Miss-Delectable
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RIT - NTID - Media - NTID News
T. Alan Hurwitz is the CEO and dean of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a former president of the National Association of the Deaf. The son of deaf parents, Hurwitz grew up in a house that emphasized literacy, learning and the value of work.
Do you think the Gallaudet University student protests can change the perception of who deaf people are and the culture?
Because the deaf and hard-of-hearing community encompasses such a wide spectrum of differences, there is an equally varied number of perceptions among those outside of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
On one hand, since the protest has gained worldwide attention, much information is being published about deafness, which can help correct misperceptions about deafness. On the other hand, there is a great deal of misinformation being published about deafness amidst these protest reports, which is only adding to the confusion.
Could you explain some of the differences within the deaf community?
On one end of that spectrum are people who were born deaf into a deaf family. In many cases, their first language is American Sign Language and they likely went to a residential school, a special education school or a day program for deaf children. They may prefer not to use their voices.
Like most cultures, deaf culture revolves around the language. They prefer to socialize with other deaf people.
They embrace their deafness and have no interest in “becoming more hearing” through hearing aids or cochlear implants.
They do not see themselves as “hearing impaired” — “I’m not broken, don’t try to fix me.”
The other end of the spectrum are those who perhaps lost their hearing due to a high fever at a very young age.
They are the only deaf person in their families. They have grown up learning to read lips, received speech therapy and may wear hearing aids. They attended public schools where they are the only deaf person in the school. The only socialization they have ever had is with hearing people.
Do you think Dr. Jane Fernandes can be an effective leader at this point?
I do not know Dr. Fernandes very well, but I have had a brief opportunity to work with her. She is clearly intelligent and hard-working. Nevertheless, leaders cannot be effective without the support of their community.
T. Alan Hurwitz is the CEO and dean of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a former president of the National Association of the Deaf. The son of deaf parents, Hurwitz grew up in a house that emphasized literacy, learning and the value of work.
Do you think the Gallaudet University student protests can change the perception of who deaf people are and the culture?
Because the deaf and hard-of-hearing community encompasses such a wide spectrum of differences, there is an equally varied number of perceptions among those outside of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
On one hand, since the protest has gained worldwide attention, much information is being published about deafness, which can help correct misperceptions about deafness. On the other hand, there is a great deal of misinformation being published about deafness amidst these protest reports, which is only adding to the confusion.
Could you explain some of the differences within the deaf community?
On one end of that spectrum are people who were born deaf into a deaf family. In many cases, their first language is American Sign Language and they likely went to a residential school, a special education school or a day program for deaf children. They may prefer not to use their voices.
Like most cultures, deaf culture revolves around the language. They prefer to socialize with other deaf people.
They embrace their deafness and have no interest in “becoming more hearing” through hearing aids or cochlear implants.
They do not see themselves as “hearing impaired” — “I’m not broken, don’t try to fix me.”
The other end of the spectrum are those who perhaps lost their hearing due to a high fever at a very young age.
They are the only deaf person in their families. They have grown up learning to read lips, received speech therapy and may wear hearing aids. They attended public schools where they are the only deaf person in the school. The only socialization they have ever had is with hearing people.
Do you think Dr. Jane Fernandes can be an effective leader at this point?
I do not know Dr. Fernandes very well, but I have had a brief opportunity to work with her. She is clearly intelligent and hard-working. Nevertheless, leaders cannot be effective without the support of their community.
