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The article shed lights on the history of discrimination faced by the deaf community and some of the struggles they face in more modern times. It also clarifies misconceptions about ASL and gives tips about how to communicate with deaf individuals.

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By West Resendes & Angie Martell

Imagine living in a world where no one knows your language and you must navigate everyday life using interpreters and special services to help you communicate with others. Imagine a world where everyone is deaf and you are the only hearing person and you are excluded because of your 'hearing' disability and you are labeled as an 'other.' That is the reality for the American Deaf community. As a Deaf man, that is West's reality, and as a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), that is the world my parents face.

There are approximately 1.4 million Deaf and Hard of Hearing people living in Michigan and over 38 million Deaf and Hard of Hearing people across America. The Deaf community is a vibrant and incredibly warm community that unfortunately has been incredibly marginalized by mainstream hearing society. Deaf people bear the scars of daily discrimination and oppression. Deaf people have faced generations of systemic discrimination, including forced sterlizations in the twentieth century. The relationship between the hearing community and the Deaf community has often been strained due to the continued lack of understanding of the Deaf community and its values, and the subsequent paternalistic perspective of hearing people in knowing what is "best" for the Deaf community and forming policies for Deaf individuals without their input.

American Sign Language (ASL) is the language of the cultural Deaf community, and an incredibly sophisticated visual-gestural language with its own syntax and grammar distinct from English. Eye contact is immensely important in ASl, as it allows you to see the facial grammar of ASL and conveys to your conversational partner that you are paying attention to their message. ASL's grammar is more similar to Spanish than English and throughout the world there are different sign languages specific to each country - even England!

Why don't all Deaf people know and use English? There is a longstanding and seemingly logical viewpoint that learning how to speak should be the priority for any deaf child if they are to succeed in hearing society, and that sign language is to be avoided because it would ony distract deaf children from learning how to speak. Despite popular beliefs, it is physically impossible for a deaf person to read lips fluently as only 30% of all spoken words are visible on the lips. Many hearing parents, to whom 90 percent of deaf children are born, and schools have adopted this 'oralist' approach, despite research showing that this focus on speech for children who have limited or zero hearing ability comes at the great cost of not fully learning a first language during the critical first years of a child's life. If sign language is good for hearing babies, why not also for Deaf babies? We see the ripple effects of these decisions about language choice throughout deaf individuals' lives, as the typical deaf person struggles to learn English and graduates from high school with a 4th-grade reading level on average.

With society's lack of fluency in ASL and lack of understanding of the Deaf community comes challenges in other aspects of daily life for Deaf individuals: employment, higher education, healthcare, mental health services, emergency preparedness, technology, and government benefits. Employers oftentimes avoid hiring a deaf employee as they see a person who will need 'more' by way of costly accommodations. This perspective is untrue, as many deaf employees are able to adapt well to the job and employers need to remember that we are a diverse society of unique individuals with unique strengths. Professional schools have refused to provide accommodations to Deaf students, despite being compelled to do so by the 25-year-old Americans with Disabilities Act. This far-reaching law also guarantees accommodations that provide equal access to healthcare for individuals with disabilities, such as deaf people. However, many medical providers simply ignore this law and do not provide ASL interpreters to facilitate communication between deaf patients and hearing doctors, instead relying on pad and paper, which presents comprehension challenges for individuals with limited English proficiency. Hospitals may also use virtual ASL interpretation on a monitor, but this often results in technical difficulties or is inappropriately used in situations where the deaf individual is unable to seen the screen (lying down for a MRI exam or in the operating room, for example). Imagine trying to understand your diagnosis through brief notes on a piece of paper or on a monitor you cannot clearly see.

Access to mental healthcare is one of the most important issues facing the Deaf population today, as the rates of sexual abuse are staggering in deaf children: 54 percent of deaf boys and 50 percent of deaf girls have experienced sexual abuse, compared to 10 percent and 25 percent of their hearing counterparts. Some states have introduced "Text-to-911 in which someone can text 911, which have the ability to save lives as a deaf individual may not always have immediate access to a videophone to make a 911 call. Advances in technology have vastly closed the communication gap between Deaf and hearing people - such as texting - but technology also remains woefully behind in other respects, such as the lack of closed-captioning on the majority of online videos. Accessing the government's benefit programs and services is an onerous process for a native English speaker, never mind someone with limited English ability - which may limit that cultural group's ability to lobby the government for better resources.

This is most clearly exemplified by the budget differential of the Michigan state offices servicing the Deaf and the Blind: for the 2015 fiscal year, the Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing had a $785,600 budget servicing a population of 866,879 individuals with hearing loss and the Michigan Commission for the Blind had a $23,567,222 budget servicing a population of 199,400. Per person, a person with a visual impairment received $118.19 operating dollars, whereas a person with hearing loss received a miniscule 91 cents, despite their population being more than four times larger. This inequality is just one element of the many injustices the Deaf community faces.

What can you can do? First, share the story of the Deaf community with your family, friends, co-workers. This story needs to be known. Second, be cognizant of the words you choose. Expressions like "it falls on deaf ears" and labels such as "deaf-mute," hearing-impaired," "hearing-disabled," are long outdated and offensive. Do not perpetuate the marginalization of the Deaf community. Third, when interacting with a deaf person, remember the following:
TEN TIPS WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH A DEAF PERSON

Before speaking, get the person's attention with a wave of the hand or a gentle tap on the shoulder. Do not shout for the person's attention.

Face the person and do not turn away while communicating.

Try to converse in a well-lit area and do not cover your mouth or chew gum.

If a person is wearing a hearing aid or cochlear implant, do not assume the individual can hear and understand you completely. Minimize background noise and other distractions whenever possible.

Talk at your normal rate, or slightly slower if you normally speak very fast. Yelling or raising your voice will not help you be understood better. Only one person should speak at a time.

Use visual aids when possible, such as pointing to printed information. Remember that only about one third of spoken words can be understood by lipreading.

When communicating via written notes, keep in mind that the Deaf person may lack fluency in written English but may not admit it to you and instead pretend to understand what you are writing.

If you feel a deaf person may not be understanding you, write a note to ask what communication aid or service they need.

When you are in any complex conversation with a person whose primary language is ASL, a qualified interpreter is almost always needed to ensure effective communication. When using an interpreter, look at and speak directly to the deaf person, not to the interpreter.

Never use their family members or children as interpreters. It is not only disempowering to the deaf person, but the family members and children are not professionally-trained interpreters who have a college degree in sign language interpretation and they will almost certainly lack the vocabulary or the impartiality needed to interpret effectively.

If you want to learn or do more, you can always reach out to us at Iglesia Martell Law Firm and we can connect you with different volunteer organizations and task forces committed to equality for the Deaf community.
West Resendes has worked with me at Iglesia Martell Law Firm as a paralegal for over the past two and half years. He is leaving for Yale Law School this fall where he aims to become an attorney to make a difference in the world.

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Understanding the Injustices Faced by the Deaf Community

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By West Resendes & Angie Martell Imagine living in a world where no one knows your language and you must navigate everyday life using interpreters and special services to help you communicate with others. Imagine a world where everyone is deaf and you are the only hearing person and you are excluded because of your 'hearing' disability and you are labeled as an 'other.'

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This is a scene from the movie Coda, which focuses on the main character Ruby, the only hearing member of her family. In this scene, Ruby is performing her first song as a member of her school's chorus. Her parents attend but are unable to experience her singing due to there not being an interpreter present. They instead rely on viewing other people's reactions to understand Ruby's talent.

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The article is about the trend of deaf schools being closed because of the low scores on standardized assessments from students. It explains how being deaf is not a learning disability but how instruction for deaf children must be improved. The movement for inclusion of deaf children in hearing schools, or "mainstreaming" as it is often referred to, is also touched upon.

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Deaf children are being let down by the education system, with growing numbers of specialist schools closing and too many vulnerable pupils struggling in mainstream settings, according to campaigners.

The Royal School for Deaf Children in Margate, Kent, which was the oldest deaf school still operating in the UK, dating back to 1792, is the latest to close its doors after administrators were called in in December.

The closure comes amid growing concern about poor academic attainment among deaf children, who achieve considerably lower GCSE results than their hearing peers. According to the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), 36% of deaf children achieve the government's benchmark for five good GCSEs at A* to C compared with 65% of hearing children with no special educational needs.

Susan Daniels, NDCS chief executive, said the situation was wholly unacceptable. "Can you imagine a world where nearly two-thirds of children leave school without getting good GCSEs? Parents would rightly be furious that their child hadn't been given the right support at school. There would be outrage and calls for urgent action.

"But when it comes to deaf children, this is the reality that we face. This is happening despite the fact that deafness is not in itself a learning disability."

The attainment gap between deaf and hearing children without special needs widened from 39% to 42% between 2013 and 2014. Data on attainment among deaf children for 2014-15 will be published by the government in January.

"Even if there is a small improvement, it is likely that the majority of deaf children will still be failing to get five good GCSEs, which is totally unacceptable," said Daniels.

"One of the reasons why there is such a wide attainment gap is that no one is held to account for how well deaf children are doing. Local authority specialist education services for deaf children play a vital role for many deaf children and their families.

"Despite their importance, there is no external scrutiny of how well they do. There is also no data on how well deaf children in different areas do. This is totally unacceptable. Why should parents of deaf children be given less information about the quality of education that their child receives?"

The number of schools for the deaf has fallen from 75 in 1982 to 21, with pupil numbers down by 15% in the past five years. According to the NDCS, almost 78% of deaf children are in mainstream education where there is no specialist provision, with 7% in mainstream schools with specialist provision.

Peter Gale, principal of Mary Hare school in Newbury, Berkshire, with sixth-form pupils: 'There are certain barriers to learning in mainstream schools that some deaf children are not able to overcome.' Photograph: Graham Turner/The Guardian

"It is reasonable to assume that as technology improves more deaf children are now attending mainstream schools," said Daniels, adding, however, that there would always be some deaf children for whom a special school would be the best way of meeting their needs.

"We do not advocate a particular model of education. We know that high-quality provision exists in all types of schools. We want to see excellent educational provision for deaf children whether that be mainstream or specialist provision."

Parents and supporters of the Royal School for Deaf Children in Margate have launched a petition to save the school, which caters for 150 deaf children and young adults, some of whom have complex additional needs. Kimberley Carrara's 11-year-old daughter, Sasha, is profoundly deaf. "When Sasha started at the school 18 months ago she had regressed so much that professionals said that developmental progress would be limited.

"Sasha has now grown into a lovely young lady and is thriving. We moved our family across the country so that Sasha could attend this school. If the school shuts she will not have a school that will meet her needs. We fear for her future."

Terry Riley, chair of the British Deaf Association and a former governor of the Margate school, said: "These are children who have been marginalised by society for being unteachable. Yet, through the perseverance and dedication of the staff, parents and family, they had hopes. It is an extremely worrying situation for pupils and their families to see these hopes shattered."

Mary Hare school in Newbury, Berkshire, is one of the 21 surviving special schools for the deaf, with 230 students in primary and secondary education, from all over the country, including a small number from overseas.

Like all special schools, Mary Hare has felt the impact of the trend towards greater inclusion, with deaf children increasingly being taught in their local schools. But the cost of placements at special schools is definitely a factor for cash-strapped local authorities, said Peter Gale, the school's principal.

It costs £40,000 a year for a residential place at Mary Hare and parents often have to go to a tribunal to get their local authority to fund their child's place. "What families tell us is that there are certain barriers to learning in mainstream schools that some deaf children are not able to overcome," said Gale.

Madeleine Molloy, a year 11 pupil at Mary Hare school in Newbury, Berkshire: 'Before, I was in a normal mainstream school. For me it wasn't good.' Photograph: Graham Turner/The Guardian

A pupil may be the only deaf child in their mainstream school; as well as the difficulties of background noise and large classes, it can be a isolating experience.

A Mary Hare student, Madeleine Molloy, was three years old when she lost her hearing. She doesn't know why it happened; in the years since, she has accepted her deafness.

Now 15, with a cochlear implant, Maddy is bright, self-assured and articulate - she's heading for good GCSE results and A-levels and wants to go on to university to study either law or fashion design. But she didn't always feel like this.

"Before, I was in a normal mainstream school. For me it wasn't good. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Before, I was a deeply unsociable person. I did not have friends. I was not outgoing. I kept myself to myself quite a lot.

"The way they were teaching me - I didn't hear them. I didn't understand them. Nobody was explaining or checking on me. Group conversations never worked for me because of the amount of noise.

"I felt like I was the dumbest person alive. I wasn't going to pass my exams."

Her parents realised she wasn't thriving and an audiologist suggested it might be worth looking at a special school for the deaf. "I came here for a week and I absolutely fell in love with the school. I felt like I had finally found a place I could just be me. I didn't have to crawl into my room and sit there and be quiet."

Daniels said it is essential that mainstream schools provide effective social and emotional support to deaf children, as well as good peer support.

"Specialist schools play a crucial role in providing a range of education support for deaf children who for a variety of reasons do not thrive in mainstream schools. Local authorities are cutting back and deaf children are not getting the help they need to do well in the future.

"We urge the Department for Education and local authorities to work together to make sure there is still a future for all the deaf children who need specialist provision to thrive."

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UK's oldest deaf school closes amid concerns children are being let down

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Deaf children are being let down by the education system, with growing numbers of specialist schools closing and too many vulnerable pupils struggling in mainstream settings, according to campaigners. The Royal School for Deaf Children in Margate, Kent, which was the oldest deaf school still operating in the UK, dating back to 1792, is the latest to close its doors after administrators were called in in December.

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What challenges do deaf/Hard of Hearing individuals face in their everyday lives and in an academic setting? 

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What challenges do deaf/Hard of Hearing individuals face in their everyday lives and in an academic setting? 

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The graph compares deaf student's standardized assessment scores to other student groups. Deaf students are shown to have the lowest scores in comparison to special education students, English learners, and low income students. The statistic highlights how changes are needing to be made to the way deaf children are educated, especially when considering the fact that many deaf schools are closing.

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The Cogswell-Macy Act, passed in 2021, aims to improve education and accessibility for hearing and vision impaired students. It encourages specialized instruction for these students, as well as identification of their impairment early on in order to so the services they receive can be monitored.

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Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act, H.R. 1959, S. 813

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Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08) and David McKinley (R-WV-01), and U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation that will strengthen the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to ensure that visual and hearing-impaired students receive the best education possible.

The Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act would improve services and educational opportunities for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired and deaf-blind. The legislation will also enhance reporting and evaluation measures for special education in each state, increase training for teachers and other special education professionals, and reaffirm the Department of Education's mission and responsibility to ensure an accessible and quality education for all students.

This bill is named after Alice Cogswell, the first deaf student that was formally educated in the United States, and Anne Sullivan Macy, Helen Keller's famous teacher.

"Thousands of students are learning with hearing or vision disabilities across the nation, and it's critical that they have the tools they need to excel in the classroom. I'm proud to work alongside Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate on legislation to provide the equipment, services and training to ensure all students have the chance to reach their full potential," said Rep. Cartwright.

"No student should feel academically sidelined due to a visual or hearing impairment. As someone who is hearing impaired, I understand how crucial it is to recognize and acknowledge the needs of the people with disabilities," said Rep. McKinley. "This bipartisan legislation prioritizes supportive services to students who need them, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to learn, grow, and reach their full potential."

"This pandemic has made it crystal clear how challenging and vital it is to ensure that our students receive a quality education to help them develop, grow, and thrive. And few have faced more challenges continuing their learning through this crisis than our deaf, blind, and deaf-blind students," said Senator Markey. "Our education agenda needs to reflect the nation's shared belief that a quality education is a fundamental right for every student in the United States. The Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act will improve access to personalized services and effective education for deaf, blind, and deaf-blind students across the nation and ensure that each is able to meet their fullest potential."

"Every child deserves access to a quality education, and students who are deaf or blind are no different," said Senator Capito. "This legislation would bring much-needed improvements to ensure students who are visually or hearing impaired have access to the specialized educational resources necessary for learning and progress. I'm proud to work with Senator Markey in delivering personalized care to help thousands of students succeed."

Specifically, the Cogswell-Macy Act would:

Require states to identify and evaluate children who are visually and hearing impaired so that appropriate services can be delivered to each student, and report instances when they fall short

Help parents and educators stay informed and up-to-date through written policy guidance released regularly from the Department of Education

Encourage states to plan for and commit to specialized instruction for all deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, and deaf-blind students, provided by trained personnel

Establish the Anne Sullivan Macy Center of Vision Loss and Educational Excellence within the Department of Education to function as a national resource to better support students with visual disabilities

This legislation has been endorsed by the Scranton School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children, the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD), the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER), The National Intervener & Advocate Association (NIAA) and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD).

"The passage of the Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act would ensure that our Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind and Deaf-Blind students have appropriately qualified and credentialed personnel and receive appropriate services. This bill goes a long way in making differences in the lives of these children and promoting a greater degree of intervention necessary to ensure that they lead successful and independent lives," said Steven E. Farmer, EdD, CEO of the Programs of Western PA School for the Deaf and Scranton School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children.

"Despite years of implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), deaf and hard of hearing students do not achieve outcomes commensurate with their abilities. All too often students lack the specialized supports, services, and environments they need. The Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act will clarify what states, districts, and schools need to do to close these gaps. We are thrilled to see the bill re-introduced and are committed to seeing it move forward," said Dr. David Geeslin, President of CEASD.

"It's often wryly observed among our teacher members that of course Annie Sullivan was a miracle worker; she only had a caseload of one. But that's why we've named our bill after Helen Keller's hard working and much loved teacher. Doing right by our kids doesn't take a miracle; it requires a national-, state-, district-, and classroom-level unrelenting commitment to honor each student's God-given individuality, and that's at heart what this bill is all about," said Mark Richert, CEO of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER).

"We support the Cogswell-Macy Act because it includes language which calls for appropriately trained personnel to work with children and youth who are deaf-blind, including interveners and teachers of the deaf-blind. Interveners are a critical component of a Free and Appropriate Public Education for these children because they provide access to the visual and auditory information about people and things in the educational environment that is necessary for learning, interaction and overall development. The language in Cogswell-Macy designates intervener services as a related service under IDEA, and this is critical to improving outcomes for children and youth who are deaf-blind." - The National Intervener & Advocate Association (NIAA)

The full text of the legislation can be found HERE.

Additional co-sponsors in the U.S. House are U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Gwen Moore (D-WI-04), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alcee Hastings (D-FL-20), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Greg Stanton (D-AZ-09), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Kathleen Rice (D-NY-04), Grace Napolitano (D-CA-32), Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), Mike Doyle (D-PA-18), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Adam Schiff (D-CA-28), Mark Takano (D-CA-41), Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15) and Del. Michael F.Q. San Nicolas (D-Guam).

Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Mike Braun (R-IN) are also co-sponsors of the legislation in the Senate.

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Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08) and David McKinley (R-WV-01), and U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation that will strengthen the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to ensure that visual and hearing-impaired students receive the best education possible.

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The novel is about a teen named Julia who is kicked out of her deaf school for defending her best friend by spray painting graffiti over an offensive name she had been called. Julia is forced to adapt to the challenges of her new school where the majority of students are hearing. She uses art and her graffiti talents as an outlet to express herself in the midst of navigating her new identity.

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A vibrant, edgy, fresh new YA voice for fans of More Happy Than Not and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, packed with interior graffiti.You're Welcome, Universe introduces audiences to a one-of-a-kind protagonist who is unabashedly herself no matter what life throws in her way.

Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award!
When Julia finds a slur about her best friend scrawled across the back of the Kingston School for the Deaf, she covers it up with a beautiful (albeit illegal) graffiti mural.

Her supposed best friend snitches, the principal expels her, and her two mothers set Julia up with a one-way ticket to a "mainstream" school in the suburbs, where she's treated like an outcast as the only deaf student. The last thing she has left is her art, and not even Banksy himself could convince her to give that up.

"[A] spectacular debut...a moving, beautifully written contemporary novel full of quirky art and complicated friendships...this book is a gift to be thankful for."-
Out in the 'burbs, Julia paints anywhere she can, eager to claim some turf of her own. But Julia soon learns that she might not be the only vandal in town. Someone is adding to her tags, making them better, showing off-and showing Julia up in the process. She expected her art might get painted over by cops. But she never imagined getting dragged into a full-blown graffiti war.

Told with wit and grit by debut author Whitney Gardner, who also provides gorgeous interior illustrations of Julia's graffiti tags, BookRiot

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Amazon.com: You're Welcome, Universe: 9780399551413: Gardner, Whitney: Books

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A Deaf Advocate in Education's Instagram Page

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A Deaf Advocate in Education's Instagram Page

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This Instagram page is owned by Sara Miller, who is an "advocate for the deaf community, accessibility, inclusion, & equity." Her instagram teaches signs, shares helpful infographics, and encourages people to sign up for events and ASL classes. She is also the founder of the business Language Priority which is "devoted to bringing awareness to language deprivation, ASL, Deaf Ed, and the Deaf community."

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My family knew that I was deaf
When I was only three, and since then fifteen years ago
Have never signed to me.
I know when I'm around the house,
I try and use my voice,
It makes them feel more comfortable;
For me, I have no choice.
I try, communicate their way-
Uncomfortable for me.
My parents wouldn't learn sign
Ashamed or apathy?
I never cared about the sound of radios and bands;
What hurts me most is, I never heard
My parents' signing hands.

-Stephen J. Bellitz
Reprinted from Senior News, July 1991
The poem highlights a struggle faced by many deaf children born to hearing families. Many hearing parents encourage their deaf children to learn to speak verbally. Hearing parents also sometimes are hesitant to learn sign language, despite this being the fullest mode of communication for deaf individuals.

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This Ted Talk is presented by Rebekah Afri, a deaf woman born to an all hearing family. She describes her experiences as a deaf child growing up, her experiences in various deaf and hearing schools, and calls for action to advocate for deaf individuals. Something she highlights is how her parents had to take sign language classes in order to communicate with her, which she feels should be made more accessible to other families by the government paying for their costs.

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I'm deaf, but we can still talk | Rebekah Afari | TEDxExeter