Before I start this blog, this message is to address to the hearing people who supports AB 2072.
My English was not good as I had been struggling to improve my English. When I enrolled at university in Minnesota, it was the moment my life changed because I was exposed to American Sign Language. At the point, my English had been improving dramatically as I immersed into American Sign Language.
Now, to hearing people who believed that providing CI to Deaf children, please research with Deaf people rather than to focus on medical research. I don't mean to judge, but those doctors literally have no idea because their researches are completely one-sided argument. In fact, American Sign Language is literally a language.
Check out the link: ASL is a language.
Didn't you know that the children who grew up in families with two languages have a better chance of learning acquisition? I have been meeting a lot of children who are CODA [child(ren) of Deaf adult(s)] and they are very smart for their age. I met several people who are hearing with knows two or three languages. They are very intelligent. Now, I have to say this: it's even true for Deaf people who use American Sign Language since the birth and learn English through American Sign Language.
Now, to persuade the Deaf child(ren) to get CI and to work on oral skills, that's a whole different story. To us, you limit the Deaf children from allowing them to expand their learning skills. In fact, I do have friends who got CI after their births and all of them were rather angry at their parents because they wished they had the opportunity to learn sign language in early age. Nevertheless, they are fighters.
Once again, if you still believe that CI and oral program are only the best way to succeed the Deaf child(ren), then why can't you at least allow the children to use sign language?
In fact, Deaf people like me out there are struggling with the job opportunities simply because the hearing people continues to focus on talking skill than the skills and potentials we do have. The Deaf people like us are very able to do endless things. However, because the people generally kept limiting themselves virtually to the capability of speaking only, they failed to recognize we are full of potentials.
Before you argue that Deaf people lack of literacy skills, I have to stand up and say, "That's because you prevent them from accessing to sign language and because you as parents lack the motivation to communicate with the Deaf children as your own."
There are many issues to be discussed, but the basic question is: How much do you as a parent love your Deaf child?
To Deaf people, you are welcome to express your feelings. Especially to the Deaf people who got CI after birth, please feel free to express how you feel because I don't have CI since my birth at all.
Back to the title of this blog, "Support or Oppose AB 2072," I believe you know my answer.
Let me introduce myself, I am William Timmers. I am LIVING TESTIMONY as proof to the fact: ASL is my first language. I have been at University of Minnesota, studying Architecture. Many professors has been teaching me what is Architecture? What is Art? What is such such such. I never catch it what is their point?
ReplyDeleteUntil one day... I took third-year design class and I "picked" wrong professor. She was teaching us how to design a building for Dancers. Dancers depend on music, yet, I choose her. What am I thinking???
The professor challenged me... "Okay, your language is American Sign Language, why can't you design a building to express ASL and Culture?" I still don't get it. So I go ahead and designed the Deaf Center for Performing Artists and I still don't understand the purpose of Architecture.
Until... I read and laugh at Ken Glickman's Deafinations. Then got idea, and wrote and draw and design, then made presentation to professors. I presented to them and getting ideas from Ken Glickman's deafinations. Professors said "FINALLY! That is what I had been trying to tell you for 3 years!". I say "OH I get it!".
Here comes, I invented "DEAFITECTURE" = Deaf Culture and Architecture combined.
So... that settles: American Sign Language is MY FIRST LANGUAGE, period.
LEAVE DEAF CHILDREN ALONE and be exposed to Deaf Culture! English alone without ASL don't work!
OPPOSE AB2072
Having hard times to forgive Los Angeles for welcoming LAKERS!
Hear the voice of Mike "Spike" Gonzalez, after reading your blog and I found to be very disturbing about AB 2072! When I used to live in California I was using SEE (Sign Exact English) it is one of most boredom language I have expereinced.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was transferred to Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), my life was changed forever where I fully immersed myself into ASL and rediscover the root of Deaf Culture and its world making ASL my primary language.
At this moment, I was struggling with my english writing, I thanked my english teacher at MSSD who have pulled me out of classroom which was filled with students who have gifted of being Deaf leaders in future which I dont have.
Teacher noticed something in me this I can use my talent and express from english writing. So my first book I have read is R.L. Stine books which have led me into Stephen King books, as I spent hourless of night at dorm feasting through books have led me to improve my english writing.
At graduation, I was awareded as avid reader of the year. So I am able to fully express my own ASL freely and able to write english well make me understand myself better.
So therefore, ASL is natural language, similar with we see other cultures with their own language, we cannot remove other cutlure's language as it go same for Deaf culture period.
I thanked my parents for respecting my deafness even they asked doctor for medical opinon and referred my parents to Deaf services instead of having doctor offering my parents with CI option (CI dont exist when I was born) so I wanted hearing parents to do same as what my parents did.
Hearing parents and doctors have no idea how they are doing harmful to Deaf community and their own cutlure where they cherishes!