Post #15: Chapter 37

Ch. 37:

                This chapter really broke down most the words used to describe deaf people. “Labels help us understand the mindsets of those who do the labeling…” (pg. 220).The first word analyzed was mute. This term is extremely harsh and rude in my opinion. Mutism is defined as, “the inability or refusal to produce sounds” (pg.213). It was a belief in the 19^th century that deafness leads to muteness, which is a ridiculous thing to think. “’Deaf-mute’ suggests that a deaf person is doomed to a life of silence, without speech, without hope. We’ve run into these terms repeatedly, and we find them annoying, inaccurate, and insulting” (pg. 215). It is understandable why a deaf person would find this term so offensive. I also never thought of deaf people as being “silent”. “Deaf people sometimes accompany their signed conversations or reactions with a variety of grunts, clicks, snorts, whoops, or chuckles” (pg. 218). I have noticed this when I went to Deaf Culture Events in my ASL class. “‘Silent’ suggests sensory deprivation, mutism, and isolation, none of which accurately describes the Deaf experience” (pg. 219). I definitely think that the word “Silent” is not only harsh but inaccurate.

                The fact that the word “deaf” can be found harsh never occurred to me. I always used that term before learning more about ASL and deaf culture. Other terms the book mentioned were “‘hearing-impaired,’ ‘auditorily handicapped,’ and ‘non-hearing.’ Most deaf people dislike these terms, as they promote a negative image of deaf people as broken ears or malfunctioning machinery” (pg. 217).

I learned that the term “Hearing-impaired” was used to describe different degrees of deafness and that “‘hearing-impaired’ is no longer acceptable, and that ‘deaf/hard-of-hearing’ should be used in all future references” (pg.217). “‘Hearing-impaired’ ignores all the positive aspects of deafness: the Deaf community, language and culture” (pg.231). I was glad I read this for in the future.  

The label deaf-and-dumb lead people to believe there was something wrong with a deaf persons vocal ability. It frustrated me that The British Deaf Association had to print a paper explaining how the term ‘deaf-and-dumb’ was wrong. That shouldn’t have been necessary. People should be able to realize that. Kim Schive explained it well when she wrote, “A person who is deaf cannot hear; a person who is mute cannot make any sounds… Most deaf people have fully functional vocal apparatus” (pg.225). I think this really breaks down for a reader why the term “deaf-and-dumb’ is incorrect.

The word “Deaf-mute” is also looked at in a very negative light. “It now carries a negative connotation, suggesting the pathetic, subhuman, mentally backward, helpless” (pg.226). The authors also brought up a valid point that the words “can’t hear”, “Implies that it’s simply a matter of loudness, that shouting will remedy the problem. It doesn’t” (pg.237). I have experienced people trying to yell to a deaf person as if that is the right thing to do, I don’t exactly understand the logic behind this but apparently it is a common misconception.

I had always wondered why the word deaf was sometimes capitalized and lowercase other times. I learned that it is lowercased when it is referring to people with hearing disorders and capitalized to discuss the culture and community (pgs. 236-237). Most deaf people find pride in being deaf because they, “Have a history, a language that is the source of our culture, a heritage, an ethnic identity. We have a folklore and a sense of humor. We are human and whole” (pg. 240).

The author’s did an awesome job making sure not to just bash labels but to also give the readers a call to action in order to make a change. I think this chapter was definitely beneficial for the book because the author’s even point out that “All we ask is that these terms be recognized as obsolete” (pg.229). “There is nothing unpleasant or undignified about the term ‘deaf,’ so no polite substitute is needed” (pg. 233).

Post #14: Chapter 36

                This is the last chapter we are blogging this semester. As I look back to when I first sat down to blog Chapter 1, I feel like I was so uneducated on the deaf community. I have loved reading this book throughout the semester because I feel as if it really connects what we learn in class and at our Deaf Culture Events and helps us bridge the gap between the two and gain some more insight into the deaf culture and history.

I hated that deaf people were originally labeled “deaf-mutes” and “deaf-and-dumb” (pg. 209). These terms are so condescending and patronizing, as well as completely untrue.

So many people question why deaf people won’t use their voice and the authors kept restating that, “Because they cannot hear themselves talk, profoundly deaf people cannot control the pitch, inflection, or loudness of their voices” (pg. 209). I also completely agree with the fact that a deaf persons tone does not reflect their intelligence, “the quality of a deaf person’s intonation has little, if anything, to do with the kind of education they’ve received” (pg. 209).

I found it cool that, “deaf children whose first language is Sign tend to develop better speech than those who are given intensive early oral training” (pg.210). According to the authors this is because, “Having a solid foundation in a visual language (i.e., ASL) makes it easier for the child to pick up another language” (pg.210).

This chapter points out that, “It is unfair to compare the speech skills of those who are born deaf or early-deafened with those who had the advantage of having been able to hear their own voices for years!” (pg.210). Of course it is! Duh! I don’t think we should compare the two at all. I’m glad that the authors ended this chapter by saying, “It’s strictly a matter of personal preference and comfort” (pg.210). No one should feel forced to use a language that they are uncomfortable with. When the chapter talked about speech it said, “Many Deaf people lead full, productive, happy lives without it- and they deal with the Hearing world every day” (pg.211). I find it so impressive that deaf people use Sign Language and are still able to battle the hearing world; I can’t even imagine the struggles and hardships they face every day. I have gained so much respect for the Deaf Community and the Deaf Culture after reading a small portion of this book, next semester I look forward to reading more of it.

Posting #13: Chapter 35

I love that the author’s start off the chapter by saying that, “Deaf people are individuals. They shouldn’t be stereotyped” (pg. 205). I feel like deaf people are stereotyped more out of other people’s ignorance. So many people are clueless about the deaf community and deaf culture. Unfortunately, the deaf get labeled out of hearing people’s stupidity. This is one reason I’m glad I am taking an ASL class; I want to bring awareness to the deaf culture. When asked why deaf people can’t talk, the authors answered by stating, “If we do use our voices, are we oppressing other Deaf people?” (pg. 205). This reminds me of what was discussed in the previous chapter, Chapter 34, referring back to how many deaf people aren’t confident in using their voice.

People assume that because many deaf children go through speech therapy that they should be able to talk, but the reality is that, “Some children enjoy the training and find it rewarding. Others loathe it” (pg. 205). I also had never heard of deaf people being categorized before so this chapter really taught me a lot.

Categories (pg. 206-207):

1. Those born-deaf. “They usually disdain using their voices, but may use them to communicate with a hearing sister or brother, or other close relative they feel comfortable with” (pg. 206). They are labeled “deaf”.

2. Those born-deaf or early deafened, may use their voice around hearing people, they are categorized as “deaf-speech”.

3. People who become deaf later in childhood are classified as “HH-voice” (Hard of Hearing)

4. Progressively-deafened or late deafened adults- “ex-hearing”.

5. Deaf from hearing families who learned ASL but are not fluent signers- “oral”.

6. Hard-of-hearing from deaf families/ hearing loss of 60 dB- HH-voice”.

7. Oral-deaf who don’t know how to sign and don’t plan on learning- “hearing-in-the-head”.

                After reading all the categories, I am glad that the authors added that, “People are not labels. We are more important than categories. Our prime concern is that there be communication” (pg. 207). Towards the end of the chapter I also came across a sentence I found ironic. It said, “It should also be noted that there are some hearing persons who don’t use their voices when in the company of Deaf friends, co-workers, relatives, or clients” (pg. 207). This is exactly what our teacher taught use to do at our Deaf Culture Events; it is a perfect way to become immersed in the deaf culture and learn ASL.

Posting #12: Chapter 34

                I liked that in this letter the writer Roger Mindel said that he wanted to learn enough sign language to “be fully understood, and, as important, to learn about the deaf and their culture” (pg.201). He discovers that he knew nothing about the deaf culture and language. I also thought that that about myself after reading a few chapters of this book and attending a few weeks of my ASL class. He asks the authors if it is wrong to want the deaf woman in his office to verbalize. The authors say that, “It’s not wrong- it’s human nature” (pg. 202). I understand why he wants her to speak but at the same time I think that is a little selfish of him. The author’s brought this to my attention, “But if speech is the portal to success, is non-speech the automatic gateway to second-class citizenship?” (pg.202). This statement really calls hearing people out on their selfish expectations.

The fact that “Good articulation is notoriously difficult both to achieve and maintain, especially for those born deaf or early-deafened” (pg.202) was reemphasized which I appreciated. I could only imagine what a struggle that must be. “You can never really be sure how you sound” (pg.202). It was sad to read that a lot of deaf people don’t feel confident using their voices. “They know that their voices sound harsh and unpleasant; they’re embarrassed about using them” (pg.202). I agree with the advice the authors gave towards the end of the chapter, “As for wanting your Deaf co-worker to verbalize, that really has to be her decision” (pg.203) and that “It should be voluntary” (pg.203).

Posting #11: Chapter 33

This chapter was difficult for me to read because I felt like a Speech Pathologist was portrayed in such a negative light in the beginning. I am majoring in Communication Disorders to one day become a Speech Pathologist. There is a paragraph in this chapter when the authors explained what a Speech Pathologist does, they stated that:

“They drill their clients in correct pronunciation, teach them how to form sounds correctly, differentiate their vowels, consonants, and diphthongs, put the accent on the correct syllable, gain awareness of their movements, control their breathing and voicing, develop polished articulation and intonation (this is the tough part) and, in general, acquire good speech skills-as good as possible. They do so with wildly varying degrees of success” (pg. 196).

                I think that each Pathologist is going to differ and that just like a teacher, some are extremely good at what they do and others aren’t as effective. I think that in order to be a successful Speech Pathologist you need to be patient, and understanding of everyone’s differences. You are there to help them communicate more clearly with the language that they are given. I don’t think that you are there to completely change them. The authors say that many deaf people feel that Speech Pathologist view them as if “they are broken and need to be fixed” (pg.196).

My ASL course has really helped open my eyes to the deaf community. It has made me realize that they are just using a different language, but it is still one that is effective and fits them best, and there is no reason I should try to change them. I think that by knowing some ASL, I will be able to work with deaf children. I will want to help them develop and grow in the language that they are already familiar with. It is unfair for us to expect them to learn a whole new language on top of their native language and expect them to be distinguished in it. Just as the book said, in the future, I want my patients to find their sessions “enjoyable, or even rewarding” (pg.197). I am glad that the authors did finally point out that, “there are indeed some speech pathologists who respect deaf people, have a positive attitude towards the Deaf community, and even use sign language” (pg. 197).That is what I hope to do one day. I want to make a positive difference in my patient’s lives.

                At the very end of the chapter it says, “We would like the therapist/ client relationship to be one of mutual respect and honesty. Not one of antagonism or deception” (pg. 199). After reading the story about the deaf woman, who was told she was a wonderful speaker, then finding out she struggled at McDonald’s, I see the significance in having an honest relationship with a client. It is so sad that her speech therapist had lied to her when instead they could have been helping her.

Posting #10: Chapter 32

I had predicted that one of the chapters in this book would discuss deaf people’s ability to lip read, this was the chapter that discussed just that. I learned that “Only some 30% of all spoken sounds are visible on the lips” (pg. 191). There are so many factors to consider when asking someone if they can read your lips. I had never thought about homophones being an issue before. “They look and sound identical” (pg. 191). One must be good at guessing in order to read lips. A “lipreader must rely to some extent on guesswork to understand what’s being said, using the context to fill in the inevitable gaps (pg. 192). Before reading this chapter I had never heard of the word “speechreading”, the authors summarized it by saying:

“Speechreaders don’t just look at the mouth; they read the entire face: the eyes, the way the eyebrows tilt or the brows knot when certain words are emphasized. They note changes in expression, shoulder shrugs, posture, gestures. They also note any props the speaker is carrying; their surroundings. Picking up these associational cues is an art in itself. It requires a high degree of attention. It can be exhausting” (pg.192).

When people ask if deaf people can read lips, most likely they are really asking if the deaf person is a speechreader. I can only imagine how old and annoying this must be for a Deaf person. I think that I would find it irritating if someone expected me to be able to read lips just because I couldn’t hear. I think that speechreading is very challenging. I think about all the times I have had to try to read someone’s lips. Times when I am in a noisy place, like a concert, and someone is telling me something or when everyone is silent, such as during a sermon at church, and I have to attempt reading someone’s lips.

The authors say, “If all else fails, hearing people should forget the ‘rubberlipping’ and try the old standby, pencil and paper” (pg. 192). I know this approach would be time consuming, but I think it would be better for both people trying to communicate. It would be easier to write things down rather than trying to speechread.

This chapter brought up many good points that I had never thought about before. Such as, it is much more difficult to read a person’s lips that have a mustache. This makes perfect sense to me; it just is something I had never put much thought into. I am also glad that the authors said, “Don’t over-enunciate (exaggerate) your question” (pg.193). I think that that would seem so condescending. I found this chapter to be very insightful.

Posting #9: Chapters 30-31 & Quiz Results for Chapters 16-30

Chapter 30:

I had never known where my local agencies that support deaf people both within community and legal aspects would be. This chapter provided a lot of resources that are available to people wanting to learn more about ASL. I thought it was cool that the National Deaf Education Center has a website to look up information, “You can do a keyword search there or through a search engine such as Google” (pg.183). I will have to check that out! I had never heard of the Blue Book: National Directory & Resource Guide. It apparently has a through list of information “for many local and nation deaf organizations, institutions, agencies, clubs, interest groups, and businesses” (pg.184).

Quiz Results for Chapters 16-30 (pg.185):

                I took this quiz and got them all right! I was really excited that I was able to recall the information correctly. I think that the information stuck better for me this time because I started to form my own opinions over topics discussed in each chapter, such as the method of teaching, and school systems. I think this is because I began to think about what I would do if I had a deaf child.

 

Chapter 31:

                In Roger Mindel’s letter, he said that his wife works with a boy whose hearing but has deaf parents. He said that the boy seemed to be “merely translating into spoken language the language he was raised with” (pg.187). In response to his letter, the authors suggested that he and his wife could find more material on works on deaf children, early intervention, and education by checking the website for the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University. I think it is really neat that they have a lot of publications listed on their website for people to read. There are so many sources readily available about the deaf culture that I didn’t know about.