04.10.01 Hein’s Castle
40th Clip - Title: Selling False Hope - (04:30 mins - 3:51:45 hours)
This clip is posted for those oral deaf people who “exclaim” about their speaking skills, needing to express “I can speak”. Signing deaf people usually don’t do that, not needing to express “I can sign”. The spirit behind this clip, “Selling False Hope” describes the soul, the quintessence, and the epitome of oralism.
Click away and enjoy Hein’s false advertisement . . .
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Commentary: Research on the history of oral education have shown that oral educators, in the 18th and 19th century, had used various deceptive ways to demonstrate that oral educational method was superior, worked better, or appropriate for deaf children. The infamous 1880 Milan Congress used students from local deaf schools, most of them POST-lingually deaf, to demonstrate “good” speaking skills. Oral schools in the past AND the present would select students with best speaking skills to give demonstrations. It is false hope given to parents and the public that “all” deaf children can be like this “one” deaf person who can speak.
The shrill of the oral educators of the deaf, oral deaf people, and few signing deaf people - who say “The deaf can speak” or “I can speak” - epitomize the spirit behind this clip. Want to see/hear the most current shrill - click here. That DEAF person wrote this sentence, “I’m able to hear and speak well.”
I find that very same young deaf oral woman’s brave stance very helpful for the deaf world to accept the fact that cochlear implants are probably not the death knell of sign languages and deaf cultures, yet her shrill still resonates the spirit of this clip.
I find Patti Durr’s response to “the shrill of the oral” reasonable, balanced, and intelligent. Click here to read her words.
This endless cycle of the Deaf Question (to speak or not to speak) OR (to sign or not to sign) will not stop until the prophecy of this myth happens, that is IF. That comes in the 12th and last chapter, so hold our pants, we need to.
Tikkun Olam, we must . . .
May VisMa Be With You . . .