Comments on: Against ASL and Deaf Culture

By: Former ASLisRisen

Former ASLisRisen — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:01:40 +0000

Karen, To let you know that I have NOT label you as MOLE (SPY). From what I already learned that there were Deaf spy because of the commenters that I learn from this link:

http://www.deafvideo.tv/video/watch/30197/

Karen I have NOT use your name as a MOLE!!!

By: Stanelle Yodere

Stanelle Yodere — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:17:22 +0000

after spending years teaching deaf and deaf blind children just to communicate,..my only comment is that I am for COMMUNICATION in any form,..which exposes a child early on to LANGUAGE!!

I will temper this statement with the statement that I have a strong bias towards manual communication early on for deaf, HOH,..and hearing children. My own hearing son, who was taught signs as a baby,..picked up language EARLY on and was reading at a seventh grade level in the second grade…(seven years old!!)

Imagine what ANY child would become without LANGUAGE..of any sort! These folks exist. I’ve worked with such people.

EVERYONE, ASL signers or oralists,..or those who favor CI’s,..should be most worried about explaining the “facts of Life,” to Hearing parents..early on..concerning their deaf children learning how to communicate..in ANY language!!

By: Don G.

Don G. — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:57:59 +0000

By the way, happy Thanksgiving to you too!

By: Don G.

Don G. — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:57:31 +0000

It could be expressed in ways such as saying to be able to speak is better than to sign, or to sign in an English manner is better than to sign in ASL, or more subtle ways. I’m not saying that they have audist attitudes, just because they have different political views, but that audist attitudes have “infected” us all (and I’m counting myself in here — I have caught myself (or been caught) making statements or expressing things in a way that have put Hearing values over Deaf values by process of omission or stress, etc.). We can treasure ASL, but still not realize that some of the things we think about it are a result of audist teachings.

By: Mishka Zena

Mishka Zena — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:43:48 +0000

I think I do get your point, Don, however, I don’t agree with your perspective. These people are very much in support of ASL and Deaf Culture. Just because they have different political views don’t indicate that they have ‘audist’ attitudes toward ASL, Deaf Culture, and Deaf ways, etc. As far as I am aware, these people are very much involved in the Deaf Community and are also teaching ASL to hearing people, promoting ASL, too. They treasure ASL, too. So please tell us how can that be dysconscious audism?

Happy Thanksgiving, Don.

By: Don G.

Don G. — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:28:20 +0000

I’d just like to say in connection with the original comments on here that a person can be an ASL user, but still express opinions that are negative towards ASL. This is because many of us have dysconscious audism; we have internalized audist attitudes toward ASL, Deaf Culture, Deaf ways, Deaf people, etc. We may not realize that some of the things that we may be saying are in fact negative towards our own lives. So, I would not say that the people you may be talking about are “anti ASL” (some may actually be, I’d need more concrete examples), but just that they have internalized the audist values against ASL and Deaf people and are re-expressing those audist values.

By: Karen Mayes

Karen Mayes — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:51:12 +0000

All right, that is your opinion. I am NOT into bashing, and you have no experience with Hear Indiana like I do.

The main point I was making is that internet brought us together, even some of us for AGBell and still use ASL… it should NOT divide us. You are against AGBell, fine. I am cool with AGBell, and it should not be a problem unless someone makes it a problem. That is the point of Mishka’s blog.

Okay, happy Thanksgiving.

By: ASLRisen

ASLRisen — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:25:20 +0000

Karen, AGBell still no work! {seesmic_video:{“url_thumbnail”:{“value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/Uo97cWoOiW_th1.jpg”}”title”:{“value”:”Karen, AGBell still no work! ”}”videoUri”:{“value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/S3IHVRbsIQ”}}}

By: Karen Mayes

Karen Mayes — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:52:06 +0000

Shawn…

Hmmm… thanks to Facebook, I have been in touch with some old friends and they all use ASL. In fact, the majority of my graduating class from CID use ASL.

I have two children who are mainstreamed in public schools (as well as one child who attends ISD on a part time basis) and they are doing great… we use ASL at home. I have sent my son to AGBell sponsored summer camps and my son says that many campers were aware of ASL and used it at the camp and the leaders were pretty cool about it. They even offered an ASL interpreter for my son who declined the offer. My son’s former Teacher of the Deaf who was one of the directors of Hear Indiana (AGBell chapter) believed in advocating ASL for deaf babies… that was BEFORE DBC was set up. Even Hear Indiana has good resources for helping mainstreaming to succeed. When we spoke about AGBell conference last year, she stated that the conference was targeted to the audience which was mostly hearing. Again, the issue is audience, but it has nothing to do with Mishka’s blog.

That is why I believe that we are LUCKY to be living in this time where a wealth of information is right at our fingers. I believe that the Deaf Community is MORE exciting, more thriving, etc., thanks to technology. If not for technology, I would have never met you, Mishka, Paotie, Aidan Mack, even Rachel Chakof and her mom, Melissa, etc. online. Thanks to the internet, the Deaf community is a bit MORE inclusive, which is very nice, right?

By: ASLRisen

ASLRisen — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:41:42 +0000

MZ??? sorry I make you confuse??? {seesmic_video:{“url_thumbnail”:{“value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/ES4YFuw4mI_th1.jpg”}”title”:{“value”:”MZ??? sorry I make you confuse??? ”}”videoUri”:{“value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/qmVpczBdsg”}}}