Posts Tagged ‘ASL’
Over the past couple of months I have been introduced to a new culture. Experiencing such a thing is quite, what’s the right word for it, organic. Learning anything new is always a rich experience, but when it comes to culture, it is more profound. The process is rather predictable; (1) start with total ignorance, (2) become aware of said ignorance, and (3) lose/lessen that ignorance. As a newcomer to this particular culture, I feel almost like an ambassador between two worlds. That might be rather precocious of me, but it is truly how I feel. I think it is only natural to feel loyalty to that which we respect and value, so if you have come to value two cultures, you should feel loyalties to both and want both to peacefully coexist.
At this point you may be wondering what specific culture I’m talking about, or you may be totally disinterested and drifting your cursor closer and closer to the key which will exit you out of this blog. In case of the latter, I am now going to capitalize the name of the culture which I have been referring to in an attempt to catch your attention:
AMERICAN DEAF CULTURE!
Did it work? Yeah, probably not. However, many of you may not even be aware of such a culture’s existence. Many of you may think American Deaf Culture is no different than American Culture. Many of you may think that Deafness is an unfortunate disability that only limits those individuals who possess it. I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong.
American Deaf culture does exist, it is entirely separate from American Culture, and the only “disability” which may be associated with Deafness is that which the hearing world forces upon it.
Now, you may be feeling offended, confused, or downright dumbfounded at that statement, but hang tight and I promise you it will get better.
I should start by saying that “Deaf” and “deaf” are two different things. Being “deaf” is being without hearing. Being “Deaf” is being a member of a culture. Not all who are “deaf” are “Deaf,” and sometimes being “Deaf” does not mean you’re “deaf.” Have I thoroughly scrambled your mind yet? Let me elaborate. Some people who are born deaf do not acknowledge their culture and are therefore not part of the Deaf culture. The Deaf culture mostly consists of those who have a serious hearing loss, but some hearing people are included too.
Within the Deaf community, deafness is not viewed as a disability. It is simply a gift. They do not feel like they are missing out on anything by not being able to hear. In fact, they think we, the hearing folk, are the ones to pity because we are so easily distracted by noise. With the invention of the Cochlear Implant,
many children (very few adults go through with the surgery) are being taken out of the Deaf world they were born into and being placed in between their old world and the world of the hearing. This is a very controversial topic as most Deaf people think the Cochlear Implant will be the death of Deaf Culture. On the flip side, many parents feel that getting the C.I. will give their children more opportunities in life. Both sides have valid points, but I cannot see any reason to get a C.I. unless you think that being Deaf is an inferior quality which should be fixed at any and all costs.
I realize I could go on and on detailing the intricacies of A.D.C., but perhaps I should save that for another blog. The lasting effect I want to get across to you, my reader, is to change your mindset towards Deaf individuals. They are not a burden on society, they are not disabled, they are no different than you or I in the sense that their deafness is simply a quality they possess, just like some of us are gifted with athleticism and some of us are not. Should those of us who are not athletic be made to feel inferior? No. Should we be treated less like humans? No. The same goes for the Deaf. They are perfectly fine the way they are, they do not need to be changed or “fixed,” and we should make an effort to reach out to them and bridge the two worlds in a harmonious coexistence.
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