“The problem is not that the deaf students do not hear.
The problem is that the hearing world does not listen.”
– Jesse Jackson, President of Gallaudet University, 1988
The Issue
In October 2025, British Columbia’s government cancelled the Call For Response (CFR) for early language access for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind children, an initiative directly affecting over 500 families across the province. A call for response is an official request for individuals and organizations to offer proposals and information in response to government needs or funding opportunities. The CFR #206764, for deaf language access, was created to support language equity in establishing bilingual ASL/English early language access services across British Columbia. These services would have promoted early childhood language exposure and ASL as a foundation, coordinating services such as early language assessment, family language planning, learning services, immersive language services, parent education, and more. Its cancellation “sent shockwaves through the Deaf community, families, allies, service providers and educators,” states 0-5 FutureBC, an advocacy group working to reinstate the CFR. Along with a letter to the provincial leaders outlining the harms caused by the cancellation, 0-5 FutureBC released a petition with the goal of gaining enough support for the government to take action and adopt a solution for this preventable harm.
Why It Matters
Growing up with stable language exposure is vital to the confidence and sense of self of all children. The National Institute on Deafness insists “every month matters in that early window,” children who are torn between two languages or experience language delays growing up lack pride in their culture and are at more risk of cognitive, educational, and social consequences.Â
Growing up as a hearing child, I was exposed to enough auditory, written, and oral language that set me up with the confidence needed to move forward in life and develop my own skills with English. Now think about what it’s like to grow up with parents who aren’t sure how to communicate with you, surrounded by a form of language inaccessible to you, and a system that makes you feel as though you need to choose between languages. It damages your self-esteem and confidence in your ability to communicate. This is why it matters to address these issues early in life, to give Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind children the opportunity for equity. To help support them as they grow up, rather than waiting for them to find a solution that could have been implemented right from the get-go.Â
The CFR program would have promoted culturally respectful and inclusive services to fight this issue. The first five years of life (when the brain is developing and maturing) are crucial for acquiring speech and language skills, which is why the cancellation is a devastating setback. The abrupt decision the government made to revoke this initiative took back years of progress in the province’s commitment to language rights. It is damaging to youth in the community who require alternate services to help strengthen their pride in ASL as a foundation, instead of depicting auditory language as more valuable. The reinstatement of CFR matters to families, service workers, educators, and over 500 children whose identity and values are being undermined.
How To Help
The CFR initiative elicited hope for children, parents, allies, service providers, and educators across BC, and its cancellation won’t go unnoticed. If you, someone you know, or someone you love is affected by this issue, sign the petition to increase the chances of its reinstatement. As a part of any community, whether that be the deaf community, Her Campus, or even as a UVic student, fights like these need your support. The Nothing About Us Without Us – MCFD! Reinstate the CFR for Deaf Children’s Language petition is growing daily, with each donation, signature, and share emphasizing the need for action. With these steps toward change, together we stand to support language equity.