“Geografia do silêncio”: topofilias e topofobias de pessoas surdas - Natal/RN

Abstract

When observing the spectrum of geographic studies that cover the analysis of the Brazilian city, it is evident the absence of studies on the spaces of minorities, including the Deaf. In recent years, Deaf users of the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) have been organized and strengthened socially through accessibility and inclusion policies present in local, national and international debates. They are mobilized for their rights and have claimed their right to live in the city, through face-to-face and virtual demonstrations. Different from the past, in which deafblindness was seen as a disabling disability, increasingly there has been a change in perspective, which focuses on the barriers that prevent or hinder the life of these individuals in the city. In this thesis, the understanding of disability is shifted from the individual to the city, which is seen as a deficient space to meet the needs of Deaf people in its multiple dimensions. It was sought to understand how these subjects experience the urban spaces in Natal/RN, the characteristics of the spaces with signaling in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) and the places most frequented or not by them, in order to discuss the city disabilities and the feelings of the Deaf in relation to these places, relationally. For this, the thesis was based on the theory of Topophilia and Topophobia by Yi-Fu Tuan (1980-2012), anchored in the everyday experiences of Deaf subjects, their connections, disconnections, refusals and expansions. We observed the movements from inside to outside and outside to inside, experienced by the Deaf in the urban environment, configuring a Geography nuanced in places created and recreated in the ambivalent game of selection, tension, hegemony, heterogeneity, mobility, circulation, communication and spatial technification. The thesis was structured from observations, in- depth interviews, Lives, field research and other secondary sources that dialogued with the theoretical referential constructed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Deaf people's experience narratives revealed dissatisfaction regarding different public and private spaces, revealing the existential complexity experienced by Deaf people in the city of Natal, challenging limited conceptions and expanding the geographical understanding. The research points out the strategies that Deaf people develop to face the difficulties, from the choice of more accessible spaces from the linguistic and cultural point of view. In conclusion, the results of the research highlight the importance of communication accessibility as an essential factor to ensure the full participation and integration of deaf people in society, as well as highlight the importance of implementing other coordinated actions and effective policies to overcome the barriers faced by deaf people in Natal. For this, it is essential that there is active participation of the Deaf Community, to ensure that their voices are heard and their needs are properly met. By implementing the suggestions proposed at the end of the research, a path is paved to build an accessible city from the point of view of communication, where all individuals, regardless of their hearing abilities, can fully enjoy the spaces and services offered in the city