Models of deafness

understanding of deaf culture (as an entity) and in relation to the majority-hearing world. Deafness, similar to homosexuality, is more than a disease or a condition – medically diagnosed or not. Deafness is indicative of an experience particular to a specific marginalized group. How can anyone attempt to answer the beginning questions if they have not been exposed to those who fall into said categories (in this case deafness)? Similar to any beginning…

Going to a deaf event has helped me in my understanding of Deaf culture and language. It has also helped me to realize the importance of what we learn in class. Observing and interacting with people who are deaf was for me an amazing experience, which I believe greatly benefited my learning of American Sign Language (ASL). This experience was a great addition to my learning and helped me to better understand what I was being taught. As many believe it the best way to learn is to do. I learned a…

When you sit back and think about life, there are many similarities that you have with others. This is something that you may not know until you talk with someone or read a book. I had the chance to read Silence by Natasha Preston. I only read the first book which is part of a series. When I first started, there were many things that made me think twice about reading it. After getting into the book, I realized that something interesting is going on or had happened so I wanted to investigate. The…

The autobiography of deaf actor Bernard Bragg is inspiring, riveting, and heartwarming. The internationally renown actor, playwright, director, and lecturer helped found the National Theater of the Deaf, starred in his own television show “The Quiet Man” and traveled worldwide to teach his acting methods and life lessons. With his dream of becoming an actor and the beauty of sign language he accomplished his goal and then some. Despite the efforts of certain peers and professionals to deflect…

otherwise wouldn’t be able to hear each other (qtd. in Hallett). In the process of learning Sign Language, one also can learn about deaf culture. Quite a few people in the deaf community are passionate about their history and take pride in their deafness. Vicky Hallett believes that words can fail and that when they do, ASL is a great resource. Along with interacting with the deaf, people who know Sign Language can talk to each other without the fear of eavesdroppers and communicate through…

Deaf Culture is an entirely different world in itself. I have been submerged in Deaf Culture from the time that I was very small so it feels mostly normal to me. For a long time, the hearing people around me were the “culture shock” and not the Deaf Culture. As I became older, it became easier for me to see the vast differences between the two and ultimately grow an appreciation for both worlds. Since I can’t give an interesting ‘a-ha’ story, I will explain what I think is fascinating about Deaf…

The event I attended was a one time lecture held at the University of Pennsylvania on October 10 from 5:00-6:30. The lecture was a presentation of the research done by Erin Wilkinson, a Linguistics professor with the University of Manitoba. The research presented specifically focused on how lexical information (concepts) are processed in the minds of Deaf adults and children as compared to their hearing counterparts. Information about this event was presented on the syllabus of this course.…

“Through Deaf Eyes” is an eye-opening movie about the world and culture of deaf people. It made me question my previous thoughts and opinions about deaf people and the differences in “Earth” and “Eyeth.” My personal perceptions were altered quite drastically in terms of how some deaf people perceive themselves and the attitudes hearing people have towards them. Many deaf people do not see themselves as having a problem in need of fixing, they just accept it as a trait. Alternately, many hearing…

Language Deprivation Syndrome Sanjay Gulati is a medical doctor who has been working with Deaf children for over 20 years in the state of Massachusetts. In his lecture, Language Deprivation Syndrome, he went into detail about what causes Language Deprivation Syndrome (LDS), Theory of Mind (ToM) and if assistive devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants actually help avoid these issue. These topics were of great interest to me since I am going into the medical field and do not have any…

The topics of the video are all related to one another and fit into the context of our course material. It is said in the book that the deaf people managed to create their own fascinating world: “a vibrant community and its associated culture.”() Both the video and the textbook describe the main issue that deaf people are to face. Nonetheless, they keep up the optimistic appearance and do their best to exude self-confidence. In spite of their hearing disorder, these people are proud to be deaf.…