COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF LIBRAS ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE DEAF: A CASE STUDY IN A CITY IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Currently, 9.7 million people in Brazil have some hearing impairment, who use a sign-visual language to communicate, the Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS). The discussion about education in an inclusive perspective of the deaf and Brazilian Sign Language has been expanded in recent years by education professionals, as well as by the deaf community itself. In this context, the present study sought to analyze the impact of the Brazilian Sign Language on the development of the deaf in the city of Acopiara-CE, located in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil, through a case study structured in a descriptive and exploratory research. Data collection was carried out in three stages: visiting the deaf and his family, to explain the study, applying an identification questionnaire and applying a fundamental level I test. Thus, it was possible to analyze the reality of two deaf subjects , residents of the same city, approximate age range, who had their school journey diverging from each other, in which the mastery of the Brazilian Sign Language allowed a greater evolution in the inclusive process of one of the individuals. In conclusion, it was observed that inclusive education is still a subject of discussion, but proficiency in LIBRAS is fundamental to the inclusive process of the deaf.