Questions to use for RLO Deaf Culture Part I
This activity is intended to enhance student knowledge about deaf culture. Students are
asked probing questions about assumptions they might have about deaf people and their
culture. Students are first asked to answer a series of questions prior to viewing an online
video about deaf culture. The ten questions are intended to illicit assumed knowledge
about deaf people and probe student perspectives on the lives of deaf people in effort to
uncover preexisting assumptions, viewpoints and implications of those assumptions.
Students will then view a ten minute video clip that addresses certain aspects about a deaf
person’s personal and social life. After viewing the video clip, students will be asked to
respond to a second set of questions that may or may not require them to revise
previously held assumptions. Students will be asked to consider the strengths and
weaknesses of their relative assumptions, provide an analysis of the impact of the
consequences of their assumptions and describe revisions of assumptions where
appropriate.
Preview Questions
1. What do you think it be like to be a deaf person? What would be different and what
would be the same relative to hearing status?
2. What would you find to be the most challenging aspects about be deaf? Why?
3. What assumptions do you have about deaf people and how they function within a
hearing world?
4. Deaf people are routinely discriminated against in nearly every facet of life. What are
some venues in everyday life that might be considered discriminatory to a deaf person?
5. When deaf parents have deaf children how do you think they feel compared to when
hearing parents have deaf children? Why?
6. How do you think a deaf person feels when asked if he or she can lip–read? What
problems might they experience if they say that they can lip-read?
7. Many deaf children are sent to residential schools for their education. What are the
benefits and drawbacks of such a setting for a young deaf child?
8. Early speech training is typical in the life of a young deaf child. How do you think
speech training impacts the deaf child as an individual?
9. Why might deaf individuals choose not to use their voice when communicating with
hearing people?
10. Compare and contrast human values of the deaf to those of the hearing.
Post View Questions
1) What assumptions did you verify or disprove? Why?
2) What alternative assumptions were offered in this video?
3) How will your assumptions change as a result of viewing this video?
Possible Additional Activities:
1. Write a reflective paper on what you have learned about your assumptions and
how they may have changed based on this lesson.
....more to follow