Thinking Deaf Artists
Is America a good place for Deaf artists? Is the American Deaf community supportive of its artists? A few months ago I was told one of my students might not get the opportunity to study photography at the college of her choice. Why? Because her chosen major is in an arts field, and she was [...]
Institution Nationale des Sourds a’ Paris
Before heading to the World Federation of the Deaf Congress in Madrid, Spain, I went to Paris, France to visit famous landmarks such as the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and Versailles. On the third day, I decided to visit the Institution Nationale des Sourds a’ Paris, the Deaf institute where Laurent Clerc studied under the [...]
A Litmus Test – How Do We Fix Deaf Education?
Recently there has been a very cool stream of articles that I feel show a trend of looking for answers in the Deaf community… most recently from “Who’s the Authority on Deaf Culture” to “Dreaming Future Schools” (among a few others that popped up). I keep reading about a range of people, from those who say [...]
A Call to Help Deaf People in Florida
I wonder about the future of services for deaf people in Florida. I came to Florida in search of a job in the mental health field (working with deaf clients). I was surprised at what I found there. I had travelled to the localities of Clearwater, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach. I was shocked [...]
“Our” Failures? Hell, No
Jonathan Henner claims to be writing an article entirely about numbers (which means no opinions, right?), but with a title like “Numbering Our Flaws,” it’s hard to believe him: he’s putting the responsibility on the Deaf community. Our kids have educational problems, he seems to be saying, and it’s our fault: our focus should be [...]
Deaf Education: Numbering Our Flaws
This is an article about numbers. It does not purport to be anything else. I will delineate numbers that varying researchers spent quite a bit of time gathering, and then I will discuss them briefly and draw connections to the potential political consequences of having the numbers listed define our reality. It is my personal [...]
Dreaming Future Schools
Deaf people who are teachers think about the nature of education a lot, I think. I certainly do. I see all kinds of viewpoints, even today. There are people who say that the point of educating Deaf people is that they can learn to communicate in English, which is patently ridiculous; there’s enough bobbleheads spouting [...]
The Great Argument
I think there’s a point at which language and language choices need to lose the political aspect they currently get tagged with in the Deaf community. It belongs in a wider category: our holistic health as individuals and as a community. I think that when both Deaf and hearing communities move away from the view [...]
Observations on Frustration (Part II)
(Continued from Part I) Gallaudet is many things, but it is also a target. And an excuse. It absolutely does not matter anymore what Gallaudet actually does or doesn’t do… “That’s Gallaudet” rules the day. Overtly greasy cafeteria pizza? No other university in the United States could possibly serve such a thing! Too much paperwork to [...]
Hearing Space, A Conversation Among Deaf Writers
It was reported, though unconfirmed, that a proposal was made for the development of a “Hearing Space” on Gallaudet’s campus. It is unknown at the moment who made the proposal or how seriously it is being considered, but the mere mention of the idea was enough to spark a conversation among several deaf writers. Among [...]