It it really the deaf/Deaf community?

doubletrouble said:
Okay, I'll go along......... I grew up a CODA... in a time where there was no ADA, SSI, etc. I was my parents ears (for lack of a better phrase)and advocate. We did not have a phone in our home until I was 10 years old. My parents never saw the need. I would just walk up to town (3 blocks away) and use a public pay phone to make phone calls. I saw the injustice firsthand and experienced it. My mother (not my dad) threw it around that since she was Deaf, we were put on this earth to help her, nothing more. To her, that was the role of a hearing child. She was bitter and resentful of the hearing community and took jabs at me and my siblings every chance she got. My dad, on the other hand, complete opposite. He accepted who he was and worked very hard to provide a life for us. He owns two homes and has never asked for anything . As I became older, I became resentful of my mother's attitude towards me and life in general. I rebelled and told her that she was quite capable of doing things for herself- she didn't need me as her crutch. I remember the fighting when I resisted to do something- after all, my dad was capable, why wasn't she??? I wanted her to be as independent as much as she could, and she didn't want to. She clung to various family members to take care of her needs, and eventually they got tired and overwhelmed, and would push her aside. It took years of therapy to understand her and I do, but it doesn't change what has happened. I only share this with you so you understand that going forward, I was going to do everything I possibly could to make sure that if I ever had a deaf child, he/she would be independent. I became a job coach and an interpeter in the field, and I saw many, many heartbreaking situations in which Deaf children were left to fend for themselves, of being virtual strangers in their own homes. I remember making the committment at the time, "If I ever had a child who was deaf, I would defnitely send he/she to a bibi program". I remember the stories from my mom about how her hands would be tied up so she couldn't sign... and how my Dad didn't even know ASL until he was 22 years old.

Fast forward, I had a beautifual daughter... She was hearing... Then I had a set of twins, and I quickly suspected that something was wrong with one of them. I asked my MIL (there is deafness on my DH's side also) how did she know that she had a deaf child??? I remember her telling me that I was paranoid, the twins were premature, and I was over thinking the situation. But I knew in my heart that my son was deaf. I pulled strings and got him tested and sure enough at exactly 1 month old, my son was diagnosed as profoundly deaf. I was stunned. I always knew it could be a possiblity, but never really expected it. Until I met my DH, I never saw deafness go back to generations. I only knew of families that mother /father were Deaf and that was it. Never any children, or extended family. It was all new to me. I was devesated. I knew perfectly well what deafness would do to my child... I knew of the limiations and prejudice at work. I knew of people getting frustrated with a tty operator call and hanging up. I knew that REALISTICLY if my son wanted to be the President of a major wall street banking firm- it would most likely be out of the question. Not because he couldn't do it, but because of the barriers that other people have put up. I mourned for days. It was as if a part of me had died. I remember vividly that the last thing the audie said to me was that he was the perfect candidate for a ci. I immediately told her no thank you, we would not be interested and I knew which avenue to persue.

After my initial shock, I picked myself up and started the process of getting him enrolled in a program. I contacted EI and was told to look at ALL the programs in my area not just the one that I was familiar with. I told the social worker that it was pointless because I had already made up my mind as how my child was going to raised. She said she wouldn't be doing her job correctly if I didn't investigate every single avenue- so I went. And I remember vividly that day... I was in an oral only program with a pit in my stomach. I didn't even want to be there- it was against everything that I truly believed in (at the time). I walked into the classroom and really expected to see children struggling and sitting in hours and hours of speech. All the horror stories that my parents had told me growing up came flooding back to me. But then, I heard these children speak. It wasn't even about them speaking , as so much as it was that they were actually LISTENING and hearing what was being said. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was really stunned, to say the least. It was all new to me. There was no frustration on the children's parts and they were easily talking to each other and answering the teacher in appropriate ways. It truly was unbelievalbe. Right there and then, I had changed my mind. This was the route that we would choose for our child. This assistive device could actually bridge the gap from both worlds and the walls of isolation weren't that paramount any longer. We made this decision not because we didn't accpet our son- but because we wanted him to have a choice. Because if he , later on down the road , doesn't want the CI, he could always turn it off. If we waited, it's too late. My niece who eventually got implanted at the age of 9 1/2 says her biggest regret is that she was not implanted sooner. So I felt that by giving my son the CI, I gave him a choice later in life.

Because of my desicion, it became very ugly around our house- meaning extended family. Everyone had their 2 cents..and then it became worse with strangers. People I didn't even know would say the most nasitiest things to me- calling me a traitor, not accepting of a deaf child, and the worst of it all... my very own mother telling me that I am a lousy mother for deciding to implant my child.

As I have said in earlier posts, my son's deafness does not define him . It's just a part of who he is. I refuse to put him in speech for hours. That's not what it's all about. He is a child and I want him to grow up just like his brothers and sister. No hours upon hours of learning to speak- if he did great , if not so be it. Just because he is able to speak as well as a hearing child- that is just a bonus, but it was never expected. I would rather my child be out playing football (which he does) , baseball, basketball, and developing relationships with people than being stuck in therapy. I have offered deaf school to him in our many conversations and he is adamant about it- the answer is always no. I truly believe that we have given him the best of both worlds and because of this, he is extremely well adjusted child. He knows that he is deaf and is proud of who he is. I couldn't ask for anything more than that.
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Thank you for sharing your story with us, doubletree. You truly have a unique perspective of a CODA and a hearing parent of a deaf child at the same time. It found it very interesting that your feelings regarding your son's diagnosis were parallel to my own...yours because you did know what he faced, and I because I didn't know. It goes to show that there is a common thread in all of this somewhere, and that is what we need to find and focus on, rather than the differences.

I also, believe it or not, understand the family and friends opposition to choices that you make for your child. I was confronted with the same when I chose to include ASL in my son's life, and in my life. Eventually, as my son began to show the advantages of having both sign and speech, my family came around, and even made the effort to learn sign themselves. Today, my son is blessed with a family of origin that does sign. His grandparents and only uncle are both deceased, but my nephews and their children are fluent signers. It wasn't always that way, however, and I fully understand the pain and frustration of having to stand alone against the crowd to do what you know in your heart is the right thing to do for your child.

The battles I fought for him within the school system, and the problems I also saw in the deaf children growing up in the way you described also led me to a career in the field. I knew that my son had what he needed, but I saw many deaf kids that didn't, and it motivated me to try to do something to change that situation, one child at a time, just as you were motivated to do what you could for others. Shel, as well, because of her personal experiences as a deaf person, operates from the same motivational base. She is a deaf person, I am a hearing person with a deaf son, and you are both a CODA and a hearing parent with a deaf child. Yet we all three operate from the same motivational base. That is another common thread.

These are the kinds of things I was hoping for when I started this thread...that we find the sameness and stop focusing on the difference. Thank you again for sharing with us. Despite knowing your story from an impersonal perspective from the documentary, I was not priviledged to hear it from such a personal perspective until today. The personal perspective is what made the sameness clear.
 
shel90 said:
Growing up, I had no clue about Deaf role models, Deaf culture, nor ASL even though I knew there were many deaf people who used sign language. I believed sign language was for deaf people who were inferior or werent as smart as I was. Yes, I snubbed them. I think it was the constant brainwashing I had recieved all of my life from my speech therapists, audiologist, teachers, family members, friends , friends of family, and parents' coworkers telling me that because I spoke so well I must be so smart and blah blah. I believed them so I transferred those beliefs onto my views of the Deaf community whenever I was exposed to them growing up. I believed that I didnt need to learn sign language and if they want to be friends with me, then they were gonna have to lirpead me and speak. Otherwise, they werent worthy of my time.

Then the problems started in middle school among my hearing peers and teachers...I started misunderstanding people, started having trouble keeping up in social situations, and etc. People told me that it was MY fault..that I wasnt paying attention, that I wasnt trying hard enough, or maybe I wasnt smart enough. So, I worked harder by practicing listening to the lyrics in my room for hours, practicing listening on the phone by calling strangers, trying to perfect my lipreading skills, and denying my deafness all for the sake of "fitting" in. The more I wasnt able to perfect everything, the shittier I felt about myself so I started doing other self-destructive behaviors to fill in that void I was missing. I started out by drinking to get drunk before going to high school parties so I can relax and be the fun person everyone likes, starving myself to become as skinny as I could so people can admire my body, charging my credit cards to the max for expensive shit so people can like me because I have fancy clothes, fancy technology, fancy furniture and blah blah, and making up lies about my life to myself as perfect and glamorous as I could be. When that didnt work I would go into deep depression and started lashing out against every little thing that when wrong. I was trying to be someone I couldnt be...a hearing person.

Then, I started taking ASL at the age of 25 to meet the foriegn language requirement cuz I had an ego that I would pass it easily because I was deaf and all. I was sooo wrong..sooo wrong. ASL was NOT easy to learn! I tried to socialize to improve my ASL in the Phx Deaf community but I had developed a repuation as this snobby oral deaf person so they rejected me BIG time. lauged at me when I told them I was trying to learn ASL. They said "So, now u want to learn ASL?? Kiss my ass!" I was so frustrated...gave up but still took ASL classes cuz I was fascinated by Deaf culture.

WEnt to Gally in 2000...thought all Deaf people would accept me right away cuz I knew some sign language and I was deaf. WRONG again...boy, did I go thru some shit from the Deaf community but I didnt give up thanks to my brother telling me to have faith.

The first day of classes at Gallaudet, I was sooo shocked by how damn easy communication was in the classroom. For the first time in my f***cking life, I had FULL access to all communciation, info and language at ALL times..one on one, classroom discussion, debates, and etc etch...no terps, no CART..no nothing...just natural like my hearing peers had growing up .

That was when I started getting angry...I was like "Why???" Why were my rights to full access to language, communication, education and etc denied like that? For the sake of good speech skills. I told my mom to "F***ck off " one night at a family renunion cuz everyone was laughing and sharing memories leaving my brohter and I fully left out. Before, I didnt know any difference but after my experience at Gally, I came with a totally different perspective and to see my family totally obivilous to my brother and my communciations needs really pissed me off that night. I told my mom that she and everyone else were very selfish to do that to us all of our lives. Not speaking of learning ASL but just to take the DAMN time to keep us updated to what eveyrone was saying. All it needed was for someone to repeat or fill us in...NOBODY did that...nobody! We were totally forgotten that whole damn night and my rage just build up so badly. My brother was used to it since he had a healthy balance of both. I didnt so that night I totally threw everything on my mom. AS a result, she locked herself in the bathroom for the next 2 days. No, I do not regret it at all..it was time. A lot of people were pissed at me but all I could remember was a sense of empowerment cuz all of my life I was always doing it "their" way. It was time for "my" way.

No, I am not angry at my parent cuz they didnt know any better which is why when I first joined AD I thought I could share my experiences so no deaf child could go thru what I went thru and have a healthy balance of both but like Liebling said, I was told that technology was better, that ASL wasnt needed and blah blah...how did that make me feel? Feel like I was back in the hearing world where everyone told me that I dont know crap cuz I am deaf. That was how I felt here on AD.


Now, it has been 11 years since I took that first ASL class and I am telling you...my life couldnt be better. I have a great network of friends whom I can communicate easily with, my family, my job wehre I am respected not looked down, and most of all..I finally learned how to love and accept myself and my deafness. Every child deserves that hence my passion to give every deaf child both worlds and both languages.
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Your story makes me upset, because you could have been treated better. I totally understand your feelings about being left out of these convos at family gatherings. It pisses me off when people are laughing and they don't want to tell me either. It just seems to be a double standard.

I'd be so upset when my parents took my hearing siblings on cool vacations and I was excluded! It wasn't my fault being deaf, yet I was made to feel it is. It made me feel inferior. I know ultimately that nobody can make me feel inferior without my permission, but I didn't know any better growing up. Yeah, I'm trying to educate my parents these days...

As long as people do not understand, I will not put myself in these situations ever again if I can help it. It is way too painful and heartbreaking for me to go through it again and I can't help but empathize with a deaf child from a hearing family.
 
Liza said:
Your story makes me upset, because you could have been treated better. I totally understand your feelings about being left out of these convos at family gatherings. It pisses me off when people are laughing and they don't want to tell me either. It just seems to be a double standard.

I'd be so upset when my parents took my hearing siblings on cool vacations and I was excluded! It wasn't my fault being deaf, yet I was made to feel it is. It made me feel inferior. I know ultimately that nobody can make me feel inferior without my permission, but I didn't know any better growing up. Yeah, I'm trying to educate my parents these days...

As long as people do not understand, I will not put myself in these situations ever again if I can help it. It is way too painful and heartbreaking for me to go through it again and I can't help but empathize with a deaf child from a hearing family.
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Thank you, Liza. It is only by sharing these experiences with each other that we can get those who don't see the universality of the experience to understand. Remove the discussions of technology, remove the discussions of communication choice, remove the discussions of educational placement, and we all come down to the same thing. It is the sameness we need to focus on. That is what is universal, and it is from that universal persective that we can find a solution.
 
the statement I'm about to say is probably true 99.9% of the time...... College does really change people with a life-changing impact..... for greater good. That is why our parents, elders, mentors, strangers, etc always nag us to study hard and get into good college.

Shel - it's cool to hear that you completely changed yourself and have a renewing view of deafness/ASL. AD and College did change my life and viewpoint as well. I learned a lot about Deaf Culture in AD and other stuff in college. :cool2:
 
Liza said:
I gotta tell you, this sounds a bit extreme with it becoming a law to me since I am pro-choice. USA is too diverse for that to happen, imo. I think the key is making sure the children aren't getting the short end of the stick in the process. The real issue for me is the dysfunctional aspects in relationships between parents and children and communities.
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Suspect it would be way easier for everyone if insecure parents of deaf children did not have to make so many choices. Also laws is a way of securing the childs life even if the child is raised in a dysfunctional environment. Do the laws today work well for deaf children in dysfunctional families? I don't think so. It's much more a luck and go game than for hearing children. I have seen too extreme examples of this to careless support any choices parents of deaf children do. It's hard enough for hearing children, for deaf children it's worse. I understand the burden and shock of parents when their child is deaf, but it does not justify everything.

States in US have many of the same laws as countries in europe. You even got bilingual education acts in some states, and very strict laws on sexual behavior in some other states :)
 
I notice a common theme among most deaf regardless of their reading level (first grade level to college level) and communication skills (oral only, ASL only or both) and they all tell me the same thing: when they discovered Deaf culture and ASL, they couldn't believe how easy it was to understand others around them and how they didn't have to struggle so much in class and with friends. I can relate to that because I've been there.

I'm not a professional like either shel or jillio but after struggling with communication issues in mainstream and watching classmates go thru the same struggle, I can't stress often enough how vital visual communiciation is for those who were born deaf or became deaf early in life.
 
Doubletrouble - I found your story so interesting and enlightening!

I wanted to share why I decided to get a CI. Believe me, I am NOT trying to advocate for CI or even make it a topic, but wanted to show how examining yourself can change how you look at things. My mom did not get a CI for me when I was born since it was too new and still in the experimental stage. So I just did HA instead. When I was 12, my mom brought up the subject since I was entering middle school. I reluctantly went to see an audiologist to discuss about it, and I refused to get it. My reasons?
1) You have to shave a part of your head!!!! (come on I was 12)
2) Even though it's very low risk, it's still surgery and it's scary.
3) I'm perfectly fine the way I am.
4) I had the mentality of "Why should I go through surgery and intensive hearing/speech therapy for hearing people? So that they can understand me better? So that I can understand them better? I already have worked hard to be the way I am, so f**k you. Take me as I am" (Yes I said "f**k" when I was 12! :) )
5) Pride. It seemed to me that there were not many deaf children like me, and people who ARE experienced with deaf people often respond to me "You must have the CI" and they are shocked when they learn that I only have HA. If I got the implant, people would think that CI was the only reason why I did well.

Fast forward 10 years later, I started thinking about getting the CI because I experienced a bit more of a hearing loss (only 10-15dB over the course of 10 years, but total is 100-110+db). I got over the shaved hair thing and scary part of surgery, plus I realized that pride can be a bad thing. Who the hell cares what other people think? If a CI can enable me to hear more, then so be it. Right now... in my life, ASL won't work for me in terms of my job. Meetings are the only time I have major trouble, and ASL won't even help then because my job requires a lot of mathematics and complex numbers/words are often used such as "eigenvalues" and "pogo suppressors". Unless the interpreter fingerspells everything. (Poor terp) Honestly, I can go by perfectly without the CI, but I want to be able to speak out and ask questions whenever I want to and get people in the meetings to know who I am and how I think. Call me greedy (or ambitious?), but I want to climb up that career ladder. I am not saying that a CI WILL enable me to do that, but it, at least, gives me that chance.

Anyway, I'm rambling. My point is initially I was apprehensive why people want me to get the CI and my defenses were way up. Later on, I blocked out all the superficial reasons and asked myself if this is what I really want, and if its worth it for me.
 
I have been reading this post from the beginning and find it most interesting.

Since having my daughter this has been my first attempt to connect with the deaf community, so I'm not sure I can add anything substantial.

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm one hearing parent that isn't going anywhere!
 
deafskeptic said:
I notice a common theme among most deaf regardless of their reading level (first grade level to college level) and communication skills (oral only, ASL only or both) and they all tell me the same thing: when they discovered Deaf culture and ASL, they couldn't believe how easy it was to understand others around them and how they didn't have to struggle so much in class and with friends. I can relate to that because I've been there.

I'm not a professional like either shel or jillio but after struggling with communication issues in mainstream and watching classmates go thru the same struggle, I can't stress often enough how vital visual communiciation is for those who were born deaf or became deaf early in life.
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Yes, deafskeptic. It is a common thread that I have noticed, as well.
 
samanthasmom said:
I have been reading this post from the beginning and find it most interesting.

Since having my daughter this has been my first attempt to connect with the deaf community, so I'm not sure I can add anything substantial.

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm one hearing parent that isn't going anywhere!
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Good for you! We are very happy to have you.
 
Daredevel7 said:
Doubletrouble - I found your story so interesting and enlightening!

I wanted to share why I decided to get a CI. Believe me, I am NOT trying to advocate for CI or even make it a topic, but wanted to show how examining yourself can change how you look at things. My mom did not get a CI for me when I was born since it was too new and still in the experimental stage. So I just did HA instead. When I was 12, my mom brought up the subject since I was entering middle school. I reluctantly went to see an audiologist to discuss about it, and I refused to get it. My reasons?
1) You have to shave a part of your head!!!! (come on I was 12)
2) Even though it's very low risk, it's still surgery and it's scary.
3) I'm perfectly fine the way I am.
4) I had the mentality of "Why should I go through surgery and intensive hearing/speech therapy for hearing people? So that they can understand me better? So that I can understand them better? I already have worked hard to be the way I am, so f**k you. Take me as I am" (Yes I said "f**k" when I was 12! :) )
5) Pride. It seemed to me that there were not many deaf children like me, and people who ARE experienced with deaf people often respond to me "You must have the CI" and they are shocked when they learn that I only have HA. If I got the implant, people would think that CI was the only reason why I did well.

Fast forward 10 years later, I started thinking about getting the CI because I experienced a bit more of a hearing loss (only 10-15dB over the course of 10 years, but total is 100-110+db). I got over the shaved hair thing and scary part of surgery, plus I realized that pride can be a bad thing. Who the hell cares what other people think? If a CI can enable me to hear more, then so be it. Right now... in my life, ASL won't work for me in terms of my job. Meetings are the only time I have major trouble, and ASL won't even help then because my job requires a lot of mathematics and complex numbers/words are often used such as "eigenvalues" and "pogo suppressors". Unless the interpreter fingerspells everything. (Poor terp) Honestly, I can go by perfectly without the CI, but I want to be able to speak out and ask questions whenever I want to and get people in the meetings to know who I am and how I think. Call me greedy (or ambitious?), but I want to climb up that career ladder. I am not saying that a CI WILL enable me to do that, but it, at least, gives me that chance.

Anyway, I'm rambling. My point is initially I was apprehensive why people want me to get the CI and my defenses were way up. Later on, I blocked out all the superficial reasons and asked myself if this is what I really want, and if its worth it for me.
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You have made a well thought out decision for yourself, and know the motivations behind your decision to get a CI. You are well aware of the fact that it is a technological tool that can help you in some situations, but that it, not more than your deafness, will define you completely. I commend you for the thought and self honesty that you put into your decision, and say, "Good for you. I support you 100% in the right to choose for yourself how you want to deal with your own deafness."
 
faire_jour said:
This is a problem in many places. I also wrote about the problem with our local TC program (but then I was told I was judging all Deaf schools, even though I clearly wasn't). My daughter is in a class of 7 students, and we are very lucky that only 2 are severely handicapped. The class that is one year younger has only one normally functioning child. How is my daughter supposed to be challenged if none of the other kids have a vocab bigger than 20 words? What happens when she gets to high school and she wants to take harder classes? I took several AP classes and my husband got straight A's, we expect great things from Miss Kat and her bi-bi school will probably be unable to provide those things to her, we will probably need to eventually mainstream her. It is not because we think that she doesn't belong at the Deaf school, but because the Deaf school will be unable to educate her in the way she deserves.
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What would you do if there are 2 or 3 severely handicapped in Miss Kat's class after you mainstreamed her??
 
faire_jour said:
I never said I or my child was superior, I just said that she needs a different education than a child who is deaf, blind and severely mentally retarded. How can one teacher serve both children appropriately?
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I can imagine a parent of a hearing child saying that when he/she learned of a deaf child with CI in his/her child's classroom.
 
Daredevel7 said:
I think perhaps we need to increase the efficiency of what we are trying to say to each other. I mean if one is genuinely concerned about the path of one's child, how about presenting options that meet halfway instead of telling them what to do?

Do you really expect parents to respond a "You need to put the child in a deaf school" with a "SIR, YES, SIR!"
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That is what it seems to me when the school officals tell parents that they need to put their deaf child in an oral school. It seems to me that many parents don't question it.

The deaf adults who were on the recieving end of the education and the school officals who decided on what kind of education the deaf students should have - Which ones carry the most weight?

I believe it is the deaf adults who have the most weight but they are least likely listened to. Many deaf adults complained about the quality of education for the deaf and about lack or little usage of ASL in school for long time. The changes are very slow in coming. Who run the Deaf Education? Of course, they are mostly hearing people. I want to see the deaf schools stay on but the education need to be improved. My reason for the deaf schools is deaf kids need the deaf networking. The deaf networking is the safety net. A deaf child can go traveling in both worlds. (I have a hearing friend at home and all those cousins.) If something goes wrong in one of the worlds for that person, that person still have the other world to rely on.
 
deafskeptic said:
I notice a common theme among most deaf regardless of their reading level (first grade level to college level) and communication skills (oral only, ASL only or both) and they all tell me the same thing: when they discovered Deaf culture and ASL, they couldn't believe how easy it was to understand others around them and how they didn't have to struggle so much in class and with friends. I can relate to that because I've been there.

I'm not a professional like either shel or jillio but after struggling with communication issues in mainstream and watching classmates go thru the same struggle, I can't stress often enough how vital visual communiciation is for those who were born deaf or became deaf early in life.
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Bingo!!!

I was thinking last night about this whole thing and I was thinking how Jill and I got accused of driving the parents away.

Well, I want to clear that up. When parents first join here, I am welcoming and supportive of them. I dont question nor criticize them for implanting their children or the educational choices they made for their child even if they say they chose oral-only. I remain nuetral about it. The reasons I got tough on them was when they made disrespectful comments about the Deaf community, ASL, give the implications that having speech skills is superior to ASL, that hearing kids are superiror to other deaf children, or simply make nasty comments about me. I wont sit back and be passive. I will speak up if I see anyone making these statements. Why should I sit back and let them say these false statements? They speak up if anyone spreads misinformation or makes nasty comments about CIs..that's their right and I support that. However, I feel when I speak up about them making false or nasty comments about ASL, the Deaf community, and Deaf schools, I am "responsible" for driving them away from AD? :hmm:



Sure, I made comments to some of them that could have had better wording or stated in differently but guess what? They also are as guilty of the same thing too.

I have always took responsibility for my actions whenever I made comments that were wrong or unfair and apologized publicity. I have yet seen some of you do the same.

So, dont talk about Jillo and I being responsible for "driving" away the parents.

*not you, Buffalo* LOL!
 
samanthasmom said:
I have been reading this post from the beginning and find it most interesting.

Since having my daughter this has been my first attempt to connect with the deaf community, so I'm not sure I can add anything substantial.

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm one hearing parent that isn't going anywhere!
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awwwww :hug: I am happy to have you here. :)
 
Buffalo said:
That is what it seems to me when the school officals tell parents that they need to put their deaf child in an oral school. It seems to me that many parents don't question it.

The deaf adults who were on the recieving end of the education and the school officals who decided on what kind of education the deaf students should have - Which ones carry the most weight?

I believe it is the deaf adults who have the most weight but they are least likely listened to. Many deaf adults complained about the quality of education for the deaf and about lack or little usage of ASL in school for long time. The changes are very slow in coming. Who run the Deaf Education? Of course, they are mostly hearing people. I want to see the deaf schools stay on but the education need to be improved. My reason for the deaf schools is deaf kids need the deaf networking. The deaf networking is the safety net. A deaf child can go traveling in both worlds. (I have a hearing friend at home and all those cousins.) If something goes wrong in one of the worlds for that person, that person still have the other world to rely on.
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:gpost:
 
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