Mask Of Benevolence - Disabling the Deaf Community

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There are approximately 1.5 to 2 million people who use ASL as their primary language, Making it our nation's most prevalent indigenous Language.Yet it has no offical recognition in the federal government.Deaf History, like many minority groups, is a history of oppression.Family DogSusan DuporDeaf people are often forbidden to use their own language Pathology Susan DuporInstead they are forced to learn a language they will never be able to speak.

Time Line

• In America there were 26 institutions for the education of deaf children in ASL.
• 1878 The First World Congress to Improve the Welfare of the Deaf and the Blind took place. No deaf people were allowed to attend.
• 1880 Second Congress took place. Once again, the views of deaf people were ignored. The hearing group affirmed that only oral instruction could fully restore deaf people to society. The Final Congress on the education of deaf children took place.It was decided that Oralism should be the only system taught to deaf students.
• 1907 The institutions for the education of deaf children increased from 26 in 1867 to 139. ASL was banned from all of these institutions.
• 1968 The Bilingual Education Act of 1968 forced schools to provide bilingual education programs. ASL is not offically recognized as a foreign language
• 1988 A protest took place at Gallaudet after the school council ignored the request from the students to elect a deaf president. (Deaf President Now)A protest took place at Gallaudet after the school counsel ignored the request from the students to elect a deaf president. (Deaf President Now)

"The problem is not that the students do not hear; the problem is that the hearing world does not listen." -Jesse Jackson

After a week of protesting, the council gave in to the student's demands, and Dr. I. King Jordan became Gallaudet's first deaf president. The deaf children who do best in school are the fortunate 10% who learned ASL as a native language from their deaf parents.These native speakers of ASL outperform their deaf classmates from hearing homes in most subjects including reading and writing English.

Did you go to oral school? Yes, in New York What did you do there?It was awful. Signing was against the rules The Teacher forced me to speak over and overIf I refused, the teacher would become angry! The teacher lacks signing skillsHow did you understand what was said? It was hard. I had to read lips and guess.If I was wrong, the children would tease me. Did the teacher ever help you? Well, Sometimes the teacher would criticize me. Everyday he would tell me to practice and study alotReading lips isn't easy. Signing is better.I agree. Everyday after school, the children would......go back to signing to eachother.

"What many Americans, hearing and Deaf, yearn for but have not been able to achieve is a relationship of equals in which different is simply different, neither better nor worse."