Eliminating Injustice towards the Deaf Community by Emma Ricciardi

ekricc24 — 2022-04-26 16:24:26 UTC

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.

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

ekricc24 — 2022-04-26 19:49:40 UTC

ekricc24 — 2022-04-26 20:20:46 UTC

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.

Thoughts of a Deaf Child

ekricc24 — 2022-04-26 20:41:11 UTC

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.

ekricc24 — 2022-04-26 21:00:33 UTC

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.

A Deaf Advocate in Education's Instagram Page

ekricc24 — 2022-04-26 21:06:58 UTC

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."

ekricc24 — 2022-04-26 23:08:11 UTC

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.

ekricc24 — 2022-04-26 23:09:32 UTC

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.

ekricc24 — 2022-04-26 23:20:28 UTC

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.

ekricc24 — 2022-04-26 23:39:27 UTC

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.