Deafness and the Power of Signing Essay examples - 3577 Words

Deafness and the Power of Signing When the deaf Miss America spoke to a crowd of thousands about overcoming her handicap, deaf people across America were disgusted. Deafness is not a handicap, I have been told again and again. It is a cultural identity, a way of life, a choice, even (some hard-of hearing people speak of the time when they had to decide, deaf or hearing), but never a handicap, never something to be overcome. The sign for people like Miss America is the sign for hearing, with the forefinger circling up by the forehead instead of down by the mouth. She thinks shes hearing, is what it means. There is also a sign for the reverse: some hearing people get so involved in the deaf community that they think they are deaf,†¦show more content†¦One of these elements is a heightened appreciation for the margins, for the periphery. Symmetry According to Ronnie Wilbur of Boston University, a strict Symmetry Condition exists for signs where both hands move, they must have the same handshapes and both hands movements must be either identical or in polar opposition to one another (1). Some symmetrical signs: family, group class place, love, community. The deaf community is not a mirror image of the hearing world; ASL is not English with the sound off. Bring the fingertips of your right hand together. Touch the fingertips to your chin near your mouth, then up further to the right, by your ear. Home is significant for so many deaf people, for the ones who grew up in a hearing world, missing whole conversations, falling behind in school, acting as hearing as they could. One deaf teacher told me she was sure, as a child, that when she turned eighteen she would become hearing: she didnt know any deaf adults, so she just assumed they didnt exist. She didnt know what sign language was. When she turned eighteen and was still deaf, she decided to go to Gallaudet, the only deaf liberal arts college in the country. She said she couldnt really explain it to me, I wouldnt really know, but she felt like she was finally home had finally foundShow MoreRelatedA Journey Into The Deaf World Essay985 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent people who are considered deaf: hard-of-hearing, deaf, and CODA. People who are hard-of-hearing are people who don t hea r well; people who are deaf lack the power of hearing since birth; you can be born hearing and throughout time lose some or all of your hearing sense. People who are CODA (children of deaf adults) are often signing because their parents are deaf and CODA’s often are helpful by being interpreters. CODAs become a great link between their parents and the hearing world. This bookRead MoreThe Importance of Language and Culture3202 Words   |  13 Pagesthese pedagogies of language are constructed to include the larger structure of educational and instructional curricula and philosophies. The philosophies contain very diverse social meanings for their deaf students, including the construction of deafness and its criterion of normalcy and deviance† (Horejes 156). This paper will address the historic development of American Sign Language, the communication debate within Deaf Education, influential people who involved in attacking sign language andRead MoreA Research Paper on American Sign Language1049 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican Sign Language (ASL), reading lips, and lastly if it is an option intense speech therapy. The A cochlear implant is an electronic hearing device. It is an implant and it is made to produce hearing sensations to a person with extreme nerve deafness. It works by electrically stimulating nerves inside the inner ear. Cochlear implants generally consist of 2 main components: There is a microphone which is worn externally that consists of a sound processor and transmitter system, and then the implantedRead MoreThe Acronym For A Child Of A Deaf Adult1561 Words   |  7 Pagesexperience throughout their years are listening to comments from other hearing people about their parents. It is not uncommon for Children of the Deaf to feel mentally and emotionally overburdened when they try to protect their parents. When they are signing with their parents in a public place they may hear unpleasant comments from people who assume that they are deaf. In addition, these children might protect their parents by refusing to communicate something in a conversation. When a CODA is interpretingRead MoreThe Is A Simple Term Essay1308 Words   |  6 PagesAudism is at face value a simple term. The belief that one is better than another due to their deafness. To many audism is to deaf people what racism is to non caucasian people. That analogy seems to be the most accurate and helpful when teaching someone about audism. Audism is not a new concept. However, the word is. *insert quote*/citation. Just as we all perpetuate, to a degree, racism and sexism. We all perpetuate audism, even on an unconscious level. The society we live in supports audists beliefsRead MoreHard Of Electronics Essay1607 Words   |  7 Pageshistory class, they can follow precise and specific instructions in the science classroom, a nd be able to interact with classmates when sharing and exchanging notes. Text-to-speech is beneficial for all those students who are in classroom with non-signing teachers, they are also cheaper that human note takers. Website URL: http://deafchildren.org The American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) is a website predominantly centered on children who are deaf. It provides parents, teachers, and ultimatelyRead MoreDeaf Culture History Essay2085 Words   |  9 Pagesabsence will be a starting point of an identity within their culture as well as the hearing culture. In todays times, it is possible for a deaf family to characterize themselves as an all American family. For many centuries hearing people classified deafness as a horrendous misfortune. As reported by Doug Baynton (Historian at the University of Iowa), in the early 1800s most of the deaf people in America lived in segregated rural areas from one another, and with little communication with the peopleRead More Ethnic Minorities in America Essay2219 Words   |  9 Pagesminority in America the characteristics of a minority group must first be defined. According to Schaeffer, members of a minority group share the following five characteristics: Members of a minority group experience unequal treatment and have less power over their lives than members of a dominant group. Members of a minority group share physical and cultural characteristics that distinguish them such as skin color or language. Each society has its own arbitrary standard for determining which characteristicsRead MoreEssay about Discrimination Against the Deaf Culture 2338 Words   |  10 Pagesculture as well as the hearing culture (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007). In todays times, it is possible for a deaf family to characterize themselves as an all American family. For many centuries hearing people classified deafness as a horrendous misfortune. As reported by a historian at the University of Iowa, Doug Baynton, in the early 1800s most of the deaf people in America lived in segregated rural areas from one another, and with little communication with the peopleRead MoreHistory Is Almost Always Written By The Winners1393 Words   |  6 Pageswoman pushed aside in history and only being brought under the critical lens once in a while (further providing an example of an individual being masked in place of white male idols), is heralded as a hero for her struggle against her blindness and deafness. Loewen went on to survey several college students, all of them noting that she was a â€Å"public figure† or a â€Å"humanitarian†. However, Lowen drops some very disheartening truths- sixty-four years of her life were scrubbed away by th e textbooks to mold