children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind.
“Every student has their own needs, and we need to make certain that students are not blocked from learning key language skills,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “This measure ensures that all children have equitable language development access.”
Aware that the deaf community often faces obstacles to access for language equality, Loughran Cappel is sponsoring House Bill 1783. The legislation would develop a language needs assessment program for children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind, which would be informed by deaf educators, early childhood experts, Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission members, and Illinois state agencies.
The program would have an inclusive approach for language and communication milestones, ensuring children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind are evaluated based on standard English developmental milestones, as well as on American Sign Language, protactile – a touch-based language developed by and for the deaf-blind community – or the primary language used in the child’s home. The goal is to ensure that deaf children have access to many visual and language education systems, promoting language equity.
The measure would also create an advisory committee for language needs, which would develop resources for deaf children’s families and make recommendations to the Illinois Department of Human Services about language and communication assessment implementation plans.
“This measure is an important building block to increase education access for children who are deaf, and informs us on which education system areas need to be improved,” said Loughran Cappel. “In order to guarantee that every student has an educational success pathway, we must see how Illinois can better meet the needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing.”
House Bill 1783 passed the Senate Tuesday.
