I’m introducing a new brand badge for all of the bloggers who are prelingually deaf to wear with pride. As you can see, it says “Certified 100% Prelingually Deaf”. As many of you may be aware, there was a recent surge in blog entries in relation to the validity of ASL being a language and illiteracy problems among the deaf communities. In truth, these are two of the most popular topics in deaf circles and even the hearing circles when the subject of deafness is brought up.
I was born deaf which is commonly referred to as prelingual deafness. Any baby who suffers hearing loss before the age of when speech is acquired; is also diagnosed with prelingual deafness. Now, for these who wish to use the badge on their blogsites or websites, feel free. I made this for everyone to use. Just put your cursor over the image and save it, then put it onto your website or blogsite! I also made a badge for the good fellas who are postlingually deaf.
A big hat tip to Dianrez for coming up with the idea even though it started out as a sarcastic remark! It's not such a bad idea after all. It's a great way to spread the awareness and fight the popular belief that the deaf in general are illiterate. For these who are unsure why I'm doing this. Here's a blog entry titled 'How Insulting!' posted by Ben Vess last night, I hope this will help you understand why I'm doing this.
Have a grand evening!
Update: Apparently someone had to make a big rant out of the badges.
Update II: Sharon Duchesneau left a comment today. She made an interesting point. So here's another badge for these who did learn ASL before the age of three. Feel free to use it.
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4/28/2007 8:11 PM
Banjo,
I am not sure how I feel about those badges. If you ask me, it's just another label for Deaf people. Why do we need more labels? Why do we need to further define what it means to be Deaf?
I don't intend to be hositle with this post, but I am curious??
4/28/2007 8:27 PM
J.J., you aren't being hostile at all. Here, you are free to ask any questions. In fact, the last thing I would ever want the reader to do is to not ask the hard questions.
I just edited the blog entry to include more information and hopefully it will lead people to understand why I'm promoting the use of the Prelingual badge to spread the awareness and combat the popular belief of the deaf in general are functionally illiterate.
I just want to make an effort to spread the awareness. :-)
4/28/2007 8:37 PM
Thanks for creating those icons! It's muchly appreciated. :)
4/28/2007 8:45 PM
I find that strange if you put the badge on your shirt, it reminds me or somebody to "recognize" that you are Jewish wearing the shape of a Star of David back in WWI.
I know that it does not make a sense, but in a way of being punishment.
4/28/2007 9:09 PM
Banjo,
I still don't get it? Perhaps, I am a tad bit dense...but let's summarize what I am seeing here:
1.) Vess was insulted by the implication that "prelingually" Deaf people "usually" had "bad English".
2.) Dianrez sarcastically said that we should add badges to our blogs to further identify who learned English and how.
3.) You made the badges.
4.) The basic goal here is to figure out how the "Deaf elite" learned to master English? So, that we can pass the methodology onto future generations?
This is what I am reading here…
If I am correct in my assessment, then this all is futile if you ask me.
A few points to hammer my point home:
1.) “Mastery of the English language”? Is that even truly possible? I am 33 years old and I STILL learn new things about the English language EVERYDAY. I am catching tons of English errors all over the Deaflohsphere, but it is not only Deaf people. I see it every damn where on the Internet. Everybody is at a different level in using the English language. I’d say mine is average. I am sure some college English professor could poke holes through this entry. I have met some people that have completely blown me away with their knowledge of the rules of English. I have met some people with terrible writing so bad that I couldn’t even understand what I was reading. No, not all of them were Deaf by the way. Also, English is the toughest language in the world to master bar none. Also, English is always evolving..albeit more in spoken language than written… In short, no one knows English perfectly..and if they tell you they do..they are lying..
2.) I have seen all kinds of Deaf people who can write well in English. Oral Deaf? Yes. ASL Deaf? Yes. Cued speech Deaf? Yes. CI Deaf? Yes. You name it. I also have seen all kids with bad English too.
3.) Is English a measure of intelligence? No. I agree with you guys on that at least.
4.) It’s just that people are different. They come from different backgrounds, families, and etc.. That’s one of the cool things about being Deaf, you meet all kinds of people. At the same time, it makes things complicated. For example, some Deaf children may be born into a bilingual family before learning ASL on top of that. Or some Deaf children are born in remote areas with no good Deaf schools nearby or a weak Deaf community presence. Oh man, there are just too many variables to be able to identify which methodology is the “common thread” amongst the so-called “Deaf elite”.
5.) Personally, I am identifying this as a thinly veiled “ASL rules” crusade. Now, I don’t want to be hostile and I KISS HAND ASL. ASL CHAMP OK..but ASL isn’t the only way that works. Maybe it is the best way for most people, but it is not for everyone unfortunately…..
Just my 2 cents…okay 50 cents…
-J.J.
4/28/2007 9:20 PM
Oh-kay. Someone just missed the boat.
J.J., if you have an issue with those lables, you should bring your complaint to the person who started this mess - McConnell.
4/28/2007 10:51 PM
Deaf258,
I just don't get how folks are offended by McConnell's entry?
He basically said that he was not going to adjust his writing style because a few people complained abut his choice of words.
He has every right to write the way he wants to. He does not want to dumb down his English and I do not have a problem with that AT ALL.
I also have a dictionary handy...
What is the issue here? You don't like what he wrote then don't read his blogsite?
4/28/2007 11:10 PM
Hmm, perhaps I am wrong, but I was raised to be POLITE. In my book, posting -- on deaf issues -- should not be "dumbed down", but rather made into simple terms, used for those deaf persons who are NOT extremely comfortable with The King's English. 'Nothing wrong with having good manners and being considerate to those deaf persons who are less fortunate.
Again, perhaps I am mistaken, but I feel that this issue here has no place for egos, show-offs, and/or deafies who have personal issues. 'Keep it open and considerate. You are only a part of MANY.
And "Never be afraid to say you are sorry".
Lantana
Lantana's Latitude
4/29/2007 1:43 AM
J.J., people are offended by McConnell's post because of his arrogant, belittling attitude.
He would use any flaws Deaf people have and use it to his advantage to hurt them. That makes him an Audist, without question.
There's no problem with learning how to improve the use of English, but there is a problem when the person is being an asshole about it!
4/29/2007 4:28 AM
Aloha Banjo and all!
I was born to Deaf pasrents who used gebarentaal (Dutch Sign Language). I guess I am never prelingual; I was born into a language....
Mike McConnell must be a prelingual pianist.
4/29/2007 4:31 AM
From a personal view,I get very tired and frustrated at the American obsesson with terms and words, usually the only people that need such things are those struggling with some identity issue, which we are told ASL users certainly don't ! and are united and proud of what they have.
ANy 'certification' suggest Najo is alludingto the 'medical model' of deaf people,and not the social one,any certification has to be proven medically, since he wouldn't accept anyone's own declaration because they might offer a vie he doesn't like.
What matters is who you are as a person not who you should be as some collective. People who are born deaf, people who acquire it later, the bottom line is no hearing. I'm happy to be 'certified' an individual, even a pain in the butt, I don't nee to prove anything else regardingthe degree of loss I might or might not have, or when.
These things tend to divide people not unite them, so I won't be wearing any badge, nor alluding to the many isms America is churning out on almost a daily basis either.
MM
4/29/2007 5:23 AM
MM,
I’m Canadian. Not American.
Anyway, that's not the point. You don't live here in Canada or the USA. You don't have the first-hand experience of the politics and the stigma here. Even though the issues may be similar in UK but we are still on different continents and our cultures are different. Feel free to share your experiences. You may be frustrated and tired of reading about us, but we are the ones going through with it. That's the difference between us here.
It's not an identity issue, at least not in its entirety. The thing is, it's a common stereotype that many people believe to be true. Therefore, the badge was born. I'm using the badge to show that I'm pre-lingually deaf and fluent in English.
Nothing wrong with that, at least not in my opinion.
4/29/2007 5:25 AM
Carl, you have a point there. Though I didn't start signing till I was around 3 after my hearing parents realized that the former family doctor gave them the wrong advice.
Thank God for my parents, I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for them.
4/29/2007 7:32 AM
Here's what I posted over at Cy's blog:
Jean's point makes sense to me. Stokoe may not necessarily have the final word on what "prelingually" Deaf means though. It's certainly food for thought for those of us in the Deaf community to consider. It's clear that most peole have come to understand that in the context of our community, it means "pre-English" or "pre-spoken-English" Deaf. Perhaps we can play around with other icon ideas that reflect the fact that many of us are "pre-English" Deaf.
Sharon Duchesneau
4/29/2007 9:01 AM
Heh. It seems there's a bit of confusion over my blog entry, which was mentioned in that blog rant about your badge.
McConnell has the right to write any way he pleases on his blog, but his tone in that entry was offensive. Telling us that he is sympathetic, then the next thing I read is him telling us to look up a word in the dictionary? Yeah. Real sympathetic there, McConnell!
As for the badge issue, I think it's great. It's a tongue-in-cheek poke at people who are always shocked that us deaf who have never heard or speak English, can read and write the language JUST FINE!
4/29/2007 9:10 AM
Canadian, American or even British, I'm at saturation point regarding labels/badges/terms/and identity identifyiers, it wsan't a rant as such. we're getting too close tothe trees to see wood, and are appearing rather self-obsess3d and totally introcpective regarding deafness and culturalissues. The real debates on these things can onlytake place when hearing are actively engaged with and involved, otherwise we're preaching to the converted mostly. Perhaps I'll do a badge with "I'm not cultural, signing or deaf from birth, so bite my butt! :)
It's only a laugh after all isn't it ?
MM
4/29/2007 7:06 PM
JJ: I don't see this as some kind of "ASL rulez" thing. I'm 100% certified prelingually deaf too, and I don't know ASL! I'm working on learning it now, but don't assume all prelingually deaf deafies know sign language...!
Also, more generally, I can tell you that every medical text I checked on line lists "prelingual" as meaning "prior to the development of language." Not english, but language. Now, I think this word is weakening, but only because we're learning more and more about how early children can acquire language (particularly through the use of sign language, which children can start using before they're physically capable of articulating words).
4/29/2007 7:11 PM
BTW: yesh, I know "medical dictionaries" -> medicalizations, etc. Leaving that aside, the point remains about what it means, prior to acquiring language.
Myself, I was three before my hearing parents figured out I was deaf, so any language acquisition I did was after that...
4/30/2007 6:17 PM
It was a good thing that your parents did not send you to a mental hospital. Some parents are not so smart...