Deaf Culture
Connections Day!!!
(TEST ROWS) PLEASE HAVE
YOUR DESKS CLEARED OFF
(EXCEPT YOUR COMPOSITION
BOOK OR PAPER, PEN/PENCIL):
ALL PHONES, MUSIC, AND
OTHER MATERIALS PUT AWAY
---VOICE DAY--- POWERPOINT
PRESENTATION -THIS MATERIAL
WILL BE ON NEXT THURSDAY’S
TEST, AND THE FINAL EXAM
ASL in the USA:
The 3rd/4th most used
language in this country!
 Approx. 3 in 1000 have
severe hearing loss
 20-30+ millions of deaf
or hard of hearing
people in this country
 90% of deaf children
are born to hearing
parents
 While research shows
English skills are best
acquired through ASL, the
majority of the medical
community still
encourages hearing
parents to avoid signing!!!
“The Greatest Irony”
http://moeart.com/comics
.html
 Select Image 16
 Image not stored here
due to copyright.
 Please look up the
cartoon from Maureen
Klusza
 Be able to explain the
cartoon’s significance

What is Language? -- A real language develops naturally, when people wish to
communicate
 American Sign Language is a real language
 Deaf children need a REAL language beginning at a young age
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(ASL!)
To force them into Oralism=similar to the story of forcing a child
who only knows English to read lips and try to learn while the
teacher speaks only Cantonese, while every class subject is written
in German.
Lip reading- 30% from lips at the MOST (also view “body language”,
context, etc.)
Speech Therapy- like piano lessons: can be great, but it depends on
the individual.
Saying “algebra” should not be more important than understanding
algebra!
What are
some
benefits of
taking
ASL?
 Learning a language (whether your
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first, second, third, etc…)
Activates your brain!!!
Awareness and appreciation of other
cultures
Socialize with members of the Deaf
community
Improved understanding of
grammar (helps you with the TAKS
test)
Raises at your current job
Vocational training- more than 90
open educational positions right
now in Texas!!! (schools, VRS, etc)
Professional future- interpreter
certification, teacher certification,
increased business opportunities
ASL class includes:
VOCABULARY
GRAMMAR
CULTURE
EACH OF YOU HAS A CULTURE!
What is the difference between Deaf and deaf?
 Deaf (note the capital “D” = culturally Deaf
 deaf (note the lower case “d”= a clinical/medical
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term, a diagnosis, degree of hearing loss
Culturally Deaf people are proud to be Deaf and feel
that Deafness is a vital part of their identity,
cherished as much as ethnicity,
gender,
and religious
background.
Okay, now between these two terms, which is the
culturally appropriate one?
 hard of hearing:
a term for people with a mild, moderate, or severe hearing
loss. This group of people usually can transition back and
forth between the Deaf and hearing cultures.
hearing impaired: This term is considered highly offensive in
Deaf culture.
Just as "deaf-mute" and "deaf and dumb" are inappropriate
labels, "hearing impaired" is an outdated way to collectively
label people with any level of hearing loss. It does not account
for cultural identity.
An appropriate exception: Elderly people with a hearing loss
developed late in life.
This term is often used in the school and medical communities
(from a clinical perspective).
Cultures have norms, ways of doing
things that members share in
common
WHAT IS A CULTURE?
CONCEPT OF DEAF PRIDE
(DEAF PRESIDENT NOW)
 Comfort levels are different based
Eye
contact:
on your cultural values (within your
family, community, country, etc.).
Deaf culture strongly values
constant eye contact! -- eye contact
= respect
 (Note that in some cultures: respect
is to avoid eye contact)
 When you watch signing, do you
look at the hands or the eyes?
 The eyes! Use your peripheral vision

Deaf culture
 Attention-getting behaviors: waving a hand, creating
vibrations, pointing, gentle tap--- these are not rude
in Deaf culture
 Deaf culture norms for introductions and leave-
taking (leaving a room, party, etc.)– Wilcox book
 - value of saying goodbye to everyone before leaving;
identify yourself with name, name sign, and
deaf/hearing status; work on not allowing noise to
divert your eye gaze during signing conversations
Martha’s Vineyard (Massachusetts)
 High rate of genetic deafness (1 of every 155 persons;
towns – 1 of every 25; neighborhoods – 1 of every 4);
nineteenth century America (1 of every 5,700 people)
Other causes of deafness in Early America?
 High fever
 Spotted fever (ticks)
 Scarlet fever
 Scarlet fever (bacterial
 Unknown…
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infection)
Typhus fever (fleas)
Lung fever (pneumonia)
Accidents
Whooping cough
(respiratory infection)
Smallpox
Cameron, 2005;
http://www.lifeprint.co
mcc
Early in the 17th century, members of
the deaf community in County Kent
Weald, England moved to Martha’s
Vineyard.
 The language they brought with them
has been referred to as Kent Sign
Language.
 Kent Sign Language continued to
develop, and in time came to be
known as Chilmark Sign Language in
the 17th - 18th century.
 This eventually became known as
Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language.
 In
What is the
historical
significance
of Martha’s
Vineyard
Sign
Language?
1817, the school now known as the
American School for the Deaf opened in
Hartford, Connecticut. (Gallaudet; Clerc)
 The students from Martha’s Vineyard were
sent to Hartford as a group.
 As a group, they apparently continued to use
their native sign language.
 In time, Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language and
other “home signs” became absorbed within
the French-based sign language being taught
at the school.
Cameron, 2005;
http://www.lifeprint.comcc
Summary:
Students used Old
Signed English in the classroom and indigenous signs outside the
classroom
Gallaudet did not recognize the out-of-class signs as an
independent, grammatical language
“Natural signing” is Old American Sign Language
ASL is a mixture: early methodical signs, OFSL, indigenous
languages
Old signs
OFSL
(home signs,
in the USA
MVSL)
 First school in Hartford Conn. (American Asylum):
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Old ASL
ASL (modern)
Deaf Education in the USA-- Gallaudet (with Clerc’s help) found the first school
for the Deaf in the USA, 1817
 In the USA, most of the students were taught by
Deaf instructors, or those who supported natural
signing
 1880 Congress of Milan, Italy banned the use of
signs- hearing men excluded the Deaf teachers,
and returned to change Deaf education
in the USA (“Dark Ages” of Deaf Ed.)
Dark Ages of Deaf Education- Oralism fueled by ignorance
 Alexander Graham Bell (thought
there was a “contagious” factor, as did
many who did not understand)
 After years of struggles in education, Total
Communication was allowed in the 1970’s (usually
signing and talking at the same time; “whatever
works”- generally still excluded any ASL
 Signed English was invented by a group of hearing men
to “allow” signs but not a separate language- it was to
allow only “visual” English on the hands
 Signed English systems are not true languages--- how
can you recognize the difference?
Manually Coded English
 Various types (Signed English, Signing Exact English
/SEE, etc.) example: SEE 1972
 Invented by hearing, adding English initials
to many ASL signs, and adding approx.
14 “markers” (-ing, ‘s, etc.), plus prepositions, conjunctions,
etc.
 Goal is to use some hand signals while speaking English. Lip
movements (and often voice) are important.
 Sound-based- it does not “make sense” visually
 It was made for hearing people to teach “spoken” and written
English in schools!
 Continuum: SEE -------to -----------ASL
 “contact variety”= inbetween, sometimes adding conceptual
accuracy (but it still does not make sense visually)
From ASL to SEE
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You will see people signing all
Varieties from strict ASL to
exact Signed English.
Old term: Pidgin Signed English
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Schools vary greatly in their approaches:
some use strict Oralism, some
Total Communication,
some use ASL (bilingual method)
 There are many cultural and other factors that decide what a person will
sign.
 You will naturally find it easier to use Signed English, as it was made to be
easier for hearing people.
 The real language itself- ASL, is more challenging, because it is in fact a
different language.
 Be proud you are learning ASL! 
Deaf Education…
 90% of deaf and hard of hearing children
are born to hearing (mostly non-signing)
parents
 Total Communication often avoids the use of ASL
 Average deaf or hard of hearing student graduates high
school at a 3rd or 4th grade reading level- NOT their
fault! These statistics are generally NOT the outcome
for students given full access to ASL
K
 Research shows written English is best acquired
through a real language, American Sign Language
Youtube links :
 ASL vs. SEE--- The Bank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6drv_kpqw8&fe
ature=youtube_gdata_player
Westwood ASL- Deaf high school teacher-ASL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hnOmEWzlN4&f
eature=related
Click Clack Moo SEE vs. ASL
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zzPDo4PVpg
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19YXU8QQXhA
The “Father of Deaf Education”
 Charles Micael Abbé de l’Epee
 http://www.milan1880.com/milan1880history/befo
remilan1880.html
Other background for ASL ¾:
•Abbe Charles Michel de L’Epee was an 18th century
priest who is known as the Father of Deaf Education
 He founded the first public school for the deaf in the
world.
 He was dedicated to education and salvation of deaf
people- his motivation.
•Abbe Sicard directed Epee’s school in france, and two
of his pupils were Clerc and Massieu, who also became
teachers.
•Later, in the USA, Gallaudet had a neighbor with a
deaf daughter (Alice Cogswell), so he set out to Europe
to find a way to bring education to the deaf.
 He was turned down in Scotland (they did not want to
share their oral method), but met Sicard and was
invited to France to learn a signed method.
 In France Laurent Clerc agreed to return to the USA
with Gallaudet and found the first school for the deaf,
in Hartford Conn. In 1817.
 The rest continues above 