History Through Deaf Eyes Film Analysis

Decent Essays
Deaf culture is truly amazing. It has spread all across the world, traveling near and far. In the film History Through Deaf Eyes, you can see the changes and the acceptance that the world has created for deaf people over the years. Society has changed and become more accepting of others. Deaf people are normal people. They may have a handicap, but that does not hinder their learning or communication. Personally, I find it amazing that ASL has grown the way it has. It is in every ethnic group and region of the United States, not to mention how much it has spread globally. Before I watched History Through Deaf Eyes, I thought that not very many people knew someone who was deaf, but after I realized that deaf culture reaches a countless amount …show more content…
I find it stunning at how many dialects are around the world but then I remember that ASL is just like any other language, it spreads and changes. People sign things differently which makes it unique to everyone. At deaf boarding schools, the students become a family. They support one another and are closely interlinked. I like the fact that the students become so close that they create name signs for one another. I recently just watched a film in one of my other classes, The Miracle Worker, that is a memoir of Helen Keller and is focused on her time with Anne Sullivan. When I watched the film, I thought of History Through Deaf Eyes and how much ASL has changed. American Sign Language is such a powerful tool. It is amazing at how far Helen Keller has come with the help of Anne Sullivan. Newspapers, a sign I learned watching the film, are created for deaf people. I think this is really neat because it shows advancements in the language; there are newspapers in other languages, so I like that there is one specifically for deaf people. While I have never read one, so I do not know what would be included in a deaf newspaper, I like that there is something all of their own even if it may be written in english. Schools are a great way to learn …show more content…
For example, there is an oral deaf school where no sign language is used it is based on auditory and visual learning. The main focus at these schools is that the students learn how to talk and lip read while having access to hearing aids and cochlear implants. Students are forbidden, a sign I learned in the movie, to use sign language. Personally, I believe that this is not a good way to teach deaf children. I believe that you should embrace your differences but I can also see where other people come from. Students at these schools may want to hear and talk like a normal person but from watching the video, I do not believe that there are many deaf people like this. I was very surprised when I learned that students were taught this way. What if they do not excel? What if they do not understand what they are being taught? I believe that every deaf child should learn ASL so they have the freedom to choose whether or not they want to use sign language. On the other hand there is the Maryland School for Deaf which teaches children just sign language. I like that sign language is how deaf students learn. It is something that is unique and such a special skill, not everyone can do it. I admire how despite a deaf student 's “disability”, they learn normal classes. So what if they cannot hear? It should not hinder their learning at all. American Sign Language is such an awesome

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