Discrimination In The Deaf Community

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There is a worldwide recognition of the Deaf community or culture, but the Deaf community is not very well understood. The culture, mostly consists of individuals who are fluent in a similar language such as American Sign Language (ASL) and relate to similar experiences such as discrimination. The experiences of being discriminated by those considered ‘normal’ among the society have forced a group of individuals to form together to finally experience unity and respect. While also, receive the strength to fight for their rights against a community that would rather pressure them to medically change instead of make accommodations. To understand the need to create a Deaf community, there is a need to understand the kind of discriminations that …show more content…
The teachers usually first taught children the letters, then to write, then to finger sign, and then finally sign in ASL. In fact, majority of the time sign language was not even used within the schools but were learned during recess or among their home environment. This was a continual method until later proven that children learn faster with images, and through their language, that changed the method to teaching children. Now deaf educational programs first teach sign language, finger spelling, then pronunciation along with writing the required letters. Further, education for those who are deaf or hard of hearing when the Commission on Education of the Deaf (COED) in 1988 complained of the rate drop out within the deaf education and required immediate changes to occur. It was not until 1992 when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was applied enforcing appropriate education to be given to those who are disabled, deaf or hard of hearing (“Bill of Rights for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children,” n.d.). Lastly, to ensure these laws of education are met by giving those who are deaf the best education offered, some states devised a communication plan that ensured that the children didn’t only learn the written English language but was taught to speak their ASL language …show more content…
The formality of the Deaf community has given people the experience of unity, equality, and the ability to be themselves. Further, the community has given people the experience of feeling respected as an accepted individual instead of stared upon by those who could never understand and may even pressure to change by means of risky medical procedures. However, there are certain criteria’s that are required to meet before being accepted among the community. First, one of the important aspects to be accepted among the culture is the capability to sign language fluently. The Deaf community consists of those who are family members or are fluent sign language interpreters that identify themselves as part of the community (“Deaf culture – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,” n.d.). This is an understandable criteria because being able to participate in certain activities would be quite challenging within the community if people struggled communicating or couldn’t communicate at all. Thus defeating the whole purpose of creating a unity that will help each other gain the rights that hearing people enjoy every day. Second, sharing the same values and beliefs. The deaf community wants to be viewed like any other countries culture outside of America, and among other cultures, values, and beliefs are subconsciously
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