Sarah Aldrich

CDIS101
Through Deaf Eyes

For centuries, hearing people saw deafness as a misfortune. However, deafness is not a
physical handicap. That being said, there are accommodations, yes, that are made for people
who are deaf to be able to survive. Thinking about it from another angle, if a whole room was
full of people who are deaf, then the hearing person would also need some sort of
accommodation also.

The documentary started by sharing some statistics. Over 90% of deaf people have
hearing parents, and often, deafness is a trait which lasts through one generation. It can be
caused through heredity, illness, or accident. But would all deaf people trade in being deaf for
being able to hear? No! Being deaf is just a part of these peoples lives and what makes them
the unique individuals that they are. For people who are deaf, they do not focus on all the things
that they cannot do, but rather the things that they are able to do. I appreciate this viewpoint of
disability, since it is important to focus on the ability rather than the negative prefix dis
attached to the word.

In the 1800s, deaf people were isolated as they mostly lived in rural areas; they were
outcasts and not believed to be capable of being educated. Galludet brought catechism to the
deaf, and started a school for the deaf, later creating the first college for deaf individuals. More
and more deaf schools opened, and along with them, an American Sign Language. Soon, sign
language became taboo and controversial. Some thought that an oralist approach should be
taken and that students/teachers should not be allowed to sign. The deaf were seen as people
who should be assimilated into the American society. Alexander Graham Bell wanted to keep
deaf people away from each other. Signing in public used to be seen as being shameful, and was
something that should be done discreetly.

Watching the documentary and seeing different people signing was proof of how varied
sign language is to each individual. People used so many expressions to convey their emotions
that go along with what they were saying. Speakers used body language. Southern state signers
have their own dialects, different from the north, or the east, or the west. Each region has its own
special signs and lingos, just as there are different dialects and phrases that are used in spoken
languages. One black woman signer told about the differences between white people and black
people when signing, as black people use their bodies more.

For people who are deaf, they often feel caught between two worlds. These two worlds
are one hearing (EARth) and one deaf (EYEth). Deaf culture helps to bridge this gap, through
clubs, activities, and associations. One example is the National Association of the Deaf, which
produced films to try and preserve sign language; these silent films were popular until 1929,
when sound in films became possible. Deaf clubs had drama groups; one company was the
National Theatre of the Deaf.

Sign is a complete language and stands alone from English. It has its own structures as
well as rules, just as all languages do, and should not be considered as less than its own
language. Sign language dictionaries created with signs are arranged by hand shape and context,
instead of alphabetically. Just as sign language deserves merit of its legitimacy, so do the people
who sign it.