ASL Rose Newsletter
Vol. 1 No. 11
November 2007

What do a kiwi and a turkey have in common? These birds don't fly up in the sky like many other birds because their wings are too small and make it impossible for them to fly. Still, they are members of the avian family. We know their bodies are designed in a certain way and fully accept that they can not fly. More importantly, no one bothers to find ways to make turkeys or kiwis fly.

Should ways be invented to help them fly? Is their inability to fly unacceptable? If someone were to attach artificial wings onto their bodies, would they be able to fly equally as well as other birds? Most likely not! Toying with the idea of trying to make them fly is clearly absurd! There’s no point in making them fly and almost everyone will agree it’s more sensible to leave them alone.

The turkey and kiwi, even though they don’t fly, are still full-fledged birds. They live bird lives and science still categorizes them as birds even though they can’t make their bodies lift up into the air!

Does this have a familiar ring, especially related to the Deaf? What do hearing and deaf people have in common? Both are human beings and members of the human race. The human ear is designed to hear, and most people hear, but some don’t. It’s like the turkey and kiwi both having wings, just the same as other birds, but their wings are flightless; they both are still birds. Deaf people can live their lives comfortably without hearing sound, but are constantly bothered by numerous people who do not allow them to remain deaf. Putting a cochlear implant in a deaf child is similar to putting artificial wings on a bird. Imagine us trying to implant artificial wings on a kiwi chick, and compare that to what is done to deaf babies. Do you see the similarity?

The advocates for cochlear implants tell fantastical stories about deaf babies and youngsters developing the ability to hear exactly like hearing people. When hearing people hold onto the hope that deaf people will hear like them and forbid them to sign, they often make it worse for the deaf, because it becomes a push that forces deaf people further into the abyss. A lot of people still fail to realize that, even with the high technology, cochlear implants still cannot fully replicate the human ear.

What is the most sensible way for deaf people to reach their fullest human potential? It is to focus on life possibilities, not life impossibilities. American Sign Language, including its smallest part, known as cherology, as well depicted in the Have You Ever Seen…? An American Sign Language (ASL) Handshape DVD/Book (HYES DVD/Book), represents one of the life possibilities for deaf people. This helps deaf children make good progress towards full ASL fluency. The scientific findings by Ursula Bellugi and Laura Petitto in the early language acquisition of ASL for deaf children attest to the fact that there exists ASL milestones. The two linguists emphasized that it is extremely important for deaf children to acquire ASL as early as possible. In comparison, cochlear implants represent a focus on one of the impossibilities, the development of a spoken language without access to sound. In other words, there is no guarantee for the success of deaf children picking up a language—spoken English—through cochlear implants.

Thanksgiving Day is a constant reminder of our ancestors’ hardworking efforts and practicality in finding ways to stay alive. At the same time, they worked very hard to improve the quality of human living for future generations. They focused on the course of "life possibilities" and avoided wasting time on developing things that were not functionally significant. They knew that something like artificial wings would be a ridiculous waste of time. They knew that it was simply better, and more reasonable to focus on life possibilities in order to help enhance their quality of living. We thank them for their sensible efforts to make the world better.

Many members of the deaf community continue to express thankfulness to people and organizations that have helped them improve the quality of deaf living, and because they fully experience their lives as human beings. Thanks to Bridget C. Connelly for her beautiful artwork on the turkey with eight feathers. On the Thanksgiving Day, expressing thankfulness for deaf traditions should not be forgotten. Each feather represents major contributors who helped create "life possibilities" for deaf people in today's world. Without them, deaf people probably would continue to experience major struggles in their daily living that, most likely, would deprive them from living life as full human beings.

NAD made it possible for deaf people to group together and defend the use of sign language for deaf people when the world gravitated to the "oral" movement after the 1880s.

Since 1864, Gallaudet University has made it possible for deaf persons to obtain higher education in America.

Laurent Clerc made it possible to spread sign language in America through sign language instruction to future headmasters of schools for the deaf.

Schools for the deaf have made it possible for deaf students to socialize with fellow schoolmates and receive well-rounded education.

Deaf churches made it possible for deaf people to congregate and worship in the language they understood and gain the spiritual dimension.

Deaf clubs made it possible for deaf people to get together for information, entertainment, and socialization.

NLSD (National Literary Society of Deaf) made it possible for deaf people to enjoy different types of storytelling presentation in sign language.

ASL has made it possible for deaf people to interact, share cultural experience, and develop the identity that is meaningful for them.

As seen above, the dialogue between the four Indians and four deaf leaders sitting around the table are being conducted in American Indian signs. Yiqiao Wang must be applauded for her effort to make such precise drawings of such signs for this newsletter. The source of these signs comes from the book called "Indian Sign Language" by William Tomkins, published in 1969 by Dover Publications. Below is a game that you may enjoy playing: Can you match the equivalents in the meaning of the dialogue, translating from Indian signs with English? Have fun!

Key Answers: 1. F, 2. H, 3. D, 4. A, 5. C, 6. B, 7. G, 8.E

ASL Rose proudly announces two significant developments. First, the October 2007 ASL Rose newsletter focusing on the Halloween "trick or treat" is posted in the section relating to deafness on the "about.com" website. Check it out at http://deafness.about.com/cs/culturefeatures1/a/deafhalloween.htm. Second, Joan Wink, a professor at California State University, Stanislaus, and her daughter, Dawn, an instructor at Santa Fe Community College, together wrote an excellent book review on the HYES DVD/Book. You can find their review on the Teacher College Record web site (tcrecord.org).

As always, thank you for reading the November issue of ASL Rose newsletter.