Saturday, May 29, 2010

Flashback: Problems of Deaf in Communications











Letters to Editor - St. Louis Post Dispatch - November 22, 1989, Wednesday Edition

Problems of Deaf

I am not happy about the comments made recently by Richard G. Stoker, who now runs the Central Institute for the Deaf, on the sign language issue.

American Sign Language should not be looked down on as a poor alternative in communication. It is not the sign language that narrows the scope of life of deaf people. It is the hearing people who engineered the ongoing problems of deafness. They would not let the deaf people have their own destiny or say in issues related to deafness.

Ninety-eight percent of the graduates of the institute do use and know American Sign Language. Oral communication does not solve the problems of deafness alone. We need to combine sign language with oralism to make total communication more feasible for deaf persons around the world.

While only a few benefit from oralism, the greater need for the majority of the deaf community is total communication, combining oralism and sign language.

We need to continue to advocate the right of the unspoken majority of the deaf community who lack the use of oralism. American Sign Language is a true bridge between deaf and hearing people.

Paul J Kiel
St. Louis






*Updated: 05-29-2010:

I was going through files for some papers. I came across the article from the newspaper. I notice it was 21 years ago and some views have changed. I believe bi-bi approach is better. It is entirely up to each deaf individual to choose what method. Remember that oralism is still a false facade of audism. It was 130 years ago that hearing people domineered the deaf education. It is proven twice in 1965 and 1988 that oral education has failed many deaf children. It is the truth!


Monday, May 24, 2010

"It takes a Deaf village to make a Deaf individual successful!"










"It takes a Deaf village to make a Deaf individual successful!

We need to promote and advocate for social changes. It requires commitment and loyalty to make this process work."

Paul Kiel - 2005




Lately, I have been observing a lot of blogs and vlogs with all kinds of people from all walks of life. It is interesting how the system is audistic due to many different viewpoints. There is already oppression happening in some groups.

It reminds me of having a bucket of crabs. Try watching how crabs fight to get out of the bucket. Try applying this to yourself and your friends and others you think are against you.

It is sad day for the community when no one cares! I see some people laughing in others' faces and put them down with thoughtless and selfish actions. It is a fact of matter that the deaf community has been oppressed for so long. The system needs to be adapted to make it a better life.

It takes a Deaf village to make a D/deaf individual successful. We need to promote and advocate for social changes. It requires commitment and loyalty to make this process work.

Can you do that?


Monday, May 17, 2010

FLASHBACK: Infamous Milan 1880's Resolutions that harm the Deaf!



* This shows how greedy and selfish hearing people were and still are to this day! This is why oralism is a false facade. Read each resolution and see how profound it has affected the Deaf community for almost 130 years. We need to reverse those resolutions and put it on the right track. This is audism and how it affected us. It all started on September 11, 1880!

The Eight Resolutions

1. The Convention, considering the incontestable superiority of articulation over signs in restoring the deaf-mute to society and giving him a fuller knowledge of language, declares that the oral method should be preferred to that of signs in education and the instruction of deaf-mutes.

Passed 160 to 4

2. The Convention, considering that the simultaneous use of articulation and signs has the disadvantage of injuring articulation and lip-reading and the precision of ideas, declares that the pure oral method should be preferred.

Passed 150 to 16

3. Considering that a great number of the deaf and dumb are not receiving the benefit of instruction, and that this condition is owing to the impotence of families and of institutions, recommends that governments should take the necessary steps that all the deaf and dumb may be educated.

Passed unanimously.

4. Considering that the teaching of the speaking deaf by the Pure Oral method should resemble as much as possible that of those who hear and speak, declares

a) That the most natural and effectual means by which the speaking deaf may acquire the knowledge of language is the "intuitive" method, viz., that which consists in setting forth, first by speech, and then by writing the objects and the facts which are placed before the eyes of the pupils.

b) That in the first, or maternal, period the deaf-mute ought to be led to the observation of grammatical forms by means of examples and of practical exercises, and that in the second period he ought to be assisted to deduce from these examples the grammatical rules, expressed with the utmost simplicity and clearness.

c) That books, written with words and in forms of language known to the pupil, can be put into his hands at any time.

Motion carried.

5. Considering the want of books sufficiently elementary to help the gradual and progressive development of language, recommends that the teachers of the Oral system should apply themselves to the publication of special works on the subject.

Motion carried.

6. Considering the results obtained by the numerous inquiries made concerning the deaf and dumb of every age and every condition long after they had quit school, who, when interrogated upon various subjects, have answered correctly, with sufficient clearness of articulation, and read the lips of their questioners with the greatest facility, declares

a) That the deaf and dumb taught by the Pure Oral method do not forget after leaving school the knowledge which they have acquired there, but develop it still further by conversation and reading, when have been made so easy for them.

b) That in their conversation with speaking persons they make use exclusively of speech.

c) That speech and lip-reading so far from being lost, are developed by practice.

Motion carried.

7. Considering that the education of the deaf and dumb by speech has peculiar requirements; considering also that the experienced of teachers of deaf-mutes is almost unanimous, declares

a) That the most favourable age for admitting a deaf child into school is from eight to ten years.

b) That the school term ought to be seven years at least; but eight years would be preferable.

c) That no teacher can effectually teach a class of more than ten children on the Pure Oral method.

Motion carried.

8. Considering that the application of the Pure Oral method in institutions where it is not yet in active operation, should be to avoid the certainty of failure prudent, gradual, progressive, recommends

a) That the pupils newly received into the schools should form a class by themselves, where instruction could be given by speech.

b) That these pupils should be absolutely separated from others too far advanced to be instructed by speech, and whose education will be completed by signs.

c) That each year a new speaking class be established, until all the old pupils taught by signs have completed their education.

Motion carried.




Those audists have undone what Laurent Clerc, Thomas H. Gallaudet, Alice Cogswell and others have put together. The Deaf Community were successful until 1880. They even had the gall to throw deaf teachers from every school in the Union.....What do you think they are? Hearing were barbarians and selfish!