Technology

While reading the text, I noticed how many things virtual communities can offer to a student like Lindsay.  Being text-based, Lindsay can easily follow along with conversation and communication.  People are more likely to engage in these conversations and community (because of that sense of anonymity)than face-to-face interactions.  This will be especially good so that Lindsay can communicate and interact with hearing students who may feel awkward trying to interact with her.  There are many great forms of CAI that would be highly beneficial to her (183-4), such as having syllabi, papers, and events all online well in advance so that Lindsay can actually prepare and get things squared away with the Office of Disability Services, if she does need an interpreter.  Technology also allows Lindsay to really maneuver and get information without physically having to go  out and find  information and interact with only hearing people.

Other forms of technology, which I actually address several, several posts ago include being able to connect with roommates and classmates beforehand, which would be helpful in preparing them for interaction with her and having honest conversation.  Something that I never thought about before was the protection that these virtual communities can provide to Lindsay.  She would never have to reveal to anyone that she is deaf.  She would in fact only be judged on what she thought and had to say, which protects her from any negative stereotypes that might exist about DHH students.  It also gives her the ability to interact, communicate with, and learn from a wide variety of people she may not have had the chance to do so before.  It could also be the “connector” that helps her invite other people in, or let her into others community to help her assimilate more with mainstream, instead of feeling relegated to only the Deaf community, if that’s not what she wants.

One of Bowling Green’s own counselors has researched and published an article regarding d/Deaf internet usage in order to build community.  She refers to DeafBlogLand, a network of blogs that share news, opinions, and media.  There is also DeafRead and alldeaf.com, more blog related or discussion forum websites.  These websites really allow Deaf communities to span across actual distance and time.   Even if Lindsay chose to not become involved in Columbus’ Deaf community because of time constraint or lack of transportation, she could still feel connected via blog and internet.  The blogs help to promote qualities of Deaf culture, while also providing a sense of empowerment.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/casp.1081/full

Deaf Culture in Columbus

As I’ve mentioned before, the Deaf community is large and active in Columbus.  Ohio State has a fairly good community partnership with this community by advertising their events on the ODS website.  Many OSU students, especially those in the American Sign Language club attend their many events, including Silent Weekends, which are very large events.

In a previous post, I had mentioned that Lindsay would likely get involved with the Deaf Women of Ohio organization.  It just seems like a good place for her to meet other DHH women in the area.  As I touched on last week, I really feel that the location of Ohio State is ideal because it offers her a chance to bond with predominantly hearing students, but really gives Lindsay the opportunity to interact with DHH individuals, which is not something she has really gotten to do before.  She has the opportunity to really interact in a different culture, particularly one that is a defining identity, though she may not have been as impacted by it before coming to Ohio State.

As Lindsay becomes more immersed in this community, I wonder if she will feel the pressure to adopt many of the Deaf community’s hallmark beliefs of Deaf as not a disability, hearing as a negative experience, or if she will become more negative about hearing culture in general, and how that would play out with her family.  I am unsure if she does not adopt these mentalities, how truly accepted she would be in the community.  However, even if she does not fully immerse in this particular community, she is still likely to meet other DHH people or students that are not as extreme and can still provide that support and help with development.  There are also interpreters or other hearing people connected to the Deaf community because of family or interest, and so they could also help her transition and stay balanced in her ideas and beliefs, as she figures out “who she really is”.

Living in the Residence Hall

I keep coming back to the human aggregate, as it applies to such a crucial environment in the first year, the residence hall.  Some institutions have deaf living-learning communities, both BG and OSU do not offer that condition.  In my previous post, I’d talked about how technology can help to bridge and begin communication between Lindsay and her roommates or floor-mates.  I think this would be essential so that they can have that honest conversation about maybe what Lindsay needs, in terms of communication or studying, etc.  I would hope that whoever is Lindsay’s roommate would be open to making these adjustments and being open to that.

I was very frustrated looking through Ohio State’s website for both Office of Disability Services and Housing because there was nothing about housing accommodations.  As a deaf student going to a very, very, large institution, I would be nervous not knowing any accommodations could be made for my disability, etc.  I’m sure that if Lindsay emailed the office, or had her family call to discuss her options, they would be personable and helpful, but for someone as text-based as Lindsay, I’m sure the hope would have been to be able to find these things online.

So, it looks like, Lindsay will be in a residence hall, with a random assignment, and probably a hearing student, with a floor and community of hearing students.  She may feel out of place, if all the other students connect with each other and form and automatic community without her.  Though Lindsay has been with hearing populations her whole life, she may now find that she will be pushed to the Deaf Community, which is interesting.  While she may feel sad about it at first, I think that this is actually good for because it will really force her to acknowledge and develop her identity as a deaf (and now potentially Deaf) woman.  And in the end, of all the places, Ohio State is located in an urban area that has a significant Deaf Community.  This is the place for her to explore.

Hearing Privilege on College Campuses- ACPA

I attended a session at the ACPA conference this year that was lead by a Deaf man and two student affairs professionals who were fluent in ASL or who had significant research interests in students who identify as Deaf .  Two of these professionals (including the Deaf man) work at Rochester Technical Institute, where they gave background into working at an institution where the mainstream culture is the Deaf culture.  The presentation covered many concepts, such as what it means to be Culturally Deaf, terminology, as well as what kind of environments keep oppression alive.

While the theoretical frameworks were definitely interesting, the most impactful piece of their presentation is the examples and activities incorporated.  At one point, the put up a slide that said “EMERGENCY” and all the presenters began signing, while passing out a deck of cards.  All the presentation attendees got that something urgent was happening, and there was a sense of anxiety in the room, as we all blindly grabbed cards.  We then all had to partake in an activity where we visited different services on campus (or rather each presenter represented a different functional area), and we were students at first year orientation, trying to get specific information.  The presenters only signed, and occasionally would write back and forth with us, though they were very annoyed, constantly hurried us, etc.  In that situation, we all felt offended, uncomfortable, and confused.  We later found out that the EMERGENCY-card scenario was to demonstrate how many times, emergency alerts and other important announcements are all hearing-based.  While obviously, this is something that we all know, we all forget sometimes.

Even though I felt terrible partaking in these activities (because nobody likes to actually be a part of the developmental activity, we just like to facilitate haha), I’m really glad that I did and that I did engage with them.  I really got first-hand experience, even if only for fifteen minutes for one day, the frustration that someone who is deaf or Deaf encounter on a predominantly hearing campus.  The piece that surprised me the most was how rude people are, as though it is their fault.  The presenters also talked about other things that are difficult and prohibit students from fully engaging in their environments, such as the inability to get interpreters for last minute events, social outings, etc.  It is also very common for hearing people to forget about body language and turn away from students in the middle of a conversation, which prohibits the students from reading our lips or interpreting facial expressions.

The statistics show that at hearing institutions the retention of deaf students is only 25% and that there are tons of little things that make life difficult for them, but the first step is really to be aware of these issues, such as getting closed captioning capabilities for lounge televisions.  It really makes me wonder what kind of things are available for students at large, public, predominantly hearing institutions such as Ohio State or BGSU.

College & Career Programs for Deaf Students

This isn’t so much an article but rather a book, intended for high school, DHH students, that lists special programs and services offered in higher education institutions to DHH students across the nation.  Each institution includes a general description of the program and what career areas of study and special services are offered at that institution.  Rochester Institute of Technology and Gallaudet are listed first because they are national programs, meaning they must serve all DHH students.  Most other institutions accept on a state level, though they will accept out of state students as well.  The first thing I noticed was that neither Ohio State nor Bowling Green are listed.  They do include Columbus State Community College (located very near Ohio State), which is known for its sign language program and accreditation.  The second thing I noticed was that this was last updated in 2001.  I know that Ohio State began implementing ASL courses and a disability minor in 2003, so perhaps now, Ohio State would be on the list.  This is a very hand resource for DHH high school students to utilize, especially with its online, searchable database.

I wonder how prevalent this resource in DHH student communities, whether Lindsay would have found this website.  If she had used this website and realized that Ohio State was not listed, why would she still choose to go?  Perhaps it was the prestige, or her family had always gone there, or everyone in her town is a Buckeye fan.  Regardless, though Ohio State does not show up on this database, after continuing to search Ohio State’s website for signs of valuing DHH students, I have found that I do believe OSU provides many reasonable resources and services, so that Lindsay could still feel valued, learn, and be happy with her decision.  In 2006, OSU received recognition for its inclusive approach and resources offered by the Office of Disability Services.  There also appear to be many events and programs sponsored by the ASL club, as well as much support from DHH faculty and staff.

http://research.gallaudet.edu/ccg/index.html

http://oncampus.osu.edu/article.php?id=759

Cultural Forms

When I look back at my experiences at Ohio State, I think of the many cultural forms that could negatively affect Lindsay.  There were many rituals and ceremonial procedures that Ohio State partakes in, such as first year commencement.  Since there are so many people in the incoming classes, Lindsay would most likely find herself sitting in the upper balcony of the basketball stadium (where commencement takes place).  Being all the way up there myself, I remember how it was almost impossible to see the speakers, much less get a good look at their mouths.  Though they were also being filmed on large monitors, the camera angle was still not conducive for Lindsay to lip read.  Though an interpreter was present at the event, she was so far away; Lindsay probably could barely see the interpreter.  This may be something that with good enough communication with Disability Services, Lindsay might have been saved a section near the front near an interpreter, but if Lindsay, being overwhelmed by a large school and the stress of transition failed to get in touch with Disability Services, she would not have that luxury.

Much of the ceremony included musical cues as well.  We were taught the alma mater and then instructed to proceed out of the building, when the music started playing again.  While Lindsay is slightly accustomed to not having good accommodations, having grown up in a predominantly hearing hometown, she probably feels pretty uncomfortable being in a new environment, relying entirely on the physical cues of her unfamiliar peers to let her know when to move or stand, or when  the words of the alma mater were on the screen.  Being amidst so many people, it was probably difficult for Lindsay to start up any conversations with other students or administrative staff where she could see all their mouths, or stay focused.

I also think of the football games.  While I was at the institution, Ohio State actually was sued for not having captions on the screens during football games. Though many of my peers thought “it was strange” that someone hard of hearing would want to go to the games, I’m glad that they have added closed captioning to all the games now.  Football is such an integral part of the Ohio State experience (whether you love it or hate it), that to not be able to go and know what was going on would probably have been pretty disheartening for her.  Now, she can partake in this large social/ cultural form with her peers.

There are other cultural forms that probably help to make Lindsay feel included.  An example is the annual campus involvement fair.  During this fair, Lindsay, though still slightly overwhelmed by the amount of people, gets to walk through and read many of the posters and pamphlets of student organizations.  Since much of this experience is much more personable, many of the students working the booth were also very willing to have focused, in-depth conversations with her about their organizations.  The way the involvement fair is set up with personable interactions and many visual aids were helpful and inclusive to Lindsay.  She also found a very active and popular American Sign Language Club, which automatically makes her feel more appreciated (a nonverbal message of sorts).  Another cultural form that is particularly endearing to Lindsay is the gesture.  Since Lindsay is at Ohio State, where the classic gesture of “O-H-I-O” is prevalent all over campus, this is a cultural form she can always readily identify from across the Oval, or at a football game, etc.  Every time she sees this cultural cue, she is reminded of and filled with a sense of pride of being a Buckeye.

The Human Aggregate

Something we talked about a lot in class a couple of weeks ago is how a person not of the majority, dominant group, has a hard time feeling included and involved.  We focused a lot on personality differences and social presses (such as nonconformist), but this definitely also applies to other differences, including what we stereotypically think of as “diversity” (race, ability, etc.).  Lindsay has been living in a predominantly hearing community all her life.  Where she grew up did not have a strong Deaf community, and since she had grown up her entire life in that city/ town, everyone was accustomed to interacting with her in ways that were helpful to her (not turning around while speaking to her, learning a little bit of sign language, etc.).  Lindsay had of course interacted with Deaf people before, but she and her family did not immerse themselves in it.

However, now that she’s in a completely new environment with people, who are not familiar with her and how to interact with her, I can see her having difficulty to connect and communicate with others.  The accent that affects “deaf speech” can be difficult to understand when one is unfamiliar with it.  At first, Lindsay may struggle, if she is in a residence hall with all hearing students, to find people that she can readily connect with.  I think this is where technology and the Office of Disabilities Services come into play.  She can meet other deaf and hard of hearing students at events on campus, in the ASL student organization, or in the community.  She can also use Facebook to connect with these students, or even hearing students, such as her roommates or floormates, ahead of time to give her that beginning basis before she gets to the University.  By finding the subcommunity of deaf and hard of hearing students, Lindsay will likely feel more comfortable in her environment.  Also, by using technology, Lindsay may be able to lay down the foundations to start a subcommunity on her floor.  It was interesting because in the text, on page 169, it clearly states that feeling a cohesive subcommunity is essential, especially for larger institutions.  Though, overall, the community suffers, it provides more satisfaction for individuals.

Physical Environments Part 2

We had discussed in class how this issue could go either way, I believe that Lindsay would appreciate having the Office of Disability, either in the student center, or at least in a central part of campus.  Having this proximity sends her the nonverbal message that she is valued, that the office is readily available to her in a central location so that she can easily access her resources or address any issues.  Having the office in a central location also lessens any stigmas and serves as an artifact of the institution’s commitment to helping students with disabilities to succeed.

In line with satisfaction and retention, Lindsay would need to be able to feel involved with other students and faculty.  It would be important for buildings, such as the student center or residence halls, to have less crowded areas to study or interact with others.  Being more visually aware than hearing students, constant hustle and bustle of people moving around her as she’s trying to engage with others or her studies may be too distracting.  Also, since Lindsay, being raised by a hearing family, has learned to lip read as well as sign, when communicating with hearing individuals, it is essential that she can find soft architecture, allowing furniture to be maneuvered to face each other, allowing her to participate fully in her conversations.  These quieter areas with soft architecture provide her sociopital, functional, and flexible space to further her involvement with others.

This of course, is all hypothetical and “ideal”.  I need to look into what is truly available at Ohio State and Bowling Green.  I know that in the student center of Ohio State, there is definitely plenty of quieter areas with soft architecture.  Having never experienced any alarms in the Ohio Union, I’m unsure if they would provide that safety mechanism for her there.  I will need to do more in depth research on what other buildings, residence halls, and campus layout have to offer.

Let's Get Physical

After all of our classes, I find that physical environment is one that I find easiest to observe, and focus on.  I’ve also found it difficult to reflect on some of these concepts before understanding more about the deaf experience, which is so expansive; it’s really taking me awhile.  In the past couple of weeks, I’ve started thinking about things that Lindsay might need in a physical environment.  Since Lindsay has a very weak sense of hearing, her sight and other senses are heightened.  Something that Lindsay would be looking for, and is likely pretty dependent on, is lots of visual aids, especially signs and maps of buildings and campus.  Way-finding can be difficult enough in a new environment, but by not being able to communicate readily with other students and faculty in order to ask for directions, it would be essential to Lindsay that she is able to find where she needs to go in a self-sufficient manner.  (Regardless, even hearing students would greatly benefit from well-placed signs helping them find their way around.)

In order for Lindsay to feel satisfied on a campus, it is crucial that she feels included and safe in her environment.  In terms of safety, any safety devices (such as tornado warnings and fire alarms), should be accompanied by visual alerts, such as flashing lights, so that she can be aware of the warnings as well as be prepared for what will likely be the rush and commotion of people that she might not otherwise be prepared for.  It makes me think about the systems that we have in the residence halls here.  We are very dependent on using our public announcement system to get last minute advertisement and information to residents.  Unless we have plenty of signs up ahead of time, Lindsay could completely miss really important information.  We try to avoid this by putting up lots of posters in advance, however this is not always possible.  Luckily, for fire and tornado alarms, we offer bed shakers that vibrate the bed violently when the alarm goes off.  According to Disability Service’s Emergency Evacuation pamphlet, “Most buildings on campus are not yet equipped with visual alarms. Some persons with hearing impairments may not perceive audio emergency alarms and will need to be alerted to the situation by gestures or by turning the light switch off and on. Emergency instructions can be given by verbalizing, mouthing, or by a short, explicit note. Example: ‘Fire alarm -- go out south doors—now!’  It is appropriate to offer assistance to a hearing impaired person as you leave the building.”  It is interesting that they readily accept that there are no visual alarms  in most of our buildings, but it is not well advertised that others are supposed to assist these hard of hearing students in that situation.

Studying...

The last article I read mentioned that study habits and cognitive level and interpretation of material likely played a part in how DHH students learn and succeed academically, so I thought it’d be a good idea to research any differences in studying.  This study found that differences in studying were very slight and that DHH students were just as capable of making meaning of the material learned.  The inventory identified eight scales for studying, and found that DHH students were statistically significant on four of the eight scales.  The study also found (and it was briefly mentioned in the last article as well) that DHH students have a more difficult time making connections between different topics, which was more pronounced in students who explicitly used sign.  However, DHH students are more likely to critically analyze topics taught.

Previous literature focused on how there were different levels of learning, e.g. “surface level”, which is similar to regurgitation.  This is similar to what was mentioned in the previous article of “meaning” versus “reproducing” orientations toward learning.  This study definitely found that DHH students were just as capable, if not more likely, to apply the meaning orientation to their learning and studying.  The researchers believe that this does not have to do with the context of their studies, but because of the difference in their Deaf education that may have pushed them to make those real-world applications while learning to give curriculum context.   However, the study also found that DHH students scored higher than hearing students on scores of reproducing orientations too.  In general, they found that DHH students felt more anxiety about succeeding in academics than hearing students do.  They believe that this anxiety and fear of failure may be tied to the idea that DHH students have a harder time making connections between topics.  This seems to have some implications on cognitive patterns and development of DHH students.

I wonder how much of these cognitive developments or attitudes are affected by their immersion in the Deaf community, or if these are simply the hallmarks of growing up DHH.  Regardless, it seems that Lindsay will feel anxious about succeeding academically, especially since she will need to rely on indirect knowledge transmission (text and interpreters), she will push herself to accurately and truly learn the information, and hopefully do well academically at the institution.

http://jdsde.oxfordjournals.org/content/5/2/156.full.pdf+html

In the Mainstream

The article I found, compared deaf and hard of hearing students in mainstream classes (or classes with hearing students) and separate classes (classes with only deaf and hard of hearing students).  The article found pros for both scenarios.  In the end, in both environments, the students were motivated by assessment and fear of failure, as well as good teaching and genuine acquisition of skills.  Students in the mainstream courses felt positively about developing and utilizing analytic skills (rather than rote memorization) and feeling that their instructors’ took personal interest in them and their success, including flexibility in methods of assessment.  However, classes from separate classes felt more positively about workload expectations, instructor feedback and communication, and the amount of choices offered in coursework.

The article begins by affirming that deaf and hard of hearing (or DHH) students are attending mainstream hearing institutions more and more.  The literature review was very informational to me as well.  It discussed how the previous studies included all kinds of deaf and hard of hearing, including those that were dependent on spoken English, dependent on ASL, and those that code switched between the two.   They found that in academic settings DHH students tended to absorb less content information than their hearing peers and that instruction in ASL and text does not necessarily create significantly better outcomes (but if there are positives differences, it is through text, not ASL), which is not really what my Chronicle article indicated (haha).  It also indicated that teachers who were skilled or experienced with teaching DHH students were better at motivating DHH students to utilize their resources and strengths.  DHH students that attend mainstream institutions also tend to retain more residual hearing (which is really interesting and definitely applicable to Lindsay’s experience).  Previous studies also emphasized the importance of having an interpreter and the frustration felt trying to communicate with the instructor.  How DHH students interpret their communication ability in the classroom seemed to predict grades at the end of the semester as well.  DHH students are also more likely make deep connections with their education than their hearing students.

This study explained some of their findings, such as why DHH students in mainstream classes are more sensitive to pace of teaching because they are often dependent on indirect methods (interpreters or text-captioning) and reluctant to ask questions in class because of the communication barrier.  The study also found that instructors of mainstream classes preferred instructor centered “information-transmission” teaching styles, while those in separate classes focused on “conceptual change”.  This may be part of why those in separate classes appeared to learn more, but the relationship between instruction style and success needs more studying.

http://jdsde.oxfordjournals.org/content/15/4/358.full.pdf+html

Debate over Deaf Education

I found an article in the Chronicle: http://0-chronicle.com.maurice.bgsu.edu/article/The-Debate-Over-Deaf-Education/26019/

This article discussed the history of how deaf children have been educated in predominantly hearing schools in the past, how they are taught now, and the method they are currently considering as most efficient, effective, and educational.  There are two ways that mainstream hearing schools have historically taught deaf children, oral or bilingual.  The oral method is when a teacher teaches with speech and visual cues.  Bilingual incorporates teaching with sign language as well.  People find that the sign language improves the actual amount of knowledge impressed upon children; however, it does not let them to truly develop their reading and writing skills.  There has been much research that shows that bilingual is more effective.  However, with increases in technology, deafness and other hearing impairments can be discovered even earlier than before.  This allows parents to invest in cochlear implants much earlier.  With the advent of cochlear implants, there seems to be an upswing back toward a more oral tradition of education.

This article is interesting in the sense that it does not address at all the turmoil that the Deaf community must feel.  The Deaf community tends to be particularly opposed to cochlear implants, as they believe it is robbing born-deaf children the special experience of being Deaf.  However, as technology improves, I can imagine that hearing parents are increasingly getting cochlear implants for their children.

I imagine that Lindsay has gone to school at an institution that is predominantly hearing.  I believe that she was taught bilingually.  She had a tutor that assisted with interpretation and any subjects that she struggled with.  It was not easy, but I believe she was fortunate enough to get a good education in order to attend a university, nevermind a predominantly hearing institution.  It must be quite difficult for Lindsay to transition into college where these interpreting services are not as readily available.  It must also be difficult with such a large campus, where many everyday things are not designed universally.  It only adds to the overwhelming sensation.

Disability Services

I looked up the Disability Services offered at Bowling Green and Ohio State for deaf and hard of hearing students (at http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/sa/disability/page18309.html and http://ods.osu.edu/services/).  Compared to Bowling Green State University’s website, there are more resources directly available to prospective students perusing the website.  The website offers tips on how to transition to college, such as contacting the Office of Disability Services directly and immediately.  It also details the types of classes that will best prepare a student for the types of classes that are offered at Ohio State.  It also provides very detailed instructions on how to apply and register with the ODS.  They also offer a College Day specifically for high school students, families, and counselors to attend to really provide a specialized orientation and advice for these students.  Though only one day, this special session just for these students really send the nonverbal message that these students are valued at the institution.

Both Bowling Green and Ohio State offer scholarships for students with disabilities.  They both also provide voter registration services so that students won’t need to maneuver outside of campus without resources.  BGSU will lend out FM amplification systems for academic purposes.  They also provide Typewell Meaning-for-Meaning Translation, where a trained Typewell captionist uses two laptop computers provided by the DS Office to transmit a meaning-for-meaning translation of the content of classes and campus events. This information is simultaneously read by the attending student.  They also provide Computer Assisted Real-Time Captioning (CART) - also referred to as real time captioning (the instant translation of the spoken word into English text using a stenotype machine, notebook computer, and realtime software). The text is displayed on the computer screen, which is located in front of the student.  They also offer interpreting services up to 3 days in advance.  Ohio State also offers these services.  They request that you request interpretation as soon as possible. They cannot guarantee interpreting services less than seven days in advance.  When I first read Bowling Green’s deadline of three days, I remembered thinking that it was asking students to know way in advance, which makes Ohio State’s much more daunting.  At the same time though, this makes sense because Ohio State is so much larger than Bowling Green.  However, this really forces students to plan ahead and know what kind of programs and events they would want to attend, way in advance.  This puts a lot of pressure on these students, and could exclude them from joining in impromptu social activities, or joining friends on a floor to an event or program.  On the flip side, the webpage also offers ASL events both on and off-campus, including events sponsored by the ASL Club, Deaf churches, and other organizations including Deaf Women of Ohio, which is an organization that Lindsay may legitimately want to be a part of that is still in the Columbus area (http://www.deafwomenofohio.com/main_page.html).

Deaf Culture

I think something extremely crucial to this process is determining if she is deaf or Deaf.  There is definitely a difference.  I spoke with my friend Kayla from Columbus (the one who is working on ASL certification) about the differences between the “d” and the “D”.  Members of this big-D Deaf community do not view being deaf as a disability, but as a difference in human experience.  It can include family members of those who are deaf and hard of hearing and interpreters that identify with the culture, but does not automatically include all who are deaf and/ or hard of hearing.

Before the 19^th century, deaf individuals lived very solitary lives among predominantly hearing people.  After this, Deaf culture was mainly established in Deaf schools and other social clubs.  Joining the Deaf community can happen at any time in one’s life depending on when one loses the ability to hear, the presence of a community where he or she resides, etc.  As mentioned in the first article, deafness is not really genetic.  While 50% of all deafness is caused by genetics, only 5% of all deaf people have deaf parents, which makes this an atypical social identity.

It’s also unique in the sense that there isn’t just one Deaf culture, but varied groups all around the world, even regionally.  Some typical values of the Deaf culture include a positive connotation with being d/Deaf, a distaste for Cochlear Implants (as it acknowledges deafness as a disability), using sign language as the main form of communication, as well as being more collectivistic (within the Deaf culture) as opposed to individualistic, like the rest of American culture.  There are some behavioral norms as well.  Certain conversation etiquette, such as, you should never walk in between a signed conversation (which makes sense, it’s the same as interrupting).  It is important to be as detailed as possible when describing environments or timing.  Arriving early is standard in Deaf culture.  When meeting someone new, a person of the Deaf community always seeks to find something in common with the other person, in a desire for to find connection.  As most communities are small, they seek to find common ground.

 I’ve decided to name my voice Lindsay.  I’m still not entirely sure how involved I really want her to be with the Deaf community, since she has a predominantly hearing family.  Though family members can be indoctrinated into the Deaf community, Kayla expressed that many in the Deaf community are still wary of all hearing people trying to get involved with the Deaf culture (including interpreters), so I imagine that it might have been very difficult for the family to try to become part of the Deaf culture, which might cause Lindsey to feel disjoint with truly identifying with the community.  I think that Lindsay was born hearing and lost her hearing ability at an early age because of a high fever, which explains why she can speak a bit.  She is mostly deaf with an extremely weak sense of hearing.

The Launching Point

Another semester, another voice journal...
This semester, it took me awhile to think about what voice I wanted to investigate and learn more about this semester.  In the end, I ended up with a deaf woman.  I came to this conclusion rather unexpectedly.  I was sitting in my apartment, idly flipping through my mental catalog of possible voices and nonchalantly looking around my apartment at my various movie, art, and musician posters, when I realized how much of my experiences were based on sound.  Being a music major, music is clearly something that is dear to my heart and thinking patterns, and something I take for granted, and so, an appropriate challenge for myself would be to attempt an experience without sound.
It also made me realize that I actually know many people who have deaf friends or siblings or study American Sign Language, which means that it can't be that uncommon.  Which means that there must be several in higher education today.  I'm trying to find more hard facts/ statistics about the actual number of college students who are deaf.
I have a plan of action.  First of all, I'm going to speak with my friends and read material about deaf culture in general.  Then I'm going to make more definitive decisions about my student.  Then I can tackle reading journal articles, setting up some interviews with personnel in the Office of Disabilities, and investing in deaf community in Bowling Green or a student organization.
I know that there are many facets within deaf identity (as in all identities), which include whether the student was born deaf, the age in which she lost hearing, whether or not she is competent in ASL, if any one else in her family is deaf, how involved the student is in the deaf community, and the degree of deafness.  I found this article, while searching for basic statistics:  Deafness and the Riddle of Identity
I found this article particularly insightful for many reasons.
1.) It defines people who are deaf as a colonized, ethnic, linguistic minority
2.) It scratches the surface that there are different forms of sign language: ASL (a critical piece of the deaf identity) and Pidgin Signed Language (PSE)- a mixture of ASL and English (an equivalent to "broken English").
3.)  It covered some of the history of the deaf identity and the prejudices that have come with it, such as being "dumb without a language" and until very recently being ignored by society.
4.) It identifies the flaws of attempting to define deafness into a particular identity BECAUSE there are so many different factors.  The point the author focuses on particularly is whether or not a person is a native user of ASL, which marginalizes so many others that "happily consider themselves" as deaf.
5.)  This quote: "While it is true that many deaf people share a common culture, history, language, and social behavior, with the advent of the Internet, the mainstreaming of deaf students into regular classrooms, the decline of residential schooling for the deaf, and the demise of deaf clubs (where deaf people in large cities gathered regularly to socialize), it is harder to argue that the deaf are significantly different from the nondeaf... Changes in the overall culture have to some degree erased the sense of "otherness" that the deaf historically have held on to as a way of defining themselves. That is why places like Gallaudet have come to be seen nostalgically as the "home" of deaf people and deaf culture: They continue to define the deaf as a separate cultural group."
6.) Often times being deaf is only "one generation thick", meaning more often than not, a person's hearing ability differs between generations, as it is often not something that gets "genetically passed on".


The article included some other factors that are considered "crucial to pure deafness", such as a certain amused/ cynical attitude toward the "hearing world".  One of my best friends from college is currently becoming certified in ASL, and I remember her explaining this contempt for the hearing through her many encounters with the deaf community, and how as her skills improved, the contempt lessened, though never fully went away.  I am interested in hearing more insights from her as a hearing person in the deaf community and also to connect with the friends that she has made in the deaf community.


I found MANY articles on the Chronicle concerning the issues of students who are deaf in higher education and the institutions that serve them (or the ones that do not).  I am excited to begin this journey.


Some decisions I can make about my voice.  She is a woman.  Her parents and siblings are hearing.  She uses ASL fluently, but also lip reads and speak a little.  Her family is supportive and learned ASL in order to communicate with her more efficiently.  I feel that I will need to learn more about deaf culture before I can move much further from here.  I am unsure of how involved she is with her deaf community or if the deaf community even accepts her and/or her family fully because she lip reads and speaks.