Language Oppression: What is it? Why is it a Hot
Topic?
Language oppression, specifically speaking to American Sign Language (ASL), is extremely and unfortunately popular in the Deaf community and is without a doubt not new. For as long as Deaf people have been on earth there have been forms of signed languages and it goes without saying, so has ASL oppression. Oppression in the Deaf world can be dated as far back as 355 BC (before Christ) when a philosopher by the name of Aristotle made a claim around the Deaf and how people were only able to learn through spoken language. (Michelle Jay, 2008-2015) Deaf persons have seen many unfair laws including those such as not being allowed to marry, own their own land or drive, simply because it was thought that they were incapable of everyday life because they could not speak. Other claims include the theory that Deaf people were sinners because they could not "hear the word of God" as explained by St. Augustine around 355-443 AD (After Death). ASL oppression occurs mostly due to the fact that people are naive and only view Deaf people for their differences. When people recognize a difference they categorize this as "not normal" and thus you get people who react out of pure naivety and discomfort. As stated in the video above these people can be generally identified as white, male Straight and able-bodied.
ASL is opressed in a number of ways, Some modern forms of language oppression caused by non deaf privilege include: fake or modified ASL preformed by the non Deaf, non deaf people teaching ASL or other signed languages, forcing non deaf parents with recently diagnosed Deaf children to have invasive medical procedures or speech therapies on the child, neglecting to offer singed language development, and the misuse or lack there of in closed captioning. Furthermore, the lack of technology to create accessibility such as TTY's (telecommunication devises), Video Relay Services, announcement screens in public areas like subway systems, companies complaining they do not have enough funds so hire an interpeter to ensure equal communication ect. These are all examples of language oppression because they create a barrier of communication.
Finally, when speaking of the history in Deaf education there have been horrible punishments for Deaf children who used any form of signed language. This time is best known as the Oralist Time when children were tied to chairs, made to sit on their hands and many other horrible actions placed upon these children for simply using their native form of communication according to Jan Branson and Don Miller, 2002. Students went through a time when they were forced to learn to lip read and forced into speech therapy which evidently only delayed their learning. This issue of language oppression still remains, perhaps in less aggressive ways but nonetheless, still prevalent. Some modern forms of language oppression caused by non deaf privilege include: Fake or modified ASL preformed by the non Deaf, non deaf people teaching ASL or other signed languages, forcing non deaf parents with recently diagnosed Deaf children to have invasive medical procedures or speech therapies on the child, neglecting to offer singed language development, and the misuse or lack there of in closed captioning. This can also be viewed as discrimination, as well as Audism. Audism falls under the same spectrum as Racism, Sexism and Discrimination and is just as unacceptable. Audism can follow two roles, one being when the majority (non deaf people) make assumptions about the capabilities of the Deaf, and the second is when the majority tried to rule the Deaf and force them to make decisions they otherwise wouldn't as well as disempowering the Deaf.
For more information on Audism please visit:
http://www.cad.ca/audism.php
For more information on Deaf Education in History please visit:
http://www.cochlearwar.com/history/opposing_approaches.html
ASL is opressed in a number of ways, Some modern forms of language oppression caused by non deaf privilege include: fake or modified ASL preformed by the non Deaf, non deaf people teaching ASL or other signed languages, forcing non deaf parents with recently diagnosed Deaf children to have invasive medical procedures or speech therapies on the child, neglecting to offer singed language development, and the misuse or lack there of in closed captioning. Furthermore, the lack of technology to create accessibility such as TTY's (telecommunication devises), Video Relay Services, announcement screens in public areas like subway systems, companies complaining they do not have enough funds so hire an interpeter to ensure equal communication ect. These are all examples of language oppression because they create a barrier of communication.
Finally, when speaking of the history in Deaf education there have been horrible punishments for Deaf children who used any form of signed language. This time is best known as the Oralist Time when children were tied to chairs, made to sit on their hands and many other horrible actions placed upon these children for simply using their native form of communication according to Jan Branson and Don Miller, 2002. Students went through a time when they were forced to learn to lip read and forced into speech therapy which evidently only delayed their learning. This issue of language oppression still remains, perhaps in less aggressive ways but nonetheless, still prevalent. Some modern forms of language oppression caused by non deaf privilege include: Fake or modified ASL preformed by the non Deaf, non deaf people teaching ASL or other signed languages, forcing non deaf parents with recently diagnosed Deaf children to have invasive medical procedures or speech therapies on the child, neglecting to offer singed language development, and the misuse or lack there of in closed captioning. This can also be viewed as discrimination, as well as Audism. Audism falls under the same spectrum as Racism, Sexism and Discrimination and is just as unacceptable. Audism can follow two roles, one being when the majority (non deaf people) make assumptions about the capabilities of the Deaf, and the second is when the majority tried to rule the Deaf and force them to make decisions they otherwise wouldn't as well as disempowering the Deaf.
For more information on Audism please visit:
http://www.cad.ca/audism.php
For more information on Deaf Education in History please visit:
http://www.cochlearwar.com/history/opposing_approaches.html