Virtual communication has become increasingly important, and the entire world has altered since the advent of the internet. Many countries use technology, but the advancement differs geographically. Deaf individuals in Peru experience different situations and face unique communication challenges, and technology has played a crucial role in addressing these challenges. Learn more about the means of virtual communication for deaf people in Peru below.
Sign Language in Peru
Peru is on the western coast of South America, bordered by Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia. Twenty-eight million people live in Peru, and a little over 300,000 are registered as deaf by the government. Like many countries in Latin America, the indigenous languages came first. Peru has heavy Incan traditions stemming even before the arrival of the Spaniards. Quechua is the other official language besides Spanish.
Linguistically, the deaf community receives some recognition from the Peruvian government. Lengua de señas peruana (Peruvian Sign Language, LSP) became another official language of Peru in 2010. The roots of PLS originate from Spanish Sign Language, but the deaf community feels disconnected from the Spanish deaf community.
Social Values of Peru’s Deaf Community
Most of the Peruvian deaf community is in urban areas like Lima and Cuzco. The linguistic community is unique to specific groups, but signs overlap. And like the hearing people, the deaf community also organizes social events. These informal settings are at bars, restaurants, or cafes. They also plan meetings for recreational activities like playing sports.
Technology in Developing Nations: Peruvian Perspective
Photo by Luis Quintero: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-laptop-computer-turned-on-2148216/
We can’t discuss the impact of technology on the deaf community without first looking at the development of it in developing nations like Peru. Even today, many issues face young economies in the world. Some put more emphasis on infrastructure, and some on technological developments.
Peru has focused a lot on technology since the 1990s and proved to the world that they advanced. Internet access or technology might differ. Overall, the government has initiated technological advancements in the country, especially in urban areas.
Telehealth and Social Services in Peru
The government sponsors programs facilitating employment, healthcare access, and social services for deaf people like The Asociación Pro Desarrollo de la Persona con Discapacidad and Confederación de Discapacitados del Perú. This umbrella organization, La Federation Nacional Impedidos, aids disabled Peruvians in all areas of society.
Peru lacked telehealth services pre-pandemic. When the whole world was in a frenzy, the Peruvian government had to act fast to meet the needs of all citizens, including those in the deaf community. There are still a lot of barriers for this system to be flawless because of Peru’s infrastructure.
Yet, despite these challenges, telehealth is continuously used in Peru’s healthcare system. Patients can access the care they need, even if getting to a doctor, therapist, or other medical professional is difficult. It has made significant improvements, but there needs to be more focus on deaf patients. Clear communication is crucial in healthcare, and the solution to breaking the barrier for healthcare is to provide more PLS interpreters.
Online Education and Training
Primary school is mandatory for all children in Peru, but even the lower level costs money, and some families can’t afford it. Most of the time, families will choose to send their hearing children to school rather than the deaf child.
The other issue is secondary education is optional, so children will stop attending after the first years. This is especially true for deaf children. However, in 1960, an American couple established a deaf school, Efata. Previously, LSP was not in a large public setting, so the couple mixed LSP with ASL to base the curriculum. Then, in the 1970’s, the government revamped the education system. It implemented measures that would put programs in public education for deaf students. In addition, other organizations established special learning centers.
Nowadays, technology is making its way into the education system. The younger generation of deaf Peruvians have more access to sign language learning materials than the previous generation. The internet aids this and makes learning materials more accessible.
Some people want to learn LSP and embark on a career to bridge the communication gap. However, the interpreters in Peru are informally trained through shadowing, not theory or formalities. Instead, they go to neighboring countries to become trained interpreters. It poses a problem with teaching sign language, especially in deaf schools.
Communication in the Virtual World
In the age of technology, accessible media is necessary for deaf people. Captioning and relaying are crucial for platforms to have. It breaks down the language barriers that would bar deaf people from learning information, especially through online education.
Some deaf Peruvians have learned written Spanish. Therefore, things like captioning aid in understanding the content. Online platforms offer this service to deaf organizations and other businesses in Peru, like Inclusive Communication Services.
The same service also uses multilingual Spanish and LSP voiceovers and transcribers to deliver that content. This technology allows deaf organizations to broaden their reach within the community and create awareness of the needs of deaf people.
Sign Language Interpreters
Interpreting PLS isn’t merely throwing out random hand and finger gestures to facilitate communication between a deaf person and a hearing person. It’s the understanding that LSP is a unique language that reflects the deaf community and their culture. Martha, a writer for Euro es Euro mentions the communication barriers for the deaf community in Peru in public places and educational institutions because there are no interpreters.
Augmented Reality
In Peru, there are internet cafes where deaf people can use technology like video calling and social media. There are also phone applications using augmented reality to learn LSP. Researchers from universities in Lima and Cusco tested 30 people in learning LSP. They used a phone application through augmented reality, and it improved learning from 23% to 65%. Unfortunately, this isn’t a reality for everyone, especially in poorer areas where deaf people face financial constraints.
AI Technology in the World of Gaming
The case study of Pilsen Callao, a Peruvian beer company, implemented a new AI feature for the popular streaming platform Discord. It is a website that gamers use to communicate with one another orally through video and voice messaging. The beer company partnered with an agency in Lima, Fahrenheit DDB, to do real-time translating from Spanish to LSP for deaf and hard-of-hearing gamers. Because of this technology, deaf gamers can feel more part of the community. The translation is also available on video platforms like YouTube.
More Advocacy and Awareness
“Students at Catholic University of Peru” by World Bank Photo Collection is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
While virtual communication has improved accessibility for the deaf community in Peru, there are still challenges, including higher internet speed, access to devices, and awareness of these technologies for deaf people, especially in remote areas. Ongoing efforts must address these issues and create a more inclusive virtual environment for deaf Peruvians.
To learn more about how the virtual world impacts the deaf community, check out
Photo Credit to: Photo by Luis Quintero
