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Kęstutis Vaišnora, Vytautas Magnus University, LithuaniaAbstract
This study examines inclusive education for deaf learners in the Lithuanian context through a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of educational experiences and systemic conditions. Grounded in a human rights and transformative equality framework, the research explores how inclusive education is implemented and experienced in Lithuania, with particular attention to linguistic accessibility and cultural recognition. The qualitative component is based on semi-structured interviews with adult Deaf individuals and employs interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to examine retrospective schooling experiences. The quantitative component includes a secondary analysis of national educational data and a survey exploring attitudes towards deaf education, analysed using appropriate statistical methods. The findings reveal that mainstream schooling in Lithuania is often experienced as isolating, while Lithuanian Sign Language emerges as a fundamental condition for participation, recognition, and belonging. The results highlight the importance of linguistically accessible environments and demonstrate that sign language interpreter services alone are insufficient to ensure inclusion. The study argues for a shift towards bilingual educational models and systemic transformation to ensure linguistic rights and equitable participation for deaf learners.
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