Deaf Culture

I have always been interested in American Sign Language as well as the various aspects of Deaf culture and the community. For ASL classes, it was encouraged to attend events hosted by the UCF ASL Club or try and find other Deaf events in Orlando. As a result, I was able to step a little closer to the exclusive, tight-knit community. One night that sticks out in my memory was a deaf panel event, courtesy of the ASL Club. I heard about the various experiences the panel members have had and all about their lives. I think the most interesting part of it was hearing about how they classify themselves. From little “d” deaf to big “D” deaf to hard-of-hearing, the explanations each person gave were really interesting. The attendees ranged in age, deafness, born deaf or deafness later developed, etc. All but one of the panelists knew sign language so it was interesting to hear about her perspective not being in either the Deaf nor hearing community and just kind of stuck between the two worlds. Also, her parents were in attendance and during a portion of the night when members of the audience were allowed to ask questions, her parents, mainly her father, spoke about of thought process behind not sending her to a school for the deaf, not learning sign language, and encouraging her to be oral. It was an eye opening experience.

“As children living in the world of their caretakers, they are powerfully guided by the conventions of their culture,” according to Padden and Humphries. I cannot imagine what it would be like to not communicate with my child. One of the older gentlemen on the panel brought his three adorable children with him. He told us about how they all know sign language and they know that when he is around they must sign. I think that is such a crucial thing, being able to communicate with those around you, especially