Chapter Four:
Life in Deaf Communities
Chelsee Patterson
2/12/2021
Deafness
Deaf
Cannot hear many sounds
Ears are "broken"
Some deaf, hearing aids don't work
Some have good speech; some don't use speech
Hard of Hearing
Can hear many sounds
Hearing aids often help
Some have good speech; others do not speak clearly
Hearing Impaired
Describe all people with hearing problems
Some prefer to be called 'hearing impaired';
other's prefer being called 'deaf'
"Hearing Impaired" = "Politically correct term"
"Traditional"/ "Pioneering" Views
"Impaired" suggests negative connotation: malfunction, substandard, defect, disability
"Semi-mute" described deaf people born hearing but lost hearing at infancy
Children lost hearing to childhood diseases (Whooping Cough/Scarlet Fever)
Today, most children born deaf due to illness in pregnancy or Rx's
1800's-Present
Tend to be more isolated and spread out
Deaf children had no schooling & stayed on farm;
or, left school early for farm/returned after graduation
Vocational schools aided in marketing deaf people's skills
Two World Wars presented opportunities
Deaf became more independent
Various means of technology
Sense of belonging becomes more fragmented
Deaf Clubs
Evolved from state schools
Migration to large cities
(characteristically populated by former students)
Residential schools fostered relationships establishing
Deaf Clubs
Govern, socialize, communicate (ASL) & organize sports,
monthly business meetings, parities, special celebrations, banquets, card games, captioned movies
"Silent" often in Clubs' names: Akron Silent Club
Usually on 2nd level of stores; close to street car/bus
Club members raise funds or purchase own houses
Open every weekend [or] 24/7 (especially during WWII)
Charles Thompson Memorial Hall, St. Paul MN
Houston Association of the Deaf
Private Residences
The Birdgettes (45 years) volunteer work
The Deaf Seniors of America National Conference (luncheons / Red Hat Society)
Religion
Sunday school class for deaf people in NY (Gallaudet)
45,000 deaf people had no access to Baptist religious services
19 religious classes in 11 states (1914)
Henry Syle (1846-1890)
Interpreters often untrained yet considered themselves God's devoted saviors rescuing the unfortunates from devil
Religious interpreting forerunner of today's interpreting profession
Rev. Francis J. Clerc, Laurent's son
1900 = 7 ordained; 1930 = 22 ordained
National Fraternal Society
Not able to purchase insurance
Forced to pay exorbitant premiums
Published bi-monthly informative publications The Frat
Sponsor projects: food, clothing, Frat picnics, Frat dinners, aid needy populations
"United We Stand" 9/11 drive = NFSD, NAD, Deaf Seniors of America
2005 stopped selling insurance; 2010 went out of business
World Wars
Not be able to "hear" concerns risks employment in factories
Akron, Ohio
501,000 deaf live in one sq. mile
WWII Goodyear / Firestone hire 1000 deaf people
"Victory Gardens"
Girls at MD school for the Deaf produced approx. 18,000 surgical dressings for Red Cross
Virginia School for the Deaf and Bind sold $2,200+ worth of stamps/bonds
NAD made "Victory Fund" $7,700 for "club mobiles" for American Red Cross
"Presented by the Deaf of USA, Through the NAD"
Post World War
Many laid off/ demoted/ evicted after major wars due to returning soldiers
Increase in Deaf Peddlers tarnishes image of hard working Deaf people
Peddlers (then): railroad stations, bus depots, downtown bars
Peddlers (now): airports, shopping malls
Peddler trinkets: first aid bandages, comb, peen, bookmarks
(1940-1950) peddlers make $20-$30
(1960) peddlers make $100-$800
Deaf bosses used intimidation to enslave peddlers
Mayor Rudolph Guliani's administration & peddler victims
Employment opportunities evolved to printers, carpenters, bakers, upholsterers, tailors, tire factory workers
Key punching careers popular amongst women
Vanishment
Clubs folded and were sold off
Diminishing club memberships
Availability of TTY
E-mail, IM, Video Conferences
Formed a middle class
Utopia
Socailizing after Deaf Clubs = coffee shops, bookstores, bars, restaurants
Creation of a community where only deaf people could reside
Martha's Vineyard
Laurent Clerc's rebuttal
Marvin Miller real estate in Salem, SD as new town for signs language users "Laurent"
EARth & EYEth
Deaf World
= Another phrase for "Deaf Community"
Part of the world: interpreters, parents of Deaf children, CODA's, professionals
Padden states people included are not themselves deaf but actively support the goals of thee community and work with deaf people to achieve them
Fort Monroe Workshop: 69 invited; 57 deaf, 11 hearing, 5 females
Evolution of independence of deaf people
Coalition of 18 organizations
Council of Organizations Serving the Deaf (COSD) sponsored 9 annual forums
Recognition
Growth of self awareness/ self-actualization
Recognition of "social" / "cultural"
characteristics
1970's = turning point
Empowered in pursuing education
Look at hearing loss as defining cultural entity
Harvey Corson (1991) Keynote
1990s establishment of Deaf Studies