Deaf Awareness Quiz Discussion This is to discuss about the quiz. We will learn more about Deaf history SOON.

Don’t worry if you look at your quiz and was like “YIKES!”. I personally don’t like the answers on the quiz. There are too many (Circle that apply) and vague answers. So, we will discuss about the answers on the quiz. You probably want to take notes.

American Sign Language is a language capable of expressing any abstract idea and utilizing space and movement to convey meaning. It is NOT a code for any other language. Nationwide, only 10% of Deaf people have Deaf parents. How many percentage of Deaf people have hearing parents? For many years, especially after the 1880 Milan Convention, American Sign Language and Deaf culture has been passed on to Deaf people from generation to generation through Deaf schools (Residential Schools for the Deaf) The role of facial expressions, head movements and eye gaze in ASL is grammatical. They are important parts of conversations in ASL. When you watch a Deaf person sign, make sure you focus on his/her face, not his/her hands. American Sign Language uses the space in front of the signer’s body to convey distance, contrast two people, places, things and/or ideas as well as express time concepts.

If you saw two Deaf people sign with each other, you should go ahead and walk through. It won’t interrupt their conversation. However, you can find another path if there are plenty of space to walk around them. Lip reading and speech is the LEAST EFFECTIVE communication strategy between Deaf and hearing people. Hearing people are encouraged to learn ASL to maintain a clear communication between Deaf and hearing people. Talking without signing in front of Deaf people and looking at a signed conversation without letting them know you know American Sign Language are considered RUDE in Deaf community. Deaf community values group cohesiveness, being kept informed about the community and its members, as well as governing their own affairs. The only term that is culturally appropriate to identify Deaf people would be DEAF. Hearing impaired is the formal word used by professionals such as doctors. Deaf people faced discrimination for years. Most of them are on job hiring and promotion, getting a driver’s license, fair insurance rates, decent housing and access to public services, information and entertainment.

Fingerspelling is mostly used to spell brand names and give names of people and places. To get the attention of a Deaf person looking the other way (close), you can always TAP him/her on the shoulder. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) fought for the rights of Deaf people to adopt children, maintain Deaf teachers in elementary, middle and high school levels, as well as using ASL in the classroom. (and succeed!) The biggest purpose of the Deaf President Now! Protest rally at Gallaudet University in March 1988 was to assure that Deaf people be placed in top level decision-making positions (Deaf president, 51% majority in Board of Trustees) ASL is related to French Sign Language. ASL is used by most Deaf people in the United States and Canada.