ABSTRACT
The Finnish government committed to a state reconciliation process regarding the violations of human rights against deaf people and the sign language community in Finnish history from 1900 to date. This process is the first of its kind in the world to try to reach reconciliation between the sign language community and a government. The authors were commissioned by the government to conduct a research project, which extensively investigated human rights violations from the early 20th century to the present and their impact not only on the sign language community but also on Finnish society today. This book chapter is based on the study findings, and discusses the reconciliation process through internalized oppression theory, using a multidisciplinary approach to deaf studies, disability studies, and human rights studies. Based on the findings, the concept of intergenerational, internalized oppression is discussed.
