Political Correctness on Deafness

[jillio]

Too bad facial expressions and postures that are an important part of ASL don't translate well into text.

How about this:

***!!!#####!!!!!****!!!! JK

 

[sr171soars]

Snort back to you! I agree with Dreamchaser that the hearing people are one step away from deafness. It is far easier for a hearing person to became deaf than a deaf person to become hearing. Haven't you ever heard of this quote "A picture is worth 10,000 words"? All you have to do is to look at the signing and the expression of the signer.... that is far more 'bandwidth' than spoken words! Haven't you read Harlan Lane's "The Mask of Benevolence" - especially the part about the doll house (page 122 - 125)? It is proved there that ASL is superior to oral language when it comes to spatial description. (one volunteer tells the other volunteer the layout of the doll house and where the furniture are supposed to be according to the picture on the box. The deaf volunteers did much better layout than the hearing volunteers!) Here is the quote "Sign languages exploit the unique features of the visual medium. Oral language is linear. Only one sound can be made or received at a time. Sign language, on the other hand, is visual; hence a whole scene can be taken in at once. Information can be loaded into several channels and expressed simultaneously." from Sign language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under 'Spatial grammar and simultaneity'. It is clear that ASL is much faster and better 'bandwidth' than oral language.

My own family doesn't know sign language. They have me to practice ASL with but they still don't know sign language. I am sure that there are many many hearing people who have a deaf relative and they themselves don't bother with ASL.

If they think they have the right to look down on the Deaf people, then I suppose we do have the right to look down on them for not be able to sign. I don't make fun of those who do know ASL (more power to those kind of people!). Remember the Golden Rule.

You have no clue what you are talking about. Your example proves my point all the way down the line. I much prefer using speech for communicating while doing other things. For instance, I can take notes while listening to somebody. I get more done that way. Try doing that while signing...you can't do it without interrupting communications. Another example is that I can talk on the phone while discussing a problem on the computer at the same time. I can use two senses to get a job done. There is a beautiful efficiency factor that frees my visual component for other things.

It is true using ASL can sometimes convey more information (such as spatial information) but at a cost that is not reasonable for a five sense person. Most conversations are not about spatial relationships but other stuff. One is overloading the one sense to do both communication and "keeping an eye out on the environment". Speech is not just spoken words but also inflection and tone which conveys a tremendous amount of information. One can say a sentence one way and another say a different way and they mean different things. Unless one has been able to adapt to using speech very well, one has no idea the richness of spoken language. It is not by accident that the majority of the people of the world use speech. It is simply a wise use of time and energy to survive in a hostile world. To do otherwise is frankly quite stupid.

It is one thing when one can't hear well enough to use speech and use a visual form of communication. No problem with that and folks who depend on it shouldn't be looked down upon by the hearing population. I totally agree with that sentiment. Most of the time, it is simply ignorance on the part of hearing why they don't understand and sometimes look down or dismissive of the deaf.

 

[shel90]

Oh yes, I agree. ASL is very far superior to English when it come to spatial relations. English sentences like "he is in front of the house" is imprecise at best compared to ASL spatial relations. You know exactly where he is in ASL.

When describing things around the house, ASL excels at spatial relations when it comes to describings room and stuff. A gifted signer can literally create a 'virtual landscape' in ASL in just seconds. Those of you who know ASL will know what I mean by 'virtual landscaping' in ASL.

Yea, I know what u mean. That is what I love about ASL.

 

[Miss-Delectable]

Yea, I know what u mean. That is what I love about ASL.

Me too. Sometimes I find myself using descriptive method through signs without voice with my mother. I think she learned a thing or two!

 

[dreama]

I find this offensive. First, as a Deafblind person, I'm irked by the fact that the writer constantly needs to compare deafness to blindness to show that deafness is somehow 'less tragic'- being disabled isn't tragic in the first place. I don't get around with any assistance- it's me and me, folks. I take care of myself like a real big girl. I live a, dare I say, fuller life BECAUSE of the experiences I've gained as a Deafblind person.

Second, I know plenty of friends who are blind and jump like excited animals every time some doctor comes up with a new drop or drug or treatment that might give them a little more sight, and I know even more parents who do this to their blind children, and YES, I am the blind friend that tells them not to do it- you can't spend your whole life so convinced you're broken that you're willing to do anything to 'fix' yourself- that's a miserable way to live.

At the end of the day, I view cure seeking, be it from deafness or blindness, as nothing more than an act of self hate. That's a great deal more 'sad' than denying a deaf kid the right to hear birds chirping.

I totally agree. People shouldn't have to depend on cures. Either for deafness or blindness. However it's drilled into you what you aren't doing properly.

I've been waiting for months to be taught better rehabilitation skills because up until now I've had a lot of residual vision I could use. There is a lot of things I feel I need to relearn how to do but whenever I contact my social worker I get no response. Still no definate date or anything.

 

[dreama]

Cochlear War contains bad information, including ableist, bigoted, and factually incorrect descriptions of physical disabilities.

I noticed that. It's a shame as I agreed with most of what was said on that sight and then I read 'Deaf can do'. Surely they can make their point without putting the blind and physically disabled down. I emailed them ages ago with an email entitled "Deaf can do, but so can blind' but I'm yet to recieve any response. It's a shame. Why do various disabled groups feel they can only make their case by putting down other disabled groups.

 

[KarissaMann05]

Why do various disabled groups feel they can only make their case by putting down other disabled groups.

I agreed as I wonder WHY? My first time, I met a few blind students from OSB (school) at my school and they are amazing. I also met a few disabled people and they are amazing as blind students are. I wish I meet deafblind people in my real life.

So, I see nothing is wrong with blind people...

 

[thanx2gezus]

Audism

I've never heard the term 'audism,' can you define it for me?

 

[jillio]

I've never heard the term 'audism,' can you define it for me?

Tom Humphries invented the word "audism" in 1975 to mean an attitude that people who hear and speak, or have good English are superior. This applies whether the person who hears and speaks is deaf or hearing.

 

[Kalista]

That's is my concern with the public's misinformed views on CIs that deaf people who dont get CIs will be disrespected right on the spot for "choosing" to remain deaf. Just like with my hubby's coworker's comment on why I wont get a CI to improve myself.

I pay taxes, own a house, have a job, have two wonderful children, and dont break any laws but yet, I need an "attitude" adjustment about my deafness?

This is my answer to those people with those kinds of views...:fu:

Good Point !! Shelly !!

That is how I feel with my brother and his wife look me down. During my Dad is in ICU, they depend on me to do interpreter for my Dad because he is hard of hearing. His brain funcional is very confused right now due to his heart attack. He has three languages lipread, speak and sign language (old sign). Interpreter Certified impossible to understand him.

I feel too exahusation and overwhelming... His wife thinks, I will be not able to do Dad's budget management. She wants to take over. I said, ugh... I bought a condo, credit card, car loan, student loan, etc... Tell me why I can't take over my Dad's budget issues.

I bluntly told my brother that I rather not want my sister in law involves into my Dad's estate. Let my brother, sister and myself compromise and resolve on ourselves.

It boiled my stomach because they label me disability as handicap because I am Deaf. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !