A dança das mãos na significação da história: a língua brasileira de sinais na comunidade de pessoas surdas de Aracaju/Sergipe (1960-2002)

Abstract

The present study investigates how the different speeches of the users of the Linguagem Brasileira de Sinais LIBRAS (Brazilian Language of Signs) were constituted in the deaf people community of Aracaju, considering the establishment of institutions for them, from 1960 until the legalization of this language in 2002. It is a historical research based on assumptions of the História Cultural which establishes an interrelation between education and linguistics. Having that point in mind, we used narrative interviews, consultation to written, oral, and image documents, in personal files of educators, and institutions, such as: Centro de Reabilitação Ninota Garcia , Escola Estadual 11 de Agosto , Sociedade de Ensino e Reabilitação Rosa Azul , Associação dos Pais e Amigos dos Deficientes Auditivos de Sergipe, and Núcleo de Educação Especial da Secretaria Municipal de Educação (SEMED). References that talk about the history of the special education in Sergipe and the constitution of LIBRAS in Aracaju have been examined as well. After the examination of the sources, the conclusion is that the educational policy of Aracaju, guided by the Instituto Nacional de Educação de Surdos (INES), followed two teaching philosophies: Oralism and Total Communication; and that the different speeches of deaf people were influenced by the gestures brought from familiar influence to the institutions; and also, by exchanges among deaf proficient in the LIBRAS of Recife, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Goiás. Important contribution is given by early books about LIBRAS, for instance, Linguagem das Mãos (1983); Cartilha Português Sinalizado: Comunicação Total (1990); Expressando com as Mãos (1993) and Linguagem de Sinais (1992). These influences have been revealed in the narrative of a deaf person ... POWER SIGNS COPY SÃO PAULO AND OTHER STATES, BUT CHOOSE TO USE, TEACH HERE . It is expected that this research will contribute to the historical record of deafness and LIBRAS in Aracaju, strengthening the linguistic rights of deaf people and professionals involved in the process of communication and education of the deaf, according to their singularities.