Parents of deaf student receive human rights award for their advocacy work

A Portugal Cove-St. Philip's couple has been recognized for their advocacy for deaf and hard of hearing students with the provincial Human Rights Commission's annual award.

Kim and Todd Churchill were announced Thursday as the winner of the award, presented every year to mark International Human Rights Day. Todd Churchill says the award validates the rights of deaf children in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"One of the things that the award brings is recognition of the subject matter, that deaf children do matter in our province and deaf education is an important human rights topic," said Todd Churchill on Monday.

The Churchills have been advocating for the rights of deaf children since 2016, when their son, Carter, who is deaf, started kindergarten. They thought Carter would receive an inclusive education, but according to Todd Churchill, Carter got just 32 hours of contact time with a teacher who used American Sign Language, compared with 950 hours of contact time with teachers most children receive.

They filed a human rights complaint against the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District in 2017 over the gap in instruction, prompted the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate to initiate a provincewide investigation of the education of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In 2020, the investigation's findings were detailed in a report that outlined the ways deaf children were not getting an education equitable with the one being received by hearing children.

For the Churchills, it was a tiring battle. They noted taxpayer money — including their own — paid $400 an hour for a lawyer to represent the school board and fight them in court. Meanwhile, the Churchills paid for their own lawyer.

"Advocacy work is hard work. It is not for the faint of heart," said Kim Churchill on Monday "It does take a toll. It's been exhausting, It's something that no parent should have to do."

Their work sparked a national conversation about Deaf education, which they advocate for and help other families get through an organization they founded, calls the Children's Language Acquisition Support System. Kim Churchill said they were happy to hear they would be recognized for their work.

"When we found out that we won this award we were so appreciative because it was the first time that we've ever been acknowledged in a formal way," she said.

The Human Rights Commission also recognized two "champions" last week: Michael Duffy and Khadeja Raven Anderson.

Duffy began volunteering with Easter Seals in 1994 and is now a member of the national board and the provincial chair of the organization. Among many other accolades — including, in 2013, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his public service — Duffy has also served as chair of the provincial Buildings Accessibility Appeal Board. 

Raven Anderson is an activist and co-founder and co-president of Black Lives Matter N.L., and an active member of the Anti-Racism Coalition N.L. She's also a director of the board of Girls Rock N.L., an anti-racism consultant at her agency, Ravensong Consulting N.L., and a producer at CBC Radio-Canada.

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