Accessibility and teaching for the Deaf in the context of COVID-19 at the Federal University of São Carlos

Abstract

The year 2020 was characterized by the social isolation resulting from COVID-19, which motivated the use of digital tools for the development of non-classroom teaching. Movements of struggle for the recognition of Libras and advances in accessibility in the vestibular processes provided the guarantee of admission of the deaf to the University, however there are still difficulties to eliminate the barriers of participation. All these adversities that were not overcome in face-to-face teaching intensified during the Pandemic, in which the deaf are not interacting with their peers and often did not have accessibility with the translation and interpretation in Libras. In view of that, it is necessary to analyze the possibilities and choices adopted to contemplate the specificities for the deaf, to document the forms of accessibility offered by UFSCar in the context of Pandemic. It is a study of a descriptive nature and is characterized by documentary research, having the case study as a strategy. The records were compiled into websites, reports, lives, and public domain data that showed the organization of decisions for accessibility actions. For the analysis of the data, three categories were created that indicated advantages and losses for the inclusion of deaf people. Given this study, it was concluded that many actions were planned and produced, however there are still gaps that need to be reviewed to offer equal opportunities to the deaf at the University.