Comments on: Through Deaf Eyes: Videoclips/Transcript

By: Sharon Johnson

Sharon Johnson — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 16:04:23 +0000

I thought the issue of litercy was not addressed.
The guy at the end expressed the importance of reading to gain knowlege.But none of the parents or deaf adults commented on the failure of Deaf Educators to improve Reading and writing competency.

By: Amy

Amy — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 02:15:55 +0000

I agree with many comments on this site, no matter which side of the fence. I agree…PBS should have spent much more time on each position and focused a lot more on history. I envisioon a 5 part series or something. And let us all remember that auditory-oral and ASL are not the only 2 options out there. Others should be covered as well for the coverage to be fair and non-bias. This, of course, means that Gallaudet should not be involved in the making of a true documentary, Clarke-type schools either.

I do need to comment on one thing. Many of you wrote about the poorer quality of speech that Clarke graduates possess. I agree. Adults who went to auditory oral schools years ago had hearing aids that weren’t exactly the best, technolgically. Yes, they heard speech, and they produced it like they heard it.

Kids now are identified earlier, implanted earlier with much better devices… technologically speaking. They are learning language and speech earlier and IT IS within that important language learning window. They are producing it like they hear it.
And damn it.
They sound good.

This is another thing completely missing from that documentary. That segment with Patrick & his parents skimmed by a bit, but otherwise, it was missing.

Overall, though, Yay to PBS for introducing the topic to it’s viewers.

By: Jean Boutcher

Jean Boutcher — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 18:35:05 +0000

MZ,

In the fourth passage of your commentary, you write
“prelingually deaf people”.

ASL is a real and true language of deaf people
(Stokoe, 1965). Therefore, deaf people who use ASL are not prelingual. English is deaf people’s second language. They are bilingual while most hearing Americans are monolingual. Or worse yet, semi-lingual according to the findings by NEWSWEEK in May 2004.

By: Dianrez

Dianrez — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 16:49:17 +0000

This two hour documenary crammed too much into too little time…the diversity that is in our little community far outstrips its size.

It was okay with me until the CI segment, which seemed to me suddently tacked on as an afterthought and, like the rest of the documentary, was not fully explored.

All said, it was an important documentary because it is one of a very few to present issues generally as Deaf people, not hearing people see them. Kudos, PBS!

(And it was so nice to see many familiar faces again…unsettlingly, many looking much older since I had not seen some in twenty or more years! Good grief, I am older than some of them!!!)

PBS, more of this, please! And try to keep it to one issue per show, so that each can be explored thoroughly in the ways they impact the Deaf community.

By: Ken Rose

Ken Rose — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:00:07 +0000

The point of the film was to try to explain Deaf History and Deaf Culture to Hearing people. And to that end, I think they did a MAGNIFICENT job. Of course, most Deaf people will find all this stuff old hat. You KNOW Deaf History and Deaf Culture. Most Hearing people (like me) do NOT.

Itâ€™s NEVER been talked about in the Main-Stream Media. Hearing people donâ€™t know about the cruel imposition of Oralism, what it actually entails to go through AVT, the persecution of Sign, the validity of ASL as a true language, the vibrancy and richness of the Deaf Community. Thatâ€™s NEVER been televised before. EVER!!!

Dennis L. Simpson’s point is INVALUABLE! Audism is perpetuated by IGNORANCE. Hearies never get to see Deaf History nor experience Deaf Culture. Once exposed, the LIES and BIASES that foster Deaf oppression can start to melt away.

I KNOW because I HELD these views and just learning a bit about Deaf History and Deaf Culture turned me around 180Â°.

It reinforces what I’ve always felt. The key to defeating Audism isn’t bitching and moaning about it. Nor trying to make it more palatable to Hearies.

It’s about presenting your TRUE SELVES over and over into “main stream” culture. Look at African-American Culture and Gay Culture in the 20th Century and how they stood up to oppression by showing the POSITIVE contributions they could make.

I think Deaf Culture has A LOT to teach us Hearies. SAY IT! SCREAM IT! And Audism will vanish before your eyes.

By: Jean Boutcher

Jean Boutcher — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:28:17 +0000

My cousin has said that most Clarke alumni’s voices are not understood and said that Clarke alumni should have been told honestly to use interpreters or to learn sign language so they would not have to experience humiliation of some people who make fun of their voices behind their backs. She has also said that hearing viewers, including hearing parents of deaf children would understand why learning ASL is of utmost importantance.

By: Bea

Bea — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 03:55:22 +0000

My opinion: Too much emphasis on cochlear implant and not enough on Deaf History, like Martha Vineyard where deaf and hearing people were equals and origins of ASL.

By: Diane

Diane — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 02:37:33 +0000

Awesome job PBS … Think of before and after the AGB’s incident. It is terribly sad to see many Deaf teachers were fired after the ASL was banned in schools. Lack of role models and many more. Oppression is big issue for all of us many years ago. If AGB wasn’t existed at that time maybe my life would be different? Who knows.
In Massachusetts, ASL was finally allowed in school in 1978!

By: Virginia L. Beach

Virginia L. Beach — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 01:36:51 +0000

I agree with you, MZ…I thought it was well done and well balanced. Such a program will naturally have to show all sides, and we don’t have to agree with all of them.

Overall, I thought as a way of opening up society’s understanding of the Deaf Community, it achieved its goal.

Good job, PBS!

By: Mishka Zena

Mishka Zena — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 01:28:56 +0000

Milan Conference is very important due to its devastating impact on the Deaf Community.

A good documentary will cover all side, rather than one part which will make it biased. The title “Through Deaf Eyes” means through any deaf people’s eyes, not just culturally deaf people’s eyes. For someone who wants a Culturally Deaf documentary, yes, the person will be disappointed. On the other hand, oral deaf people are probably not too happy about this show, either.

The pathological view of deafness in the second part unfortunately reflects the current trend. A large percentage of children and babies are already fitted with cochlear implants. Not to cover this aspect leaves the documentary seriously flawed. However, covering this modern trend doesn’t neceassarily indicates PBS shares this pathological view.

The documentary is designed to educate the hearing people ignorant of the whole world of deaf people, their culture, and history.

Of course there would be many who disagrees with me. And that is ok.