The last week of this month is Deaf Awareness... because of friends this is a BIG one for me. It is a time for those deaf, HoH (Hard of Hearing), and deaf friendly to look back at the years of those who are deaf and HoH being pushed to the side, especially the Deaf (with a big D) who are not only medically deaf, but culturally deaf as well.
YES! There is a culture to go with what most people regard pityingly as merely hearing loss. A culture of shared experiences that include being excluded for most of their life from even their own families, parents, siblings, etc. There are languages that go with this. Here in the US it is called ASL (American Sign Language)... and it is NOT just English pantomime, or badly crafted English grammar. It is a living language, and it has the distinction of falling into a group of truly 3-D languages, including all the other sign languages out there. Imagine all the spoken languages in the world. Now double that. That is how I would describe all of the signed languages out there.
Gear up! mid April thru mid May is Deaf Celebration Month... and there will be many more of these scintillating facts.
Some linkage:
National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
Gallaudet University
1988 Civil Rights for Deaf, Deaf President Now (DPN) History
Be safe and informed,
A
