Cultural Deafness: A guide by Erica Watson

Cultural Deafness: A guide

Table of Contents: Comics by “That Deaf Guy” pg. 3, 6, 7, 8

Cochlear Implants and the Deaf Community pg. 11- 13

Letter From the Editor pg. 4

More Information on Cochlear Implants pg. 14

“Defining Deafhood” pg. 5 Resources on Deafness pg. 7

Books to Read pg. 8

Recent News and Think Pieces pg. 15

FROM THE EDITOR L E T T E R I chose the topic of Deafness, because it’s a topic that is near and dear to my heart. My younger sister, Nicole, was born completely deaf. As someone who grew up in a hearing family, with no exposure to Deafness, it was long journey to understanding what a blessing her being deaf has been, both for her, and for the rest of us. As a baby, my family really focused on doing what they could to “fix” her deafness, as directed by many doctors and professionals. My family spent so much time fixating on what she was going to miss out on in life, and had no idea of all the great things she would gain. Being Deaf has given my sister a sense of community, belonging, identity, and pride. She has inherited a rich culture and a complex language, and wouldn’t be who she is today without it. Being Deaf brings so much joy into both her life, and mine. I’m so grateful to be a part of her life, and to learn more about this awesome community.

In this magazine, you’ll find resources and information to give you a basic introduction into Deafness, and Deaf culture. My hope is that if you have Deaf people in your life, that you take the time to learn just how awesome that is. The resources you’ll find here are some of the things that I’ve found both informative, entertaining, and transformative. I’ve tried my best to center Deaf voices first, and share resources where Deaf folks are telling their own stories. Deaf culture has a rich array of Tv, Movies, Theater, Books, Comics, Documentaries, and yes, even Music. Whether or not you have any connection to the DEAF-WORLD, I hope you learn something new! Sincerely, Erica Watson

http://www.uwdesign2012.com/projects.php?p13

Resources Gallaudet University Resources • Here you’ll find a list of resources to do with Deaf culture, Education, Legislation, Organizations and more! Collection of Websites about Deafness

Youtube Playlist: Deaf Awareness and Education Here you’ll find a selection of videos addressing: • Common Myths about Deafness • Navigating Deafness in a Hearing world • Deaf Musicians including Sean Forbes, a Deaf rapper • Deaf interactions with the police • Useful Phrases in American Sign Language (ASL) • Oralism vs. ASL

Books to Read • A Loss for Words: The Story of Deafness in a Family by Lou Ann Walker • A Journey Into the DEAF-WORLD by Harlan Lane • Deaf Again by Mark Drolsbaugh • Deaf Culture: Exploring Deaf Communities in the United States by Irene W. Leigh • Deaf Like Me by T., J., & L., Spradley • The Unheard: A Memoir of Deafness and Africa By Josh Swiller • Signs by Anna Martin

• Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture by Carol Padden & Tom Humphries • Different Ways of Being by Alan Balter • El Deafo by Cece Bell • Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language by Nora Ellen Groce • I’ll Scream Later by Marlee Matlin • Introduction to American Deaf Culture by Thomas K. Holcomb • Inside Deaf Culture by Carol A Padden • Movers & Shakers: Deaf People Who Changed the World By Cathryn Carroll

• TRAIN GO SORRY: Inside a Deaf World by Leah Hager Cohen

Pop Culture and Media: Documentaries • Deaf Jam • A story about a deaf student in New York, and her journey into the ASL Slam poetry scene • Through Deaf Eyes • Exploring nearly 200 years of Deaf life in America from the perspective of deaf citizens. • See What I’m Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary • A comic, a drummer, an actor and singer are followed as they attempt to cross over into mainstream media. • Audism Unveiled • A documentary showing how audism does lasting and harmful damage to deaf people. • Sound and Fury • Explores the tensions in the deaf community around the use of cochlear implants.

Fictional Media

Theater:

• Alexander Hamilton in ASL • Spring Awakening on Broadway! Movies and TV: • This revival used both hearing • Switched at Birth and deaf actors • No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie • Intro to Deaf Theater • America’s Next Top Model: Cycle 22 • Tribes • Dancing with the Stars: Season 22 • A play about a deaf man born • Deaf TV Online into a hearing family • Comprehensive list of Deaf Movies

Still from Spring Awakening

Cochlear Implants and the Deaf Community Cochlear Implants are one of history of Deaf people. the most controversial topics in the Much of what the Deaf Deaf community today. Cochlear community has experienced can be Implants are surgically implanted explained by Assimilation Theory. This hearing devices that connect directly to theory “posits that the absorption of the brain, and use a microphone to immigrant cultures into the mainstream intake sound. For a lot of Deaf folks born is inevitable.” It often implies that the into hearing families in the last “non-mainstream cultures are few decades cochlear implants are maladaptive, deficient, or not as good as often suggested as a way to “fix” the mainstream culture.” (Kulis 82) For child born deaf. Frequently, after a much of the United States history, it has child is given a cochlear implant, they been acceptable and even encouraged are then pushed into educational to push deaf and hard of hearing people programs that champion being able to to be more like hearing people. It is has speak English, and often discourage or been long believed that they are altogether leave out ASL. Many people somehow broken and need to be fixed. might ask why is this such a bad thing? Even if Deaf people themselves don’t To truly understand why this might be believe this. upsetting, you have to understand the

For much of the history of set of assumptions and actions that Deaf people, hearing people have come with having one. discouraged their use of sign language, With my own sister, Nicole, she and held lip reading and speaking as was born deaf, and given a cochlear the most important things a Deaf implant at the age of 3. She was put into person can learn. The discouragement a mainstream oral program, and stayed of sign language left a lot of deaf kids there until she was 11. I watched her struggling to keep up, and denied them struggle for years trying to keep up with access to a language they could her classes, and feeling isolated from the understand fully. This often impeded other students in her school. Her ability deaf kids ability to learn class materials to communicate her feelings and and they often fell behind in school. thoughts in English was incredibly Many Deaf folks who learn sign language limited, even at home. It wasn’t until we later in life often lament not learning it switched her to a school that used sign sooner, and can feel bitter about all of language as it’s main mode of the information they simply didn’t have communication that we saw her access to because of language barriers. blossom. For many, Cochlear Implants themselves aren’t the problem, but the

While the cochlear implant certainly helps her navigate the hearing world, they were not the solution they were sold to my family as. Even with it, she misses a lot of information and struggles to communicate. If there is a lot of background noise, or you aren’t facing her, or you mumble then she will miss what’s being said. If it’s over a loudspeaker, or whispered, she’ll have no idea. The cochlear helps, but it wasn’t until she was given sign language to communicate that she really began to learn about the world around her, and feel like she could fully participate in school and in everyday after school activities like sports and theater.

Cochlear Implants are disliked because they position deaf people as needing fixed. It is often used as a tool to prevent deaf people from accessing their Deaf cultural heritage and learning American Sign Language. For hearing folks, they assume that someone who is deaf would of course want to hear if given the chance. However, for many Deaf folks, they would see this as a loss, not a gain. For many, though not all, they see their deafness as adding so much to their lives, and they wouldn’t be hearing even if they had the chance.

For more information: Because this controversy is way too hard to summarize in such a short essay, here are some other voices, both pro and con, on the use of Cochlear Implants. • • • • • • • •

Cochlear Implant Wikipedia Oralism Wikipedia Understanding Deafness: Not everyone wants to be 'fixed" Science Gave My Son the Gift of Sound The Cochlear Implant Controversy Reflections of Deaf Mothers on Cochlear Implants for Their Children Cochlear Implants, The Deaf Culture, and Ethics Deaf Community Pros and Cons of Cochlear Implant