American Sign Language And Deafness Essay - 1438 Words

American Sign Language and Deafness in American Culture Deafness has been an obstacle thousands of people have had to overcome since the dawn of time. Even in the not so distant past, the future was typically very bleak for individuals who were born or became deaf. However, the future of an individual who is Deaf has become much brighter due to the development of American Sign Language. As the name describes, this language relies solely on visible movements and facial expressions with no auditory expression needed. American Sign Language, often abbreviated ASL, is as complex and complete as any vocal language and is complete with its own sentence structure pattern. ASL is often the language of choice for deaf individuals living in the United States. As reported by the National Census of the Deaf Population, there are nearly half a million people who use sign language as their predominant language. The majority of deaf people were originally born hearing. Although people can be born deaf, many become deaf due to an accident, illness, or old age. A deaf individual can sometimes continue through life relying solely on an auditory language with the help of hearing aids and other assistance. However, when students learn ASL they also discover the deaf community and the rich vibrant culture that accompanies it. Many communities with large percentages of deaf individuals have very close deaf communities where all the individuals know each other and can meet upShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Deafness On Deaf Children1669 Words   |  7 PagesDeafness has been viewed as a negative label regarding someone with a hearing loss. The term Deaf is considered to be a disability solely on the fact that an individual who is Deaf is not â€Å"normal† due to their hearing loss. Most individuals do not believe that there are any benefits or positives from being Deaf, nor do they believe that a Deaf individual will ever be able to live a happy and fulfilled life. Deaf individuals do not view themselves as disabled nor do they view their lives as a lossRead MoreDeafness Has Been A Negative Label. Being Deaf Is Considered1528 Words   |  7 PagesDeafness has been a negative label. Being Deaf is considered to be a disability solely on the belief that an individual who is Deaf is not â€Å"normal† due to their hearing loss. Most individuals do not believe that there are any benefits or positives from being Deaf, nor do they believe that a Deaf individual will ever be able to live a happy and fulfilled life. However, Deaf individuals do not view themselves as disabled nor do they view their lives lacking anything, rather they view their DeafnessRead MoreDeafness : What It Is?1083 Words   |  5 Pages What is deafness? Deafness is very different to people’s general perception of what it actually is. The most common view is that it is a complete loss of hearing however deafness is defined as the lack or loss of the ability to hear. You can either be born deaf or gradually lose the ability to hear later on in life (Presbycusis). Pre natal or congenital causes of deafness may be due to a specific X chromosome being passed on through generations of familiesRead MoreThe Strive For Perfection. We Live In A World That The1701 Words   |  7 Pagesmost things, if you look different than the majority you get discriminated. Deafness is viewed as a disability that needs to be fixed, due to a hearing society where hearing is the norm. Deafness is at a threat for extinction, due to the push to â€Å"fix† it. Sometime in the near future with genetic testing targeting to remove the deaf gene, could inversely cause the extinction of not only Deafness, but American Sign Language as well as the Deaf c ommunity. Therefore, the attempt to be normal threatensRead MoreEssay on Communication for the Deaf: Oralism and Manaulism1693 Words   |  7 Pages Imagine trying to learn a new language, making the correct tongue movements, controlling the airflow through your mouth, and voicing the correct sound and tone. Now imagine doing this while not knowing what the word you are saying sounds like. This is what many deaf and hard of hearing people must do to learn how to speak. The technique of teaching deaf people how to speak and read lips is referred to as oralism. It is a hard and laborious method and in the past often had extreme measuresRead MoreThe Effects Of Hearing On Children With Disabilities1453 Words   |  6 Pagesto the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with disabilities include those who have impairments that substantially limit a major life activity, have a history or record of a substantially limiting impairment, or are regarded as having a disability. Deaf people are limited in some functions because of an impairment of hearing. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports â€Å"deafâ₠¬  individuals do not hear well enough to rely on their hearing to process speech and language; someRead MoreEssay Being Deaf doesnt Mean Being Silent975 Words   |  4 Pagesat all, yet at the same time communicating perfectly. By use of American Sign Language (ASL), many people communicate everyday. They share stories of hope and despair, trade ideas and opinions, cry and laugh. Their difference is one that is important in their lives, yet does not in any way decrease the value of those lives. Deafness is such a unique, insightful, and wonderful loss. It is one with such beauty and meaning. Deafness is one disability that isnt really a disability at all. InsteadRead MoreChildren With Disabilities Act ( Ada )1222 Words   |  5 PagesBefore 1990 the United States did not systematically have tools or laws in place for Deaf individuals. In 1991, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – a civil rights law was implemented across the U.S [with four sections] that pr ohibit discrimination against people with disabilities including deaf and hearing impaired people. The purpose of the ADA is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Each section of the ADA – employment, governmentRead More Deaf Culture Essay1564 Words   |  7 PagesDeaf Culture In mainstream American society, we tend to approach deafness as a defect. Helen Keller is alleged to have said, Blindness cuts people off from things; deafness cuts people off from people. (rnib.org) This seems a very accurate description of what Kellers world must have been. We as hearing people tend to pity deaf people, or, if they succeed in the hearing world, admire them for overcoming a severe handicap. We tend to look at signing as an inferior substitute for real communicationRead MoreHow the Deaf Communicate in a Hearing World Essay1671 Words   |  7 Pageshearing world and even succeeding far in life in a multitude of ways through communication. Deafness made quite the occurrence long ago in the past. Because being deaf meant resulting in the loss of hearing, others fell ignorant and began to ostracize the deaf (Spencer and Marschark). They did not know how to react to the deaf that is until Plato, a Greek philosopher, wrote on the account of sign language in Ancient Greece which then resulted in a spark in the interests of other philosophers, writers