Let’s consider who are deaf people. They are people who have auditory challenges and differing degrees of deafness. Deaf people have their own culture. They have created individual groups, use their own language, have their own University for higher education, have their own publications and distinct sporting events, including the Olympics. Today’s technology has been beneficial for deaf language through the ease of electronic communication devices that allow deaf people can communicate with more ease. They are very gratified with their lifestyle, culture and lead productive and happy lives.
As with other groups and cultures, Deaf people share common values and communicate in their own language. They are integrated in society and are successful
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in both public and private levels of their lives. Deafness is more than just a medical condition, rather it is a way of life with own language, traditions, behavior, and overall distinctive culture. There are still biases from hearing people which has led to the deaf community which has developed into a distrust because they are viewed as disable or sick people needing medication. Within their culture, the deaf community has a strong sense of self-confidence and share a common sense of pride. They make every effort to remove their inability of not speaking or hearing with the help of sign language. Deaf language, thus, plays a vital role in support of their culture through bonding with one another in the Deaf community. Hearing people need to support deaf individuals and treat them as interdependent people. The greatest change that needs to take place is the mindset that D/deaf people are disabled. They need to be embraced as a unique group of individuals who have a rich history with as much to offer society as any other group, hearing included. They have overcome great challenges that have only made them a stronger and more unified group. Deaf people live lives like anyone else in society does. They work, pay bills, enjoy hobbies and have families. One major component of any culture is the ability to communicate.
The Deaf community has, in fact, an intricate and sophisticated language of their own, Sign language. This language has allowed Deaf culture to grow and strengthen. Through a combination of hand signs, body movement and expression, the Deaf community has a unique language. They communicate with all of the emotions and emphasis that any spoken language conveys. Having their own language gives them a distinct sense of being separate from the hearing culture, creating this great sense of individuality. For centuries, the speaking culture has tried to ‘cure’ deafness through oralism. This had been the prevailing wisdom for working with deaf people for years. It was not until the Deaf culture embraced sign language as their own form for communication that the change became permanent. Though subject to opposition, the tradition of a sign language culture among deaf Americans has never been interrupted. Thus it appears that American deaf history is not dependent upon acknowledgement by the majority. Instead, American deaf history has had the opportunity to develop a perspective from within and to attract to itself the horizon of general history. (Bauman, …show more content…
2008) The Deaf community is very united in fighting for what is right for them.
From the Gallaudet DPN (deaf president now) movement to a more current revolt in 2006. Protesters sited the fact that 82 percent of the faculty asked for the president-designates resignation or removal from office, which is especially significant given the fact that only 38 percent of the faculty are deaf, out of which only a small portion are native users of ASL. Instead, the protesters’ grievances included a long list of concerns: the lack of diversity among the finalists, the Board of Trustees’ lack of responsiveness to students of color, the persistence of audism on campus, and the appearance of an unfair search process that led to the appointment of a widely unpopular, internal candidate. (V, 1993)
It is imperative that the Deaf community be accepted by the hearing community. This can be achieved through greater education for our youth, community partnerships that would encourage integration of hearing and deaf through common interests. Through a greater understanding of the Deaf community and culture, we can continue to remove the stigma of disability that is still prevalent in today’s society. With the rise of multiculturalism, the time is now for hearing people to make the effort, for the rewards would be a grander society as a
whole.
In the autobiography Deaf Again, Mark Drolsbaugh writes about his life being born hearing, growing up hard of hearing, to eventually becoming deaf. By writing this book, he helps many people view from his perspective on what it is like for someone to struggle trying to fit in the hearing society. Through his early years, his eyes were closed to the deaf world, being only taught how to live in a hearing world. Not only does the book cover his personal involvement, but it covers some important moments in deaf history. It really is eye-opening because instead of just learning about deaf culture and deaf history, someone who lived through it is actually explaining their experiences.
Deaf Again autobiography is a man’s recounting of his life growing up in deaf culture, but virtually living in the hearing world. Mark Drolsbaugh was born to deaf parents, but grew up partially hearing. When he was diagnosed with hearing loss, his grandparents responded by not allowing Mark to learn ASL. Doctors and speech therapists concluded that Mark should not be immersed in deaf culture, instead he should hang on to his hearing as much as he can. He was given hearing aids and translators did not sign to him, but just repeated everything clearer. His parents were actually instructed to not used ASL around Mark because that would promote deaf culture. He became very reliant on lip reading and had no significant connection to the deaf community, even though his parents were both deaf! When he wasn’t familiar with the lip patterns of an individual, he found it very hard to understand them. Because of this, he was unable to keep up in school and had to rely on teaching himself all of his classwork. Eventually, he was accepted into Germantown Friends School, which was very rigorous, but people
In the following chapters, there is an extensive amount of knowledge to learn about how Deaf culture is involved in our modern world. The pages assigned give us an outlook of how Deaf people are treated in our daily life, and how we should learn from it. Its gives a clear line between what are myths and what are facts, to those who are curious about the Deaf community or have specific questions. This book has definitely taught me new things that I could put to good use in the near future. In specific chapters, my mind really opened up to new ideas and made me think hard about questions, like “why don’t some Deaf people trust hearing people,” or “do we need another ‘Deaf president now’ revolution?” I realized many new things in the course of reading this book, and have recommended this to my family.
What I found most interesting about Jarashow’s presentation were the two opposing views: Deaf culture versus medical professionals. Within the Deaf culture, they want to preserve their language and identity. The Deaf community wants to flourish and grow and do not view being deaf as a disability or being wrong. Jarashow stated that the medical field labels Deaf people as having a handicap or being disabled because they cannot hear. Those who are Deaf feel as though medical professionals are trying to eliminate them and relate it to eugenics. It is perceived that those in that field are trying to fix those who are Deaf and eliminate them by making them conform to a hearing world. Those within the Deaf community seem to be unhappy with devices such
There are many important issues mentioned in the the book Deaf Again. The book talked about things beyond disabilities. People tend to judge others who are not similar to them or their ideal image of normal. The overall need for communication is the major topic that is stressed in the text. The foundation of a relationship is built off of the strength of communication, so being able to communicate with all is a very important aspect of life.
...people making decisions for the deaf community. The past resulted in the strengthening of unity in the culture. “They claim the right to “personal diversity”, which is “something to be cherished rather than fixed and erased” (Tucker, 1997).
Throughout the course of the semester, I have gained a new understanding and respect of Deaf culture and the many aspects it encompasses. The information supplied in class through discussion, movies, and guest lecturers since the previous reflection have aided in the enhancement of my knowledge of Deaf culture and nicely wrapped up all of the information provided throughout the semester.
Societies could also come together so that it can enable D/deaf individuals to bond with and show hearing people how to communicate accurately and fluently. This will allow D/deaf individuals to feel like they belong in their community, which will make them feel a sense of security and also enables them to feel less isolated.
Individuals who are deaf or are hearing impaired are faced with many problems in today’s world. There are so many tasks and activities that are done today that deaf or hearing impaired people may have difficulty doing because of there handicap. There handicap used to stop them or inhibit them from doing something that they are interested in or there friends and neighbors would do. However in today there are new and different technologies, that help the deaf and hearing impaired in the activities in which they want to participate in which is hard for them to take part in because of there handicap. Technology is used to help with everyday tasks in the lives of deaf and hearing impaired individuals. With out this new technology which is being invented everyday, deaf and hearing impaired people may be considered to have a handicap which prevents them from certain activities, but this is not the case anymore, now these people just have different obstacles which through the use of technology they are learning to over come. They can do anything that regular normal range of hearing individuals can do, due to the new technology being invented everyday.
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.
The deaf community does not see their hearing impairment as a disability but as a culture which includes a history of discrimination, racial prejudice, and segregation. According to an online transcript,“Through Deaf Eyes” (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007) there are thirty-five million Americans that are hard of hearing. Out of the thirty-five million an estimated 300,000 people are completely deaf. There are ninety percent of deaf people who have hearing parents (Halpern, C., 1996). Also, most deaf parents have hearing children. With this being the exemplification, deaf people communicate on a more intimate and significant level with hearing people all their lives. “Deaf people can be found in every ethnic group, every region, and every economic class” (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007). The deaf culture and hard of hearing have plenty of arguments and divisions with living in a hearing world without sound however, that absence will be a starting point of an identity within their culture as well as the hearing culture (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007).
In mainstream American society, we tend to approach deafness as a defect. Helen Keller is alleged to have said, "Blindness cuts people off from things; deafness cuts people off from people." (rnib.org) This seems a very accurate description of what Keller's world must have been. We as hearing people tend to pity deaf people, or, if they succeed in the hearing world, admire them for overcoming a severe handicap. We tend to look at signing as an inferior substitute for "real" communication. We assume that all deaf people will try to lip-read and we applaud deaf people who use their voices to show us how far they have come from the grips of their disability. Given this climate, many hearing people are surprised, as I was at first, to learn of the existence of Deaf culture. To me deafness is not a defect but a source of connection. Imagine yourself deaf, growing up with a beautiful language, visual literature, humor, and theater. Imagine taking pride in your identity without any desire to become a member of the majority culture. For many deaf people, their community is a comforting relief from the isolation and condescension of the hearing world. However the Deaf community is far more than a support group for people who share a physical characteristic. Members of the Deaf community may have hearing levels that range from profoundly deaf to slightly hard-of-hearing. But no members of the Deaf community are "hearing impaired." Inside this community, deaf people become Deaf, proudly capitalizing their culture. Hearing people suddenly find that they are handicapped: "Deaf-impaired."
Humphries, Tom. Padden, Carol. Deaf in America (Voices from a Culture). Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Today’s society consists of numerous individuals who are diagnosed with disabilities that prevent them from partaking in their everyday tasks. Not everyone gets the chance to live a normal life because they might have a problem or sickness that they have to overcome. Deafness is a disability that enables people to hear. All deafness is not alike; it can range in many different forms. Some people like Gauvin, can be helped with a hearing aid, but some can’t because of their situation and health reasons. In society, hearing individuals consider deafness a disability, while the deaf themselves see it as a cultural significance. In the article “Victims from Birth”, appearing in ifemnists.com, Founding Editor Wendy McElroy, provides the story of
Deaf Culture is often misunderstood because the hearing world thinks of deafness as a handicap. The Deaf are not given enough credit for their disabilities even though they are unable to hear. Being misunderstood is the biggest reason why they are not accepted in the world of hearing. The learning process for them may be slower and more difficult to learn, but they are still very bright individuals. The problem at hand is the controversy of trying to “fix” the Deaf when they may or may not want to be “fixed”. The hearing world should give Deaf people a chance to show their true talents and abilities of intelligence before rushing to assumptions, such as hearing aids will fix all Deaf people, because Deaf are dumb, have social problems, and