My Story
Hello, My name is Shirley Egbert. I have been sitting, watching and reading about languages. I am the person who is quiet. I agreed and disagreed with some comments out there without saying anything out loud.
My husband, John started Deaf Bilingual Coalition, I stand by him with FULL SUPPORT. I totally agree with this philosophy.
With my past experience growing up, I came from a large Deaf family of eight deaf brothers and sisters. My parents are deaf; I have used American Sign Language all my life. It was what we have always used to converse among each other. I have many hearing cousins who do not know or are eager enough to learn signs and a few relatives using signs. I remember very well with my family reunions, my brothers and sisters ended up gathering together, signing away our conversation alone.
My parents used to be in the photography business, taking pictures of weddings, graduations, and families, etc. My father developed and printed many pictures for people in town. My mother did all the oil coloring on pictures. They taught me well about communicating with hearing people via note writing. They told me to do that when they stopped by our house for all kinds of business communication.
I attended to a residential Deaf School in North Dakota. As I entered for the first time, I was shocked that they forbade signing. I asked my parents why. They said, “Just do what they ask us to do. It is the rule.†I spent practicing my speech too much in intermediate classes, sitting down with earphones on my ears, hearing the hearing teachers and DEAF students in classes speaking from books, learning NOTHING!! Luckily I could read words in books.
If one used signs, s/he would be punished putting inside coat closet, use black mittens on his/her hands, or teachers would throw erasers or chalks. I remember well how I hated using my speech. I could not speak “school†right and had to practice this a thousand times and still could not get right, but a teacher loved to hear my speech over again and again “ Pretty Pleaseâ€. For what! That teacher did not know ASL…. If she had this signing skill, she could have explained how I placed my tongue right for “K†for sKool.
Every week on Mondays, after weekends, we needed to write our weekend activities on the boards in English class. Teachers would correct our grammar without explaining why, because they did not know signs to help us.
I remember I had quite good English grammar skills comparing with other students in class. I did not understand why. I used to feel bad about myself, feeling that being hearing or least hearing people were better. Eventually I learned English on my own and realized that being hearing is no better than being Deaf. I began to feel disgusted at my former school for not having to “ teach, learn and lead†the deaf children to do likewise.
As I looked at 1950’s class picture with me in the front left, I noticed that they tricked us with “No Signing Contest†and marked out those who signed so in words they forbade signing in school! They forbade communication among students and teachers.
This not only happened to me but to my parents. So did with our children where there was too much emphasis on hearing. And today, it still does. Enough is enough. I support ASL for deaf babies and children—the Human Right to communicate and learn freely. So they can teach the others to learn and lead.
Hello Shirley,
I used to be a student at NDSD, and yes, I remember teachers really, really, really emphasized us to use voices all day. I still have the school reports from them explaining about my speech skills a lot and very little on my reading and writing areas. Disgusting!
Comment by jrb — August 28, 2007 @ 8:33 pm
jrb,
What year you attended NDSD?
Shirley
Comment by agbellinfo — August 28, 2007 @ 8:53 pm
Shirley, thanks for sharing your story which is quite similar to mine. It can be hard for many other people–hearing or even Deaf–to realize that even Deaf people from Deaf families did experience Oralism and was also hurt education-wise from it. Yes, Oralism was everywhere, in practically all Deaf schools, even if the Deaf school allowed signing on the playground or in high school (usually Sim-Com). And now, we realize, in spite of increasing recognition of ASL nowadays, Oralism still reigns, which is called neo-Oralism: CI/AVT, mainstreaming, and genetic engineering. Oralism affected and is affecting ALL of Deaf people and our families–Deaf or hearing.
Comment by Ella Lentz — August 29, 2007 @ 12:03 am
Hola Shirley,
What a heartache story about your personal experience of being suppressed from using your native language at the school. I definitely understand what you have been going thru your education. Is that the NDSD engaged in the “Combined System” like signing and oral speaking? Or just several classroom teachers impose their personal ideology of what the deaf students ought to communciate?
Which class subject you were forbidden from using ASL? Language Arts? English?
Where are you in the class picture? Is that you in the dark shirt (black) or the little one with full smile standing next to the teacher? I am kinda curious what do you look like in your younger days. Smile!
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
Comment by RLM — August 29, 2007 @ 4:41 am
Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading as it is important for people to share their experiences.
I did an oral history for one of my classes by interviewing this 2nd generation Deaf professional, who attended this formerly oral deaf school where my late grandma and great uncle were a product of. She suggested me to set up a videotape while I interviewed her and I thought great, it’ll be easy. It turns out that a 20 minutes interview on videotape took me hours to translate from ASL to English — a 10 page paper. Even though ASL is my first language and I am richly immersed into it, I saw how beautiful ASL as a language is and I was proud of this language.
What touched me the most about the interview is how this person, like many other deaf children, was forced to wear a speech power button if they are caught signing. It was a culture shock for her because she signs at home.
Comment by Katherine — August 29, 2007 @ 6:57 am
Shirley,
MY GOSH!!! I have goosebumps looking at these pictures– “No Signing Contest”… MY GOSH MY GOSH… Pictures are very important to social change. Societal sympathy crested when pictures of the African-American girl attending a de-segregated school was attacked, and the Vietnam War picture with the naked and burned girl running. Perhaps this is it…
This is staggering for me. Wow…
Shirley- it was great working with you last summer at the protest. I have so much respect for you and your family.
Comment by DE — August 29, 2007 @ 7:01 am
Hi Shirley,
Its me Jodi, Your son, Clyde’s classmate from MSAD, I was looking around for a deaf’s right in placing my son to go to austine ( deaf school) in Vermont within this state law sucks big time. we’re still fighting our rights. I guess every state’s law has different methods. anyways, I see this old picture wow in your times, we sure are spoiled nowdays
Comment by Jodi Walshvelo (Hoffman) — August 29, 2007 @ 7:55 am
I love old photos, especially those that show a historical time, attitude and event. Those close-ups of the blackboard SAYS IT ALL.
It reminded me of the Indian schools that were established by state governments on reservations. White teachers came to these schools to teach the native American children. Immediately they discouraged native talk: “talk like a white man!” was often heard. Native children were made to feel that their family language, their own culture and even their appearance was undesirable.
The list of names and marks how many times they were caught using sign language really got to me.
Comment by Dianrez — August 29, 2007 @ 11:05 am
Wow Shirley!! First thing I want to thank you for standing up strong support your wonderful husband, John NO MATTER WAHT!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your story about your life! WOW very interesting!
Hugs, Shawn
Comment by ASL Risen — August 30, 2007 @ 11:18 am
Your story caught my eye along with this powerful photo. Thank you for sharing your sentimental story.
I am amused about the contest! We will never see no speech contest in all schools for the deaf. My father who also grew up oral said that schools for the deaf back then were for teaching speech after Clerc’s time.
Now, there is a growing number of schools for the deaf that are gearing toward bilingual approach but there are more mainstreaming programs where one deaf individual (a solitaire) is becoming too common. What can this be done? My dream is to revist the PL-94 law to make it mandatory that every deaf child in the mainstream has the opportunity to experience ASL environment and peer interaction. IMO, this is worse than oral schools whereas they are able to be acquainted with each other.
This photo is definitely unforgettable!
Barb
Comment by Barb DiGi — August 31, 2007 @ 5:46 pm
Indeed.. Thank you to show all of us. We need to see this past look like. I really hope that our next generation children to see this and we shouldn’t make the same mistake again..
- Tar
Comment by Tar — February 1, 2008 @ 5:19 am
I was a substitute teacher in the Horace Mann School for The Deaf for two weeks. The children were not allowed to sign — I felt badly (and being a non-con-formist) would alow them to sign — they taught me how to sign “I love you”… I have very fond memories. it wasn’t until I saw “A Lesser god” that I appreciated my disobedience.
Comment by Lou — February 12, 2008 @ 10:20 pm