America is a melting pot of different cultures, languages, and people; it is one of the most unique aspects of this country, and also the most fascinating because, even with vast differences, we are able to function as a whole. A key part of this is the ability to effectively communicate with one another. Can you imagine if such a core component of society was unavailable to you? Take it from Helen Keller, “Blindness cuts people off from things; deafness cuts people off from people.” According to Hopkins, many Americans are either deaf or hard of hearing, and experience this feeling Keller describes; in many ways, they are treated like foreigners in their own country. American Sign Language (ASL) is the bridge over this communication barrier; with it, we can explore new relationships and experiences, reach a more whole society, and improve work environments.
Deafness is defined as disabling hearing loss of 40 decibels or more(WHO.int) and according to Hopkins, approximately 12.7%, or 30 million Americans meet this criteria. That's 30 million people you might never get the chance to know. By learning ASL, you create the opportunity to not only form new relationships with people who you would otherwise have extreme difficulty communicating with, but also to preserve the relationships you already have. For example, as people age, their hearing declines; in fact, approximately 31% of people age 40-59 experience extreme hearing loss(NHIS). From personal experience with my grandfather, I know how frustrating, and at times even impossible a simple conversation with him can be because of his hearing difficulties. Imagine the ease of a conversation if we could just sign to one another.
There are few reasons not to learn ASL; certain physic...
... middle of paper ...
...n suffer from low morale.” Matthew Foster, a TJC student, echoed this when asked if more ASL users would benefit the deaf, “The deaf community can benefit in many ways from people who learn ASL. It could help out with working in jobs and having a clear understanding with co-workers and in enhancing careers.” In whole, learning ASL would benefit everyone socially, emotionally, and economically.
Works Cited
Helen Keller in Scotland: a personal record written by herself, edited by James Kerr Love (London: Methuen & Co., 1933)
National Health Interview Survey, 2007
WHO Media Centre, "Deafness and Hearing Loss." WHO. WHO Media Centre, Feb. 2013. Web. Nov. 2013.
Study by Johns Hopkins researchers, published in the Nov. 14 Archives of Internal Medicine.
Forneris, Julia. "The Effects of Bad Communication in Business." Small Business. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
This issue is important because if you try to force the Deaf to hear, they might not grow because they will have no form of communication to use with other people. Even though the doctors might say to not use ASL, this will greatly hinder your child's well-being in the long run. I learned a lot about Deaf people, ASL, and/or Deaf Culture after reading this book. Deaf people are normal, just like anybody else, and they should not be treated any differently. Some people treat deafness as a disease that needs to be cured, but it's not.
In my family, I have a close cousin who is Deaf, and I know that many of my family members have questions about Deaf culture but are too afraid to ask. I felt the same way, which was a main reason I decided to take the ASL class. The class not only opened my mind to the study of American Sign Language, but also how Deaf culture is used in our society. This book has helped me learn a lot, from ways to respect Deaf people and to understand them, which is why I have advised my family to give the book a look as well. I definitely agree with points this book makes, because nearly all of them relate to today’s society and the world that we live in right now. Although, occasionally, some points were a bit confusing and took me off-guard, I performed some critical thinking on it and made a list of those I didn’t quite understand or agree with.
I believe that this is important because if a young Deaf/hard of hearing student has a hard time learning what will their view on learning become? I also don’t agree with the fact that the article suggests the use of MCE (Manually coded English). Manually coded English, is similar to ASL But, follows the grammatical setup of English. Whereas ASL has its own grammatical setup. I believe that a Deaf/C.O.D.A teacher is the best opportunity for the students. Young Deaf students should be taught by Deaf/C.O.D.A teachers because ASL is most likely the students first language. Consequently ASL would be the easiest way to learn English. From the perspective of a Deaf person, ¨I had a hard time learning English, I had both a Deaf teacher and a hearing teacher. I learned English easiest from the Deaf teacher” (S. White, personal communication, February 16, 2016). Also, young Deaf students should be taught by Deaf teachers because Deaf/C.O.D.A are good language models. Language models are important to have because who else would be a good model for ASL? Throughout this article I will be exploring and sharing with you why Deaf/C.O.D.A teachers are important to the education of young Deaf/hard of hearing
Me being pregnant and taking ASL has made me think a lot about life. Think about what would it be like if I was deaf or my baby was deaf how it would be hard to communicate if I have not talking the ASL class and how others would view me. I still really don't understand why the FDA could put out the cochlear implant out for children and adult when they haven't done the long term effects. The way people view others who are not the same as the norm don't really now what the world is like out there and sometimes I think that people do that to make themselves feel better. Know that I have realized that the hard life that people in institutions went through makes me want to go to the NYSARC and listen to all the stories that I kind didn't really listen to in the first time. I also take time when I am at work and talk to the deaf people even if I don't understand everything that they say but it feels good to be helping them find things and just listening. My thought is that people don't want to know what is different from them and that for some people its all about the way you are
The documentary of “Through Deaf Eyes” has open my eyes to the deaf culture. The movie has made it “click” that deaf people are just that people and individuals like me. Deaf community has its struggles just like everyone else. They struggle with growing into who they are as a person, harmful situations, and feeling a sense of belonging. They just speak a different language like Italians and Hispanics. Communicating with a different language does not make them lesser than a hearing person. When able to learn to communicate, the deaf are able to learn and gain knowledge just like a hearing person. The only difference is they have to learn more and work harder to achieve their goals and gain knowledge, which a hearing person learns just by hearing their surroundings.
Tanner, D.C. (2003). Chapter 6: Hearing Loss and Deafness. In Exploring communication disorders: A 21st century introduction through literature and media (2nd ed., p. 189). Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.
It “is an important part of the social, cultural, and educational context of the hearing-impaired child’s development” (Stahlman, 349). If a person cannot communicate effectly then they may not thrive and develop while having a hearing or speech impairment. In both American Sign Language and Pidgin Signed English, a person who is hearing-impaired must learn to communicate with the world using only his hands and facial expressions. American Sign Language and Pidgin Signed English is a way for the unable to communicate. Both ASL and PSE can be taught in many different ways however, ASL is normally taught in school while PSE is normally self-taught but either way they are both a unique method of communication and can be used all over the world and can be translated and spoken just like any other language can
While the benefits for the hearing are great, there are better benefits for those who are Deaf. Jarashow stated that it was essentially frowned upon if a Deaf child was using sign instead of trying to use what ability they had to hear. This seems counterproductive and if they emphasized more on teaching Deaf children ASL, there would be better outcomes for them in the future. Instead of focusing on trying to make everyone the same, they should focus on giving these children the best opportunity possible despite their
"You done heard it the way we know it, sitting on our porches and shelling June peas, quieting the midnight cough of a baby, taking apart the engine of a car--you done heard it without a single living soul really saying a word" (Naylor 10).
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (November 2002). Retrieved October 17, 2004, from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/coch.asp
“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things” (American). For centuries, people from all walks of life have been using their hands to communicate with one another, and for centuries people from all walks of life have been learning. Today I am following in their footsteps with a passion from God for the deaf language, culture, and souls. For almost a decade, an intense ardor for American Sign Language and a desire to reach its native users for Christ seeded itself in my soul, wove its roots deeper and deeper, and blossomed into one of the greatest loves of my life. American Sign Language is a unique language with a rich history that not only provides a service to people in the deaf culture, but also to hearing people who seek to attain fluency.
From a deafness-as-defect mindset, many well-meaning hearing doctors, audiologists, and teachers work passionately to make deaf children speak; to make these children "un-deaf." They try hearing aids, lip-reading, speech coaches, and surgical implants. In the meantime, many deaf children grow out of the crucial language acquisition phase. They become disabled by people who are anxious to make them "normal." Their lack of language, not of hearing, becomes their most severe handicap. While I support any method that works to give a child a richer life, I think a system which focuses on abilities rather than deficiencies is far more valuable. Deaf people have taught me that a lack of hearing need not be disabling. In fact, it shouldn?t be considered a lack at all. As a h...
National Institute of Health. (2011). National Institute on Deafness and other communication disorders: Improving the lives of people who have communication disorders. National Institute on
THESIS STATEMENT: American Sign Language didn’t begin around 1814 which is fairly new language compared to modern languages such as English, Spanish, and French. ASL started when deaf education was first introduced in the United States. In this speech, we will be discussing the following: where, when, and why did ASL started, the history of Martha’s Vineyard, recognition of ASL as a real
prefers to utilize the American Sign Language (ASL) for communication. According to Deaf & hard of hearing – Deaf culture fact sheet, (2015) “ASL has been passed on from one generation to the next in schools” and that “when ASL was not allowed in classrooms Deaf staff and peers secretly used this language to communicate” therefore demonstrating its significance in the Deaf culture. As already stated vision is a strong element in communication within the Deaf culture and therefore norms such as eye contact are very important. Body language and facials expressions can be easily read by a deaf individual thereby providing additional information while communicating. In order to get the attention of the other person a deaf individual utilizes hand waving something which Deaf & hard of hearing – Deaf Culture fact sheet, (2015) states that “ it is most