Comments on: Deaf and Gay Parallels VI: Conclusion http://www.deafcanadian.com/2009/08/19/deaf-and-gay-parallels-vi-conclusion/ Shelley Potma's Coffee-soaked Philosophies Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:27:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Shel http://www.deafcanadian.com/2009/08/19/deaf-and-gay-parallels-vi-conclusion/comment-page-1/#comment-266 Shel Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:08:19 +0000 http://www.deafcanadian.com/?p=327#comment-266 Dianrez, the more I compare with other communities, such as the Black community, for instance, there are more similarities than differences. I don't know if there has been academic research on the comparisons between Deaf and any other communities. If not, that needs to be rectified as soon as possible. What next? I'm still not sure what to do first if the medical label is removed. However, to me it would seem logical to create a multipronged approach, with the support of Hearing allies. To be honest, I don't think we have done enough to create public awareness. There is a lot of myths out there that continue to perpetuated not only by the majority groups but also by some in our own community (i.e. the myth that the CI has been successful for "most" children without the support of visual cues, or even without the provision of ASL as an actual language. Another myth is that ASL is ok as a last resort and will solve the problem of language delay even past the window of opportunity.). Public awareness alone is not enough as we have seen. It seems to me if (or when) the medical label is removed, we should focus on legislation AND education. The reason I say this is: obviously, legislation as it is, is doing more harm than good. To wit: the I.D.E.A. and the view that public schools are the least restrictive environment, and children SHOULD be mainstreamed. Once this is changed, this would have impact on education. Legislation changes will lead, hopefully, to changes in teacher training in universities that at present is heavily slanted toward the medical view and oralist approach in the quest to rehabilitate Deaf. It is my understanding that once the gay activists removed the medical label, they went after legislation (politics) first, to dismantle discriminatory practices, and then went on to education and made changes so that there is more sympathy to gay-friendly curriculum and programs. But, the gay community cannot have done it without allies in the heterosexual world. They had to have people on the inside do what they could not from the outside. We have to do the same thing. Your questions HAD to be asked, Dianrez. We should all explore those questions, and we should prepare in case one day the walls of Troy that is the medical label falls. Dianrez, the more I compare with other communities, such as the Black community, for instance, there are more similarities than differences. I don’t know if there has been academic research on the comparisons between Deaf and any other communities. If not, that needs to be rectified as soon as possible.

What next? I’m still not sure what to do first if the medical label is removed. However, to me it would seem logical to create a multipronged approach, with the support of Hearing allies.

To be honest, I don’t think we have done enough to create public awareness. There is a lot of myths out there that continue to perpetuated not only by the majority groups but also by some in our own community (i.e. the myth that the CI has been successful for “most” children without the support of visual cues, or even without the provision of ASL as an actual language. Another myth is that ASL is ok as a last resort and will solve the problem of language delay even past the window of opportunity.). Public awareness alone is not enough as we have seen.

It seems to me if (or when) the medical label is removed, we should focus on legislation AND education. The reason I say this is: obviously, legislation as it is, is doing more harm than good. To wit: the I.D.E.A. and the view that public schools are the least restrictive environment, and children SHOULD be mainstreamed. Once this is changed, this would have impact on education. Legislation changes will lead, hopefully, to changes in teacher training in universities that at present is heavily slanted toward the medical view and oralist approach in the quest to rehabilitate Deaf.

It is my understanding that once the gay activists removed the medical label, they went after legislation (politics) first, to dismantle discriminatory practices, and then went on to education and made changes so that there is more sympathy to gay-friendly curriculum and programs.

But, the gay community cannot have done it without allies in the heterosexual world. They had to have people on the inside do what they could not from the outside. We have to do the same thing.

Your questions HAD to be asked, Dianrez. We should all explore those questions, and we should prepare in case one day the walls of Troy that is the medical label falls.

]]> By: Dianrez http://www.deafcanadian.com/2009/08/19/deaf-and-gay-parallels-vi-conclusion/comment-page-1/#comment-265 Dianrez Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:09:45 +0000 http://www.deafcanadian.com/?p=327#comment-265 Well done series! As we compare the Deaf community to other types of communities, we see more similarities than differences, and can learn much from the parallels about how the majority society can make things difficult for others unnecessarily. After such investigation, the question comes up: what next? What is the next step to take, and who should do it? Are we doing enough in this step, which might be public awareness? What comes after this: legislation? proactive structuring that brings together minorities and majority cultures? The list goes on... Well done series! As we compare the Deaf community to other types of communities, we see more similarities than differences, and can learn much from the parallels about how the majority society can make things difficult for others unnecessarily.

After such investigation, the question comes up: what next? What is the next step to take, and who should do it? Are we doing enough in this step, which might be public awareness? What comes after this: legislation? proactive structuring that brings together minorities and majority cultures? The list goes on…

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