ASL: Facing the Challenges of the Deaf Community - dummies

ASL: Facing the Challenges of the Deaf Community

By Adan R. Penilla, II, Angela Lee Taylor


Putting the past in the past



Deaf people have been associated with being demon-possessed because some of them can’t speak. Due to numerous biblical verses labeling them as dumb and mute, the Middle Ages — a dogmatic religious time — wasn’t kind to Deaf people. Deaf individuals were hidden by family members, locked in asylums, or forced to try speaking, even though they couldn’t hear themselves.

During World War II, Adolf Hitler’s henchmen castrated Deaf men after they were locked up in concentration camps as part of various medical experiments.

Contemporary religious leaders have attempted to heal Deaf people of their “sickness” and accused them of lacking faith when miraculous hearing didn’t happen.

Some people mock Signing in front of Deaf people or tell them how sorry they are that they can’t hear the birds singing or the phone ringing. Others are so rude as to talk about Deaf people right in front of them as though they aren’t even there.


You’ve come a long way, baby


The laws of the land


  • Title II: Public Services. Programs, activities, and transportation can’t discriminate against disabled people. Buses, taxis, and other public means of transportation need to accommodate the disabled population. Programs such as job training, educational classes, and other assistance to gainful employment must also be provided.

Getting classified as an “official” language



  • It maintains grammar rules that must be followed.


On the other hand, many people don’t buy the argument that ASL is a real language. Their argument goes like this:

  • All countries, including the United States, use their own indigenous sign language. Therefore, if you were from Spain and traveled to Peru, your Spanish Sign Language wouldn’t be compatible with Peruvian Sign Language, even though the hearing communities from both countries could speak Spanish and understand each other.


Living and working as part of the silent minority


It also influences their feelings about how to exist as a people. This experience is often compared to living in a foreign country. Think about it: How would you feel if you were living in a foreign land where the language, customs, and culture weren’t native to you? You’d probably go through each day with reluctance and uncertainty. You’d want to say what’s appropriate, not something that would be viewed as ignorant. You’d feel frustrated when you wanted to state your opinion but couldn’t make yourself understood. You’d feel isolated when everyone was laughing at a joke, and you didn’t understand the punch line. Deaf people often feel this way when they’re surrounded by hearing people.
