ABSTRACT

This chapter argues that the Deaf, as a linguistic and cultural community, can be considered an indigenous population, comparable in many ways to other indigenous groups around the world. It suggests that there is a distinctive epistemology associated with the DEAF-WORLD, and that this epistemology has significant implications for how, where, and by whom d/Deaf children should be educated. The philosophical foundation for inclusive education is based upon the premise that: Research to date provides a solid foundation on which to expand inclusive schooling. Ethnoepistemology is a posteriori rather than a priori in nature, and is grounded to a much greater extent in anthropology rather than philosophy. At the heart of any philosophy of Deaf education must be a recognition that, "without special arrangements, students who are deaf constitute an oppressed minority similar to a variety of language minority groups for whom standard education is inaccessible.''