Deaf Children Frustrated with Family Communication Revisited

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Deaf Children Frustrated with Family Communication Revisited:

I would like to revisit that issue laid out by "deafness.about.com" website by Jamie Berke on December 9, 2008. I responded to that topic.

I believe it is important that we focus on getting the community educated about our choices and how they can work with us. I simply ask that the bridge be open between the deaf and hearing. It even means that we have rules in communication. I studied communications as my major. I remembered picking that up while at NTID. It was often discussed.

Years later, I pursued my degree in Communication at University of Missouri - St. Louis. It helped me give insights into hearing communications. There are not enough information in deaf communications to apply within. The issue remains the hearing are focused on hearing matters. They lack the sense of understanding of deaf communications as well as deaf matters. They try to be pathological and try to fix what they think is "broken". It is NOT the case. It is still audism due to ignorance and selfishness.

The professors were wonderful during the learning years and they tried to understand my perspective about deaf communications. It was challenging looking at both hearing and deaf communications. I did appreciate them for making me think differently when observing both communication issues.

More to come soon.

My response below was in that blog about Deaf Children and family communication dated December 10, 2008.

"A visual language is a bridge between deaf and hearing worlds.

This is something we can focus on, advocate for the rights and educate the public.

Family communication is important despite my frustrations with my family while growing up. I was raised oralist until I discovered ASL. I fell in love with ASL so it has been a journey trying to cut down audism in all walks of life. It is everywhere!

We need education to reduce audism and we need laws with teeth in them to protect our rights and culture.

There were always miscommunication, attitudinal barriers, surfism, ego trips, selfishness, ignorance and whatever you label it in the past.

Let’s put AG Bell and his cronies in the past and we can resolve to do more at present and be prepared for the future.

Rub your elbows with politicians in your hometowns. It is time to educate them and have them on our sides to protect our proud culture. It is not a hard thing to do. The politicians are human like us.

The future is what we make it.

Let’s chart a new course!

Let’s pick up where we left off on September 11, 1880 and move on!

It is time to use our resources to reduce audism, colonialism and paternalism.

Sincerely,

Paul"

*”Audism spreads while good deaf people do nothing!”
-Paul Kiel

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