Lawmakers Seek to Make Mexican Sign Language Mandatory in Quintana Roo Schools

Quintana Roo — Local lawmakers have introduced a proposal to make teaching Mexican Sign Language mandatory in Quintana Roo schools, saying the move is needed to guarantee the educational rights of the deaf community.

The initiative was presented by Andrea del Rosario González Loría of the Morena party and Hugo Alday Nieto of the Labor Party (PT). It calls for additions to the state constitution that would formally recognize Mexican Sign Language as part of Quintana Roo’s linguistic heritage.

Under the proposed constitutional change, state and municipal authorities would take on the institutional responsibility of ensuring the language is taught to people with hearing disabilities and to their immediate family members.

The plan also would amend the state education law, turning an ambiguous assistance scheme into a public obligation with defined goals, deadlines and resources. If approved, the Quintana Roo Education Department (SEQ) would have to gradually incorporate the subject into formal study programs at the basic education level.

Roughly 40,000 Residents Affected

The proposal notes that about 40,000 people with some form of hearing limitation or disability live in the state, and that a considerable share of them drop out of school early because of a shortage of interpreters, trained teachers and materials adapted to their communication needs.

To address the problem, the reform calls for the gradual creation of institutional continuing-training programs for teachers and education support staff.

Lawmakers said the measure is also intended to ensure effective instruction in Spanish and to guarantee free access to public services and the full exercise of human rights.

The initiative now moves through legislative committees before a vote by the full Congress.