Deaf Culture
Deaf President Now!

"Deaf President Now!" summarized the student protests of March 1998, of the appointment the 7th hearing President of Gallaudet University.

This video was very moving; it showed students fervently campaigning for the removal of the newly appointed hearing President of Gallaudet University Mrs. Zinser. The Gallaudet community felt it was time to have a deaf President. The protest spanned nearly a week, there were no classes held as students took to the streets to protest the appointment Zinser. The Gallaudet community even went so far as to create mock dolls of Zinser and burn them in the streets. I doubt they wanted her dead but that was just how strongly they felt about her removal and the placement of a deaf person as President of the school. I wasn't shocked when the Board gave in to the students' demands. Zinser finally resigned making way for a deaf man…...

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What similar documentaries/films today address this same issue? Have deaf people finally found their voice in society? Or, has there been no progress?

How has the hearing world made advances to be more inclusive? How, as a hearing person ensure that am I doing my part to create an inclusive environment?

I was able to locate a very similar film to "See What I Say," it is called "See What I'm Saying: Deaf Entertainers Documentary." It is a modern twist on the 1981 movie, "See What I Say." Even though the movies aren't related, "See What I'm Saying" follows 4 deaf entertainers for one year. It chronicles not only their professional lives but their personal lives as well. From watching the clips, it would appear that the Deaf Culture has made progress in the last 30 or so years, but there still remains much work to be done. Being deaf remains to be a communications barrier but the good news is opportunity has increased for those who are deaf giving them the chance to do things that just a few years ago would have been deemed impossible.

These churches include the Pilgrim Lutheran Church of the Deaf, International Deaf Mission, Los Angeles Deaf Church., Holy Angeles Catholic Church of the Deaf and the Grace Bible Church of the Deaf, to mention a few. There is also a presence of the Jewish deaf community. hen it comes to education, the Los Angeles area has a sizable program at the California State University Northridge with a National Center on Deafness. As a region, California has several schools for the deaf with both oral and signing or total communication. There is also a program for the deaf and hard of hearing program in the Los Angeles Unified School District. All these factors make Los Angeles and California as a whole a "deaf friendly" region for the deaf communities in it.
American Athletic Association of the Deaf

According to the USADSF, in 1945, the Akron Club of the Deaf in Ohio sponsored…...

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Works cited

"About USADSF." USA Deaf Sports Federation Inc.

"About DeafNation." DeafNation.com

"About SIGNews." Signews.org. 26 Apr. 2010.

"About CAD." California Association of the Deaf. 2007. 26 Apr. 2010.

Deaf individuality itself is highly valued in the Deaf community. Members seem to concur that hearing people can never completely obtain that identity and become an experienced member of the deaf community. Even with deaf parents and a native grasp of ASL the hearing person will have missed the familiarity of growing up deaf, including residential school. For a lot of members of the deaf community, speech and thinking like a hearing person are pessimistically valued in Deaf Culture (What is Deaf Culture, 2011).

esidential schools provide a very important link in the communication of Deaf Culture and Language. Children here are capable to communicate in a language willingly understood by each other. Deaf children are capable to partake in social clubs, sports and appreciably enough, to be around deaf role models. It is important for deaf children to be hopeful to further their education and to learn that deafness does…...

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References

Deaf Culture. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aslinfo.com/deafculture.html

Defining Deaf Culture. (2011). Retrieved from  http://www.deafculture.com/definitions/ 

What is Deaf Culture. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.deaf-culture-

online.com/deafculture.html

There is "evidence that deaf children benefit from early exposure to sign language points to the need for in-depth sign language training for parents and other caregivers, with special attention to underserved populations such as those in rural areas," (Marschuck 2001 p 9). Parents should not rely on external schools at later developmental stages, when the damage to the child's cognitive and linguistic abilities could have already been done.
Chomsky's Developmental Theory

In order to better understand how this issue is such a problem for the population of deaf children born to hearing parents, it is important to explore relevant theoretical models of language acquisition. According to Noam Chomsky's theory of language development, children have an innate ability to learn any form of human communication

(Macaulay 2006). We as human beings are essentially hard-wired to learn language skills and concepts. Here, the research states that "human beings are born with an innate…...

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References

Anisfield, Moshe. (1985). Language Development from Birth to Three. Psychology Press.

Goldin-Meadow, Susan & Mylander, Carolyn. (1998). Spontaneous sign systems created by deaf children in two cultures. Nature, 391(15), 279-282.

Macaulay, Ronald K.S. (2006). The Social Art: Language and Its Uses. Oxford University Press.

Malloy, Tiara V. (2003). Sign language use for deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing babies: The evidence supports it. American Society for Deaf Children. Web.  http://www.deafchildren.org/resources/49_Sign%20Language%20Use.pdf

Sign of Respect
In this video, the basic message is that as new signers we should act with the same level of respect that we use with the hearing, that is, if we do not understand, express this honestly.

Certainly, just as in the scene where someone such as Amy do not understand, answer b should always be our answer. However, beyond just expressing understanding or lack thereof as a sin of respect (or disrespect) to a deaf person is not enough. e must use this as a template for all of our interactions with the deaf community. Just as we would like the Golden Rule and the benefit of the doubt applied to us, we need to give the same consideration first so that we deserve to have it from the deaf.

If we treat the hearing impaired as if they are not aware, what does this say about ourselves and our…...

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Works Cited

Mindess, A., & Holcomb, T.K. (2011). A sign of respect [DVD].

Strategies for teaching students with hearing impairments. (2010). Retrieved

from http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/hearing.html.

Deaf culture has become fairly well established in academia and to a lesser degree in mainstream public consciousness. However, Holly Elliot offers a unique perspective on Deaf culture and identity in Teach Me To Love Myself. Elliot begins her narrative by sharing her experience as a bicultural person: someone who had straddled the worlds of the hearing and of the Deaf. Her biculturalism allows Elliot to build bridges instead of barriers, engendering cross-cultural communication. As such, Teach Me to Love Myself offers a tremendously valuable contribution to the evolving and nuanced discourse on Deaf culture. Elliot had been both hearing and Deaf, but made a conscious decision to “move from the hearing to the Deaf world,” (Kindle Edition). The very notion that Elliot could “move” suggests the notion of the liminal in Deaf identity as well as a conflict between the different worlds in which a Deaf individual resides. Elliot’s description…...

Deaf
There has been a dearth of literature on the training and development of deaf and hard of hearing employees. This research attempts to highlight gaps in the research and suggest methods of improving deaf awareness in the fields of human resources and organizational development. The Americans With Disabilities Act requires all organizations to make reasonable accommodations to the workplace environment, policy, and procedure for deaf and hard of hearing employees. This applies to employee training and development as well as daily functionality on the job. Because six to nine percent of the population identifies as deaf or hard of hearing, it is critical for organizations to adapt their training and employee development programs to attract and retain deaf employees (Hersh, 2012).

To create effective training and development programs, it is important that human resources managers and staff understand best practices in adapting the workplace and making accommodations. The adaptation of all…...

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References

Haynes, S. & Linden, M. (2012). Workplace accommodations and unmet needs specific to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Disability and Rehabilitation 7(5), 408-415.

Hersh, M. (2012). Deaf people in the workplace. Chapter 10 in Lessons on Profiting from Diversity. Moss, G. (Ed.). Palgrave MacMillan.

National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers (2009). The case for deaf self-advocacy training. Retrieved online:  http://www.interpretereducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/TheCaseforDeafSelf-AdvocacyTraining-2.pdf 

National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center (n.d.). Reasonable Accommodations for Deaf Employees Under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Retrieved online: https://www.wvdhhr.org/wvcdhh/directories/07TOC/ReasonAccomDeafEmp.pdf

Sign language has become a politically charged issue in the deaf community: a means to create a cohesive social group. For the same reason that cochlear implants are viewed as controversial, speaking is occasionally viewed as selling out. atlin's move did not deter her, however. With moral support from Whoopie Goldberg, atlin maintained her identity as a proud member of the deaf community while still being willing to express herself in whatever way she pleased.
atlin is married to a police officer and has four children. She still works as an actor and views herself not as a deaf person who happens to be an actor but the reverse: as an actor who happens to be deaf (Putz 2005). Her level of comfort with the mainstream hearing society is far from threatening to the cohesiveness of the deaf community. atlin can also be a role model for any aspiring actor…...

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Matlin would not seem to be a controversial figure but she has been. Reading about Matlin reminded me of how politically charged deafness and deaf culture have become. Speech and cochlear implants can be viewed as bridges between deaf individuals and the world around them, as a means to solidify membership in the deaf community, or both. Matlin shows that deafness is not a hindrance to success; only doubt can prevent the fulfillment of a dream. What Matlin also shows is that deaf individuals are just that: individuals. The deaf community is no more monolithic than the Jewish community or the Latino community. Each person must decide for himself or herself whether or not to embrace speech.

Most likely, Matlin was using her voice to express herself fully. Her decision was a courageous and admirable one, because deaf children and also adults sometimes feel ashamed to use their speaking voice. The voice can be a more shocking reminder of the barriers between deaf and hearing communities. When Matlin was a child her brother humorously referred to her voice as being a foreign accent (Putz 2005). Vocal expression does not need to be perceived as a negative for deaf people. Those who choose to use their voice are not subverting the deaf community. In some ways, those who elect to speak are enhancing the diversity of the deaf community. Being proud of a minority voice is one of the strongest affirmations a deaf person can make. Matlin shows that deaf individuals can remain deeply involved with their communities: actively encouraging deaf children to pursue their dreams and preserving the integrity of the deaf community by encouraging multiple means of solidarity.

Putz, K. (2005). Marlee Matlin What my parents understood. Hands and Voices. Retrieved Mar 9, 2009 at  http://www.handsandvoices.org/articles/fam_perspectives/mmV81.htm

Deaf
The 2008 television movie Sweet Nothing in My Ear presents the controversy over cochlear implants in a sensitive, albeit heart-wrenching, way. Whether or not Adam receives the implant, he will be a loved child and will grow into a healthy, robust adult with the potential to fulfill his dreams. The question is whether Adam will grow into a Deaf adult or a hearing adult. His mother is Deaf, and so is his grandfather. Adam is therefore already part of the Deaf community, and if he were to not receive the implant, he would seamlessly integrate into that community. With his mother's and grandfather's support and familiarity with Deaf culture, Adam would have no trouble finding ways to thrive without hearing. On the other hand, Adam's father is a hearing person. Because Adam gradually loses his hearing, he has already had one foot in the hearing world. Adam is therefore caught…...

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Closed Captioning/CAT -- Closed captioning provides an ongoing written transcription of movies, television, and/or stage productions. With new technology, Closed Captioning has moved into Communication Access eal-Tim Translation, or CAT. CAT transcribes spoken words into printed text onto a screen or computer, and is much more interactive and used for not only entertainment, but court or other official meeting presentations (Nomeland, pp. 180-1).

Alert Systems -- Are relatively low-tech; flashing lights when the doorbell rings, vibrating pillows if there is a smoke or burglar alarm, etc. Most of these technologies have been supplanted by more sophisticated applications on smart phones (Nomeland, p. 187).

Internal devices are medically oriented implants that either amplifies sound in those who have a hearing disability or replace some of the inner ear mechanisms to allow the deaf person to actually "hear" sounds. These are becoming more and more sophisticated, some even with computer "smart" chips to…...

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REFERENCES

The Cochlear Implant Controversy. (February 11, 2009). CBS News Sunday Morning.

Television Show Transcript.

Baron, N 2008, Always on: Language in an Online and Mobile World, Oxford

Univeristy Press, New York.

Three years later, the company improved its picture clarity and introduced the "emotional intonation" feature, considered important components of visual language. ut at present, only 10% of the deaf and hard-of-hearing know about VRS. The Internal Revenue Service refuses to accept VRS calls. And VRS can be performed only with high-speed internet access. ut companies, like Sorenson, provide videophones for free. Those who have no high-speed internet access or a videophone may use IPP relay. It is similar to the outdated TTY but performs faster and more smoothly. The deaf user types his message on a computer.
For the working deaf who need to use the telephone, Able Planet launched the wireless device. This is a telephone and a hands-free set for a cell phone to address these difficulties in the use of a telephone. The technology enables wireless communication with a telecoil in hearing aids. At the same time,…...

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Associated Press. Hearing Impaired Get Help with Wireless Device. Deseret News:

Deseret News Publishing, 2003. Retrieved on October11, 2009 from  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20030623/ai_n11400486/?tag=content;col1 

Bergstein, Brian. IBM Develops Virtual Deaf Interpreter. Oakland Tribune: ANG

Newspapers, 2007. Retrieved on October 11, 2009 from  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4178/is_20070917/ai_n20504469/?tag=content;col1

Sign language is one of the most important elements of deaf communication, and losing this element frightens and outrages some members of the deaf community.
In addition, many deaf people feel that the rehabilitation necessary after implant surgery is often neglected or not budgeted for, and so, it is not managed effectively, and the implants are not used to their full potential. In addition, the implants do not miraculously cure deafness, what implanted patients experience is a reduced and altered sense of sounds and speech at best. Some patients have described the voice as "robotic," and the device will never allow people to hear the same way that a non-deaf person hears. This is another reason the deaf community is against the implants. They believe they make a deaf person even more "handicapped," to put it one way, because they do not fit in either world. They cannot hear the…...

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References

Blamey, Peter J. "17 Development of Spoken Language by Deaf Children." Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education. Ed. Marc Marschark and Patricia Elizabeth Spencer. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 232-246.

Glickman, Neil S., and Sanjay Gulati, eds. Mental Health Care of Deaf People: A Culturally Affirmative Approach. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003.

Harkins, Judith E., and Matthew Bakke. "29 Status and Trends." Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education. Ed. Marc Marschark and Patricia Elizabeth Spencer. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 406-419.

Harvey, Michael a. "9 Does God Have a Cochlear Implant?." Mental Health Care of Deaf People: A Culturally Affirmative Approach. Ed. Neil S. Glickman and Sanjay Gulati. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003. 327-346.

Journey into the Deaf-World
his book looks at the Deaf-World culture in depth. In the process, the authors consider many practical, legal, educational, medical and social issues facing those in the Deaf-World. While the book covers many technical issues in detail, the underpinning for all of it is that the Deaf-World is its own unique culture with its own unique language, and is every bit as much of a subculture as it is to be African-American or some branch of Hispanic.

he authors work hard to establish the Deaf-World as a legitimate subculture. hey point out that although most minority groups can point to a geographic location they're from, the Deaf-World is bound by language and experience but not geography. So while Mexican-Americans can point to Mexico on the map, those of the Deaf-World cannot do that.

hroughout the course of the book, the authors demonstrate that often the beliefs of people…...

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The people of the Deaf-World recognize that their own culture is rich and vibrant with meaning. They recognize sign language, specifically ASL, as the fabric binding them together. They also know, both from personal experience and from looking at the research, that sign language from an early age will give their children their best chance to learn well and to be successful educationally. Rather than having the educational system try to force their deaf children to function as if they were not deaf, the great majority of the Deaf-World want to be accepted as they are. They don't want their deafness viewed as something requiring medical intervention, and they want to see educational and other institutions work with them to help them be the best they can be as they are, instead of trying to change them to conform to the standards set by non-deaf society.

Harlan, Hoffmeister, and Bahan have written a detailed report of the philosophy, society and needs of the Deaf-World, including pertinent research to support important points. While their book presents a specific view and doesn't pretend to present a balanced view of both sides of important issues, they do explain the other side as perceived by the Deaf-World, and put forth persuasive arguments for their opinions. Every professional and specialist who works with the Deaf-World population in any way should read this eye-opening book.

Lane, Harlan, Hoffmeister, Robert, and Bahan, Ben. A Journey into the Deaf-World. San Diego: DawnSignPress. 1996.

Another means for supporting and financing the education of deaf people is through the promotion of a financial package meant to improve the resources available to special schools and teachers. In this sense, schools in Great Britain for instance receive special funds for training their teachers to reach British Sign Language level 3 (Scottish Council on Deafness, n.d.), to become more aware of the special needs such persons have in the society and the academic environment. At the same time, the recruitment of already trained personal is fully funded in order to have the best teachers available for these special schools.

In theory, these projects are worth mentioning and offer a positive perspective on the issues concerning deaf people. However, not all children or grownups can benefit from such funding possibilities. In the education area, there are only specialized agencies which commit their funds to providing financial support to special schools…...

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References

National Foundation for the Deaf - Deaf Education Scholarship. (2006). New Zeeland Culture Online. Retrieved 18 Jan. 2008, at  http://www.nzlive.com/en/funding/800437/B 

Scottish Council on Deafness. (n.d.) Education and training. Access to communication and language, audiology, employment, health, social work and social care. Retrieved 18 Jan, at http://www.scod.org.uk/pdf/Manifesto2007.pdf

BABIE AND GILS' BODY IMAGE
Motherese across Cultures

Jack Sprat

MOTHEESE ACOSS CULTUES

MOTHEESE ACOSS CULTUES

Motherese across Cultures

Motherese is the universal, infant-directed speech that seems to come to women on instinct when they have a preverbal baby. Some people discourage speaking in "baby talk," because they think that children can't possibly learn good English if they are not spoken to in good English. However, there is a lot of qualitative and quantitative research to suggest that motherese provides an effective bridge between mother and baby for linguistic transfer (TeechConsult's KIDSpad, 2010). Motherese enhances attention using reduplication, the use of special morphemes and phonological modification, and grammatical simplification, helping babies find boundaries between linguistic units. That, though, is not the most interesting thing about motherese. What are most interesting are the similarities and differences of motherese across cultures and linguistic groups.

Pitch Contour Comparisons between Chinese and American Mothers

Mechthild Papousek, Hanus Papousek, and David Symmes (1991)…...

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References

Burnham, D., Kitamura, C., Luksaneeyanwin, S., & Thanavishuth, C. (2001). Universality and specificity in infant-directed speech: pitch modifications as a function of infant age and sex in a tonal and non-tonal language. Infant Behavior and Development, 24(4), 372-392.

McLeod, P.J., Pegg, J.E., & Werker, J.F. (1994). A cross-language investigation of infant preference for infant-directed communication. Infant Behavior and Development, 17(3), 323-333.

Papousek, M., Papousek, H., & Symmes, D. (1991). The meanings of melodies in motherese in tone and stress languages. Infant Behavior and Development, 14(4), 415-440.

Reilly, J.S., & Bellugi, U. (1996). Competition on the face: Affect and language in asl motherese. Journal of Child Language, 23(1), 219-239.

1. The Importance of Sign Language Clubs

2. Breaking Down Barriers: The Impact of Sign Language Clubs

3. Connecting Communities through Sign Language Clubs

4. The Benefits of Joining a Sign Language Club

5. Sign Language Clubs: Empowering Individuals with Communication Skills

6. Celebrating Diversity: The Role of Sign Language Clubs

7. Sign Language Clubs: Building a More Inclusive Society

8. The Journey of Learning Sign Language in a Club Setting

9. Supporting Deaf Culture through Sign Language Clubs

10. Sign Language Clubs: Promoting Communication and Understanding
11. Unity in Diversity: Joining Hands in Sign Language Clubs

12. Bridging the Gap: Sign Language Clubs for Inclusive Communication

13. Embracing Differences: Sign Language....

Title I: The Dichotomy of Communication: Oralism versus Manualism in Deaf Education

Title II: The Historical Battleground of Deafness: The Clash between Oralism and Manualism

Title III: The Sonic and the Tactile: Unveiling the Epistemological Divide between Oralism and Manualism

Title IV: Communication at the Crossroads: Oralism, Manualism, and the Deaf Community

Title V: The Language of Exclusion: Exploring the Societal Implications of Oralism and Manualism

Title VI: The Legacy of Deaf Education: A Comparative Analysis of Oralism and Manualism

Title VII: Deaf Identity and Communication: The Symbiotic Relationship between Manualism and Deaf Culture

Title VIII: The Pedagogy of Language Acquisition: Oralism versus Manualism and the Impact....