Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
Deaf awareness panelists describe discrimination, quest for acceptance - The Ranger - San Antonio College
The first observation of Deaf Awareness Week on this campus began with a panel discussion exploring the obstacles faced by people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Hosted by the American Sign Language department, "Deaf People in a Hearing World," featured current and former Alamo College students Oct. 19 in Room 218 A and B of the nursing complex.
Instructor Brain Barwise led the discussion with questions focused on family background, experiences and education background.
ASL Chair Laura Metcalf and Instructor Tom Cox were the English interpreters for those unfamiliar with ASL.
A majority of the panelists had family members who were deaf from birth.
Nancy Cantu was the first person in her family to become deaf. She was born hearing, but at the age of 3, after a bout of meningitis lost her hearing.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane that surrounds the brain and the spinal column.
The brain is close to the ears, and at times, the inner ear also can become inflamed, which can result in deafness.
Nancy Slasor also was born hearing but had a family history of hearing loss.
She suffered from hearing loss, high fevers and her hearing worsened at the age of 7, but she didn't realize she was deaf until she was 14.
Ivin Guajardo was born deaf, but his parents did not realize it until he was 3.
John Mark Raymond, Vlad Hariton, Sara Filippone and Laura Kowalik were all born deaf and have relatives that are deaf.
All of them said they had trouble communicating in school, which led to trouble.
Raymond spoke about how in elementary school he had to wear a box on his chest that made him sound like a robot and went through a lot of speech training.
In middle school and high school, signing became easier for him.
Many of the panelists attended Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., a college for the deaf and hard of hearing.
The school offers programs for elementary, middle, high school and college education.
Discrimination was another shared hardship the panelists had to face.
Kowalik talked about how the University of North Texas rejected her application to the speech therapy program because she was deaf.
"I wish people accepted deaf people and their language," Raymond said.
In the ASL program at this college, many of them shared how they were able to learn more about their culture and background.
They enjoy that there are people here whom they can interact with.
"People here will be our connection to the community," Slasor said.
The first observation of Deaf Awareness Week on this campus began with a panel discussion exploring the obstacles faced by people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Hosted by the American Sign Language department, "Deaf People in a Hearing World," featured current and former Alamo College students Oct. 19 in Room 218 A and B of the nursing complex.
Instructor Brain Barwise led the discussion with questions focused on family background, experiences and education background.
ASL Chair Laura Metcalf and Instructor Tom Cox were the English interpreters for those unfamiliar with ASL.
A majority of the panelists had family members who were deaf from birth.
Nancy Cantu was the first person in her family to become deaf. She was born hearing, but at the age of 3, after a bout of meningitis lost her hearing.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane that surrounds the brain and the spinal column.
The brain is close to the ears, and at times, the inner ear also can become inflamed, which can result in deafness.
Nancy Slasor also was born hearing but had a family history of hearing loss.
She suffered from hearing loss, high fevers and her hearing worsened at the age of 7, but she didn't realize she was deaf until she was 14.
Ivin Guajardo was born deaf, but his parents did not realize it until he was 3.
John Mark Raymond, Vlad Hariton, Sara Filippone and Laura Kowalik were all born deaf and have relatives that are deaf.
All of them said they had trouble communicating in school, which led to trouble.
Raymond spoke about how in elementary school he had to wear a box on his chest that made him sound like a robot and went through a lot of speech training.
In middle school and high school, signing became easier for him.
Many of the panelists attended Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., a college for the deaf and hard of hearing.
The school offers programs for elementary, middle, high school and college education.
Discrimination was another shared hardship the panelists had to face.
Kowalik talked about how the University of North Texas rejected her application to the speech therapy program because she was deaf.
"I wish people accepted deaf people and their language," Raymond said.
In the ASL program at this college, many of them shared how they were able to learn more about their culture and background.
They enjoy that there are people here whom they can interact with.
"People here will be our connection to the community," Slasor said.