A escuta do silêncio: situações reais de uso da libras em escolas inclusivas de Santarém - Pará

This research is primarily concerned with the current scenario of deaf education in elementary schools in the urban area of Santarém - Pará, involving Brazilian Sign Language - Libras and Portuguese, in its written form. Through the accounts of deaf individuals, we explore their educational trajectories. Through these accounts, we seek answers to our main question: Do the methodologies used in deaf education in Santarém-PA include the use of Libras in promoting a bilingual and inclusive space? We identify how these environments provide resources that can facilitate bilingual education (Libras/Portuguese). The research data were generated through semi-structured interviews with deaf graduates of elementary education, allowing them to express their experiences in their language. The experiential narratives involve six deaf graduates, Libras users, aged between 29 and 35. They shared their opinions on the education they received, and we collected and analyzed these accounts, forming the basis of our research results. As we discuss a language, we feel motivated to investigate its aspects in real usage situations through its speakers. Theoretical dialogue in this work references key works by authors such as Quadros & Karnopp (2004), Gesser (2009), Ferreira (2010), Quadros (2019), among others. The conclusion of this research confirms that Libras was not used in the teaching and learning process of the interviewees during elementary education. The results showed that, although included, they were experiencing situations of indifference and inequality compared to hearing students, prompting reflection on the critical importance of linguistic and methodological accessibility for deaf education. We hope to contribute to the expansion and reflection of debates on the need for the expansion and provision of bilingual education in the city of Santarém.