Wendy H

I also agree w/ Lucia's original post. I am merely questioning the continued existence of ASL/Deaf culture because of the push with CI's and other medical advances that are coming out in our lifetime. I'd like to see ASL/Deaf culture
remain.

Deafness

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rockdrummer

I'm fairly sure that D/deaf culture and ASL will be around for generations to come. The point about when HA's came out is a good indication of the resiliance of the culture and language.

Wendy H

I sincerely hope you are right because that is not what I am seeing in my school district. The proof is in the decrease in numbers of students entering D/HH classes that provide total communication. Most parents are opting not to allow sign language exposure to their D/HH children because they've been strongly encouraged and/or influenced to go the oral route. Needless to say, I am quite concerned.

rockdrummer

You have a valid point. I just don't know what the overall numbers are or even where to go to find them. Without that information it's hard to draw a conclusion. I know at my son's school they are not pushing for the oral route. But it would also be expected to go the oral route if one has opted for a CI.

shel90

Same here...iam concerned. Damn those who tell parents not to expose their deaf children to ASL and the Deaf culture.

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Shel~

"A child educated only at school is an uneducated child." -George Santayana

Wendy H

Bottom line, I personally wish the push would be for all D/HH to be exposed to total communication. This way, when D/HH youngsters are capable of making their own decisions, they can then decide what route they are most comfortable with. I can't appreciate the fact that any mode of signs would greatly hinder speech development. Parents of D/HH youngsters in my district should be informed of this. Sadly, they aren't.

souggy

I just wish a large percentage of the Deaf population never had to go down the path of finding out about the culture around post-secondary. It would be a lot better for them if they knew that Deaf culture exist from when they were little.

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deafdude1

How about some of us chose to be 100% oral by themselves? I made that choice as a little boy and was never interested in learning ASL. I also never had interest in being in a Deaf culture. I was mainstreamed but did have a notetaker in middle and high school.

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souggy

Then why are you are you asking that question? Anyone can be oral if they want to be, period. All it require is just refusing to learn sign language. However there are so many people grow up without knowing what Deaf culture is until after they graduate high school.

Hell, I get older Deaf adults tell me that they didn't discover "their own people" until they joined an ASL club at their local community college.

Making a decision not to sign is different than being denied the awareness of a signing community.

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shel90

Right. That was exactly what happened to me. I was forced to go through the oral only route and many of my deaf friends/acquantainces went through the same thing too.

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Shel~

"A child educated only at school is an uneducated child." -George Santayana

deafdyke

deafdude....so you're saying you were exposed to ASL as a kid? You had that choice at least. We're not against oral-only if thats the dhh kids' choice. But the thing is......most of the time oral-only is FORCED on the kid as the ONLY choice and only option. I know some kids who were exposed to both oral and Sign.....and they chose oral.....and thats awesome. It was their choice.
If I recall correctly you're almost postlingal right? That doesnt surprise me. Many postlingal dhh folks have no identification with Deaf culture.
They ARE "hearing impaired"
It's great that you never felt the need for deaf culture and ASL......but that doesnt mean that it wouldn't be benifical for other dhh kids.

deafdude1

I had a small amount of exposure to ASL in a deaf class of a dozen back in elementary school. I was never denied ASL, just never felt the need to learn it. Many of the students were HOH rather than deaf. They could hear way better than me, one student actually overheard me whispering a secret to another! Most of them could read lips and were mostly or 100% oral. I had no problem communicating to others orally. I am prelingual, was born deaf. You are correct that when hearing people ask, I say I am "hearing impaired" hearing people don't consider someone deaf if they can hear with HAs. I hear nothing without HAs though.

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souggy

But wearing hearing aids means you have PERFECT HEARING SO THEREFORE THERE IS NO REASON WHY YOU CANNOT HEAR EVERY SINGLE WORD I YELL AT YOU IN YOUR EAR! IF YOU STILL MISS OUT ON WHAT I AM SAYING, YOU ARE STUPID!

Sorry... but honestly, that is what uneducated people think of those that wear hearing aids. They don't understand "dead zones." So you are still "deaf" if you have dead zones. Hearing impaired have a cultural meaning of "amplified perfect hearing."

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deafdude1

I decided to start a new thread so more people can view it. Theres some excellent points there worthy of it's own topic!

http://www.alldeaf.com/hearing-aids-...ml#post1402525

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