AGBell’s Right to Advocate Oralism Only…?
I am one of those successful oral persons that still use oral communication in the society and ALSO I am bilingual. I am fluent in American Sign Language.
I realize that the vast majority of the Deaf people started oral methods at very young age and failed to achieve the ability to speak well enough be understood in the hearing society. Not only that, but the majority of oral deaf children and adults are left out of most conversations unless one on one. Speech does not guarantee that the speaker hears all that is being said. Communication is often one-sided and not natural.
Let me tell you why I will be involved this Saturday, September 29th with International Sign Language Day.
I was at Gallaudet University two months ago and talked to a very important person about my advocation of American Sign Language.
This person got very upset and angry with me because of my advocation of the Deaf’s right to spread the gospel of the importance in American Sign Language and why Deaf Babies should start learning signs at the age of six months as thousands of hearing babies are doing right now in America receiving big benefits/positive results.
This person emphasized me that “AGBELL HAS THE RIGHT TO ADVOCATE ORALISM ONLY!â€. His gesture was telling me that I have no right to object AGBell’s self-centered ideology of banning sign language for Deaf babies and use the use of oral only philosophy education.
My good friend, David Eberwein told me to always REFAME of anyone’s self-centered ideology statement.
After this person told me… “AGBELL HAS THE RIGHT TO ADVOCATE ORALISM ONLY!â€, I responded by saying “THE DEAF PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO ADVOCATE ASL TOOâ€.
The expression of this person’s face was shocked at my “reframed†respond when I said, “THE DEAF PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO ADVOCATE ASL TOOâ€.
I want to emphasize you that I am not against oralism.
It is the BANNING…, FORBIDDING…, and PREACHING to parents of deaf children that American Sign Language should never be used for their or anyone’s Deaf Babies and deaf children in schools!
Alexander Graham Bell Association and Auditory Verbal Therapy are depriving Deaf babies and school children from natural and healthy acquisition of Sign Language.
This is why I will join with hearing and deaf people this Saturday, September 29th in Minneapolis, Minnesota with my black shirt to tell the world that we don’t want our sign language(ASL) to be destroyed by the self-centered ideology of AGBELL/AVT group that are doing it all over the world right now.
An Unbiased Deaf/Oral Progressive Activist,
John F. Egbert
Posted on September 25th, 2007 by egbertpress
Filed under: Uncategorized
Amen!
R-
Hello, John Egbert,
You have said all those so perfectly! We all have our rights to advocate whatever we see it fit. I’m all for ASL rather than Oralism.
Yes, I grew up in Oral School and can talk pretty well but not well as the hearing people at all. My husband grew up in the same Oral School as I couldn’t talk too well like I do.
I believe that Oralism is NOT an ideal for every deaf child. ASL is a real ideal and Deaf’s FIRST language. That’s why I want to stress to anyone that ASL is they key to the Deaf’s education and everyday lives they lead.
I’m thinking of a way to advocate ASL to the parents of deaf babies in my home state even though our Oral School had been closed for 27 years anyway. But unfortunately, the deaf school’s enrollment has been declining ever since due to mainstreaming schools, deaf programs in the public schools and cochlear implants.
ASL is the POWER for ALL of DEAF people!
Thank you!
Misha
hey thanks for sharing this experience. same as you, grew up oral but sign language is important to me as well and believe every deaf child has full access to sign language for comfortable, natural espressive and receptiveness. we will be marching on Friday, check http://www.slr-canada.net
Misha,
By all means, I agree that oralism is not an ideal for every deaf child. It wasn’t easy for me and went through tough and hard times. It took me many years of training while ASL took me only one semester at Gallaudet.
But I need to remain to be unbiased, unlike AGBell/AVT and fully support ASL as the main foundation for a deaf baby to start learning. And parents have the right to choose….whether it’s the wrong or right decision and their consequence would be painless compare to their deaf child’s pain.
Noni,
Ditto, Enjoy this Friday! I will be thinking of Canada’s Deaf Community on International Sign Language Day.
John
Mr Egbert, Horray for you and your club. You are right, you can advocate anything you want. However, respect should be given to those who want to advocate what they wish.
The world does not evolve around you or ASL.
When was the last time you communicated to a group of hearing people who don’t know ASL and had no interpreter?
Please, spare us the drama!!
you couldn’t have said it better! thank you…
John,
Yup… rather than us Deafies play defense (like we’ve been since 1880), we need to point out that AG Bell are the REAL militants- banning, destorying, abusing, and all vile acts perpetuated on Deaf babies since AG Bell came into power.
Am so looking forward to International Day of Signed Languages! The California School for the Deaf, Fremont, will be celebrating that in a BIG way this Friday before our students go home. Ella, GG, and I will be presenting on Deafhood in Indianapolis, alas, but we’ll join the Indiana Association of the Deaf’s march & rally this Sat!!!!!!!!
Deaf citizens of the world, UNITE!
dream weaver,
Yes, we all can advocate what we feel is right. But it is important not to be biased, I am emphasizing the word again… BIASED. And I am not biased so therefore I feel good about what I am doing for the Deaf Babies and deaf children in schools.
dream weaver, you asked;
“When was the last time you communicated to a group of hearing people who don’t know ASL and had no interpreter?”
I have spoken at the University of Minnesota several times to 500+ students about my experience growing up deaf. I never use an interpreter because my verbal communication has a much higher data flow rate than the vast majority of the interpreters that are able to for me.
But I do need an interpreter when the students ask questions. I may talk like a hearing person to a group of people but when they try to communicate to me, I am unable to pretend that I am a hearing person.
If you doubt me, you can contact the ASL Department at the University of Minnesota and ask for the students’ written reviews of my lectures.
And there are many Deaf people in the country that know me and my verbal communications with hearing people.
Bilingually yours,
John Egbert
AGBELL have right to advocate for oralism that is their opinion but at same time AGBELL still expresses very deep and strong anti CIVIL RIGHT for Deaf childs.. I can agree with David E. that there is a real miltant in many ways. and my question is that AGBELl does not represent very diversity but rather only white men who have a lot of money that can influence again AGBELl already show a real anti human right for Deaf child because of forcing deaf child to learn by using a method of oppressive!
Deaf Socrates- right on!
Egbert, that was well put. Dreamweaver, you have to realize that even though hearing people are just as uncomfortable around Deaf people, that it goes the other way around, too. Deaf people are uncomfortable around hearing for the same reasons - no one understands what the other is saying. Leaving that aside, let me ask you this question - Who has the easiest means of accessing each other’s language, the Deaf or the hearing person?
Deaf can’t HEAR you speak, so conversation goes one way. Hearing people are not generally blind however and can use their eyes for visual communication just as effectively as a Deaf person can. That’s all I have for now.
Hey CODAMan,
Good point!
About this comment,
“Deaf can’t HEAR you speak, so conversation goes one way. Hearing people are not generally blind however and can use their eyes for visual communication just as effectively as a Deaf person can. That’s all I have for now.”
Image about a hearing parent and a deaf child, which is harder for one of the two to learn speech and why not both learn signs as both are not blind.
John
Hey there,
I am doing a paper on oral schools for my sign language class and I found this article very interesting. Yes, I am hearing.
I agree as well. If you feel the need to put your child in a oral school, then do it, but the parents need to make sure they are educated with their birth language, ASL and learn it becuase they will use it through out their lives growing up.