Critical Perspectives on Education Mediated by Sign Language Interpreters: Inclusion or the Illusion of Inclusion?

In a climate where inclusive education for deaf learners is the dominant model supported through policies and funding mechanisms, this study invites us to consider the reality of inclusion for deaf learners. This chapter provides an overview of key findings from a multiphase Canadian national research project that examined the ways in which deaf children have access to the classroom content and engagement via a signed language interpreter. Thirty-five interpreters, working in kindergarten to high school settings (five years to 18 years of age), provided video samples of their interpretation. The data were coded using a sociolinguistic model of ‘teacher