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Technology and deaf education
The national deaf education project
Deaf community research
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The purpose of this research paper is to examine how assistive technology can be fully utilized to enhance the learning experiences of the educational environment for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Presently, there are major issues within our educational system when it comes to finding ways to produce, fund, and implement assistive educational technologies that will “level the playing field” for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and provide them with equal access to a reasonable education.
There are a wide array of hearing losses that range from mild to profound. Therefore, each child is faced with his or her own unique set of obstacles. In the same way that each person with vision problems cannot all be given the same lenses, there are a variety of hearing levels that require different auditory solutions. “Because hearing loss has a variety of patterns and degrees of severity and affects people in different ways, no single hearing aid is right for everyone” (“Educate Yourself About Hearing Aids: Facts for Consumers,” 1992, para. 4). It is not as easy as just slapping a hearing aid on a child, as you would a pair of glasses, and expecting them to function at the same level as their classmates. “Hearing aids tend to make sounds louder and somewhat clearer, but they do not restore hearing to a normal range of hearing. The greater the hearing loss, the greater the limitations of the hearing aid” (“Adjusting to Your Hearing Aid,” 2002, para. 2).
There is even a belief within the Deaf (lower case “d” deaf, which refers only to the medical condition) culture that many hold to that sees their hearing loss as a part of who they are and how they identify with the world. They are connected through a tightly knit Deaf community that claims American Sign Language (ASL) as their language. Often, these individuals or those prescribing to these ideals choose for their child to use ASL and not mess with the burden and expense of a hearing aid or similar device. Within this culture, there is often the issue that they “don’t see themselves as disabled and view implants [and other assistive listening devices] as an attempt to ‘fix’ something that isn’t broken” (Davies, 2005, p.2A). The primary use of ASL is said to provide the greatest understanding and communication access for those individuals within the Deaf community as well as a great sense of comfort and belonging, opposed to feelings of “discomfort.
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.
There are many everyday devises that we hearing people take for granted, among these are telephones, smoke alarms, doorbells, and alarm clocks. When we look at how members of the deaf community use these everyday items we must consider that members within the community have very different communication needs, abilities, and preferences. Hard-of-hearing people for example can use a standard telephone with the addition of a headset or amplifier, while some hard-of-hearing people may prefer a TTY deaf persons rely on it, or a relay service to communicate as we (hearing people) would on a telephone.
One excerpt mentioned that the idea that Deaf people are left with the burden of fitting into a hearing world was a product of “laziness” on the part of the Hearing. Instead of making adjustments to accommodate the Deaf, Deaf people are doing all of the work to accommodate the Hearing. Notwithstanding the major alterations that include learning to speak and wearing hearing aids, hearing people merely have to learn sign language. I’ve witnessed this in my own home. When my brother stopped speaking, it wasn’t ever a concern for the rest of the family to adjust to him, we continued on as if nothing changed. It’s true, Deaf children practically have no say in how they would rather communicate, it is left up to the parent and in most cases, Hearing parents. I’m just glad that I have an opportunity do the work to learn ASL and make strides in breaking down barriers that have hindered communication between the Hearing and the
In support of Gallaudet University's, “Deaf President Now!” protest, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson once said “The problem is not that the deaf do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen.” (Lee) This concept been seen throughout Deaf history; Today it is especially noticeable now that technology has been developed to restore some hearing to many who are deaf. However these seemingly miraculous devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants (CI) are a gilding for the real problem. CI’s in particular are thought to be a miracle cure for deafness, this misconception causes a great friction between Deaf and hearing culture. Deaf people should not be expected to get CI’s to “cure” their deafness for three primary reasons: CI’s promise more than they can deliver, they are an affront to Deaf culture, and ASL is a more effective way to insure development.
One of the most effective reform techniques is to “investigate, educate, legislate, enforce” (Fee/Brown, 2). This straightforward manner of rectification was summarized and utilized by Florence Kelley during the Progressive Era in the United States. During a period where women lacked suffrage, and most didn’t have steady jobs, Kelley was the head of the National Consumer’s League and had a resume that boasted affiliation with various other esteemed organizations (Verba, 1). She epitomized independence and confidence through both her civil activism and in her personal life. Florence Kelley’s resolve, willpower, and determination set a precedent that is still followed today- nearly 90 years after her death. She was truly a trailblazer of the first generation of modern women.
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
The medical field is notorious for providing cures to deafness, such as cochlear implants, which then leads people to believe that it is something that must be fixed and therefore labels deafness as a disability. While Tina Gianoulis was comparing the similarities between Queer and Deaf experiences in her article mentioned earlier she declares that, “most painfully, both groups have traditionally been forced to try to become “normal”. Well-meaning parents, determined that their children not be labeled “different”, have sent thousands of deaf children to speech pathologists and mainstream schools where they spend their youth feeling lonely, bewildered, and deficient.” which is the negative effect that the deafness should be cured thought has on those that actually experience hearing
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
In the United States today, approximately 4500 children are born deaf each year, and numerous other individuals suffer injuries or illnesses that can cause partial or total loss of hearing, making them the largest “disability” segment in the country. Although, those in the medical field focus solely on the medical aspects of hearing loss and deafness, members of the deaf community find this unwarranted focus limiting and restrictive; because of its failure to adequately delineate the sociological aspects and implications of the deaf and their culture. Present day members of deaf culture reject classifications such as “deaf mute” or “deaf and dumb”, as marginalizing them because of their allusions to a presumed disability. (Edwards, 2012, p. 26-30)
(Hartford, 2017) After the Deaf began to flourish by expanding their community in creating clubs, schools, and deaf safe zones where they could gather, in the 1860s Alexander Graham Bell started to spread the belief that those who can speak and hear are inherently superior. He wanted to wipe the U.S. clean of what he thought to be hereditary deafness, going as far as to strongly advocate against deaf intermarriage and removing Deaf faculty from schools. (Padden and Malzkuhn, 2007) Later in 1880, delegates met at the request of Bell to discuss deaf education. As a result, a resolution passed that encouraged spoken language, thus banning sign language in schools. This only ended in 1980 during the International Congress on Education of the Deaf when it was declared that deaf children had the right to use the mode of communication that met their needs and successfully overturned Congress’ 1880 ban. (Padden and Malzkuhn, 2007) Fortunately, it is now often allowed for deaf students to have access to an interpreter in a public hearing school. In younger grades especially though, it is hard to determine how much of the educational content can be understood and if an interpreter that lacks skill affects academic achievement.(Anita, 2013) The Deaf in the U.S. now receive better treatment than before but that does not mean they
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, reveals thin threads woven between himself and the novel, revealing the truth about a corrupted society filled with discontentment and superficiality. From marriages to women to an impossible dream, all these aspects of Fitzgerald’s life influences his work, The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald’s novel quite closely resembles his own circumstances through his portrayal of the characters and the society of the 1920’s. Though Fitzgerald himself lived in a society of shallowness, he was able to portray that the emptiness in society would not bring anyone happiness. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the characters in The Great Gatsby to represent the people in his own life and to show that wealth causes corruption.
The 1920’s were a time of economic indulgences. The stock market was in a period of wild growth and Americans were enjoying their newfound prosperity. America just came off a triumphant success in the First World War and the 1920’s and was the outlandish victory party. The New York Times said, “Gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession” of the 1920’s. The morality which the common citizen had previously upheld became corrupted, and the American Dream, which once meant making a living through integrity and hard work, became tainted, emphasizing the quick, not necessarily honest, acquisition of money and wasteful spending. The life, desires, and ultimate failure of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald deprecates
...s with all of the parties and the pursuit of wealth, power, and pleasure in an era of change. The novel shows the relationship of Gatsby and Daisy as a symbol of this pursuit of wealth, power, and pleasure. The reader sees the pursuit of wealth through Daisy wanting Gatsby and Tom, both of whom have money. The pursuit of power is shown through Daisy’s decision of Tom over Gatsby as Gatsby is seen as a lower social status with little power compared to Tom who has tremendous power. Pleasure is seen through the extramarital affairs of Tom and Myrtle as well as Daisy and Gatsby. The Great Gatsby, through Tom and Daisy, reveals the human condition of the pursuit of wealth, power, and pleasure through these examples and shows that the “American Dream” is not possible in a life where one’s surroundings are pushing him/her towards a life of wealth, power, and pleasure.
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).
Assistive technology is often used by individuals with a learning disability. A learning disability “describes a neurobiological disorder in which a person’s brain works or is structured differently” (Lee1). A person’s abilities can be severely affected from a learning disability. They may listen differently, talk differently, write, spell, organize, and work with school subjects in a different way. Learning disabilities also affect people’s individual and personal lives to a great extent. According to the National Institutes of Health, one in seven children has a learning disability. The disability manifests itself when the child shows difficulty in reading, writing, spelling, and conversing with others. The added time they need to process information may make them seem less intelligent then others around them, but this is not the case. Individuals with learning disabilities are just as smart as anyone else; they just need to learn in a different way. The earlier a learning disability is noticed and detected, the earlier a child may be able to learn how to deal with or compensate for it (Lee 1). This is where assistive technology comes into play.