I was working on a piece for my writing group and looking through photos and saw a boy in my confirmation class who was deaf. I googled him and found out despite his deficit, he had an amazing career, beginning with taking the University of Texas to the Supreme Court for refusing to provide him with language assistance. And then I remembered a book I read years ago (1988) that really captured the hearing person in a deaf family (A LOSS FOR WORDS). Now that I have a moderate hearing loss, this subject interests me. The recent series CODE OF SILENCE on Britbox did a great job with this and of course, CODA, which won an Oscar.
From
the time she was a toddler, Lou Ann Walker acted as the ears and voice
for her parents, who had lost their hearing at a young age. As soon as
she was old enough to speak, her childhood ended, and she immediately
assumed the responsibility of interpreter—translating doctors’
appointments and managing her parents’ business transactions. Their
family life was warm and loving, but outside the home, they faced a
world that misunderstood and often rejected them.
In
this deeply moving memoir, Walker offers us a glimpse of a different
world, bringing with it a broader reflection on how parents grow
alongside their children and how children learn to navigate the world
through the eyes of their parents.
6 comments:
This is a topic that doesn't get enough attention, Patti, and should. Interpreting for parents with deafness is at least as challenging as interpreting for parents who don't speak the dominant language. It's a challenging, complex situation, and it's made even more so by the fact that users of ASL are often seen as having a deficit, rather than as people from a different culture with a different language. I'm glad you brought this book to our attention.
Sounds good. I put it on hold.
Interesting. Christina is a sign language interpreter. Strangely, a difficult part of her job is working with kids who 1) refuse to learn sign language, or 2) have parents who refuse to have their children taught to use sign language.
Jerry-that seems to be a big issue. Also whether to get a cochlear implant, which takes a child outside of the deaf community. It is fraught with issues.
The bigger issue for me, Patti, is considering those to be different to be less.
I would hope not too many parents of deaf/hearing-impaired kids take that tack, but, then, look at all the fascists in power in the world of deeply flawed humans.
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