Welcome to the Deaf World Key Concepts

Deaf World Introductions First and last name, fingerspelled Where from What residential school/school for the deaf Deaf Family/Hearing Family Association in the Deaf World Attended Gallaudet University

Hearing to Deaf Introductions First and last name Where you learn sign Who is your sign teacher Is your teacher Deaf/hoh/hearing Any Deaf family Why you are learning sign

Deaf Culture differs from other world cultures There is no “ home-land” Members of this culture acquire the language and cultural knowledge at various ages, some not until adolescence or adulthood. Very few members learned the language & culture from their parents.(only 10% have Deaf parents) Most members learn the language & culture from other Deaf children at schools for the Deaf.

Membership in the Deaf World Requires fluency and skill in ASL Requires knowledge of Deaf-World behaviors, norms, values, beliefs and concerns,history and their literature. Significant hearing loss is not required, people with slight loss can be members, even hearing people with the above skills are included in many Deaf-World events.

When and How ASL and Deaf Culture is learned About 10% of the members learn from infancy, from their Deaf parents. Some enter preschool or Kindergarten programs in Deaf Schools, where they learn from Deaf teachers and other Deaf Children Some transfer to Deaf Schools at some point during school age, where they learn from Deaf Children and Deaf Staff members. A small number find there way to the Deaf- World after leaving the public education system.

Language Skills Vary Because not all were exposed to the language in the first 2 years of life, when language learning is critical. Learning a language later in life is more difficult, it’s harder to develop native fluency in 2nd languages.

Are Hearing People Welcomed in the Deaf-World? Depends on their level of ASL skill and fluency. Depends on their knowledge of Deaf Ways Depends on their attitude and respect towards Deaf people and their culture. If you think they are handicapped/disabled and need your help you are not welcome.

What’s a TTY, How does it work? A TTY is a Teletypewriter used by Deaf people to make phone calls. Regular phones are hooked to the TTY, the phone number is dialed and the conversation takes place in print, read on a LCD screen. A relay call can be made through an operator to connect a Deaf-Hearing phone call..

Deaf World Members 10%Deaf people with Deaf Parents (Jake) 90%Deaf people with Hearing Parents These parents may send their child to a Deaf School at a young age (3-6) where the children learn sign, or to a public school where sign language is used. The parents may send the children to a public or private school that doesn’t use sign and the children must try to lipread and speak.

Family Backgrounds Deaf children with Deaf parents learn ASL in a natural, first language experience. These children usually have better language and overall perform better because of early and successful communication experiences

Deaf Children with Hearing Parents A small number of hearing parents chose sign language as the communication method when they discover their child is deaf. This often isn’t until the child is 1-2 years old. Language acquisition is slightly delayed, but generally the children and the parents have adequate communication.

Deaf Children with Hearing Parents Some parents send the young deaf child to a school program with other deaf children.. The children acquire sign skills, but the parents only acquire a few very basic signs. Communication between parent and child may be limited to the most basic concepts. Eat, No, etc. This is potentially damaging to the child as he/she grows up as there is much exclusion from everyday family interaction.

Deaf Children with Hearing Parents Some parents believe in order to “survive” in the world of hearing people, a Deaf child must be able to lipread and speak. They don’t use signing of any type. They don’t want the deaf child to sign.This is potentially very risky. The deaf child may never speak or lipread well. Even those who “master” this are often missing an enormous amount of information. Yhey may become angry and resentful of being denied signing which would have been clear and meaningful for them.

Speaking and Lipreading In the Deaf-World, where the language is ASL, speaking and lipreading are of no value. The people use sign, not speech. Lipreading and speaking may help some deaf people interact in the world of hearing people. Using voice and lipreading is NOT using ASL.