Members Of Deaf Community Research Articles

Patterns of identity development in ethnic minority/multicultural deaf families

Although the existence of internal ethnic diversity within Deaf communities is recognized by several authors, there has been less analysis of the impact of the ethnicity of marriage partners on the development and transmission of identity within Deaf families. This paper addresses language use and crossgenerational identity transmission in ethnic minority or ethnically mixed families set up by Deaf spouses living in Oradea (Romania). The research conducted in the Deaf community of Oradea is based on a survey of ethnic Hungarian Deaf community members (including ethnic Romanian spouses), lifepath interviews with selected Deaf individuals, and family case studies. The research results denote that in the case of Deaf people living in ethnically homogenous marriages who have graduated from a special school in Hungarian language, the transmission of Hungarian identity, knowledge of Hungarian sign language/oral language tends to be a natural, undisturbed process. However, if one of the spouses is of Romanian ethnicity, the language of communication within the family will probably be Romanian sign language/oral language. On the other hand, in families where both minority and majority ethnic family members, Deaf and hearing, are present, complex, multifaceted patterns of linguistic communication may operate, favoring specific multicultural ways of developing and transmitting identity.

Self-perceived health-related factors in Deaf Community in East Java, Indonesia

Background: Little is known about the perceived health of the Indonesian Deaf despite the rapid growth of the Deaf community and social organizations. Objective: The study aimed to investigate self-perceived health and related determinants among deaf adults in a Deaf community in East Java, Indonesia. Method: A survey study was conducted on 102 community members. Perceived health was assessed using a question: ‘In a scale of 1 to 10, how much will you give to rate your health?’. After stepwise suggestion and collinearity analysis, the association of demographic and health conditions was analyzed using logistic regression.Result: A High perceived health scale was reported from 77% of the members. Low perceived health was mainly stated by individuals from the 25–45 age, female, married, and working groups. Although most had no health complaints in the last month, 60% were hospitalized in the previous year. Lower educational levels, owned health insurance, frequently consuming vegetables, and fruits, and never being hospitalized were associated (p<0.05) with higher self-perceived health. Conclusion: Despite the high self-perceived health reported from most Deaf community members, the overall self-reported health conditions of Deaf community members are still a concern due to the high rate of hospitalization and lack of objective health assessment.

Deaf Health Pathway - Immersing Medical Students in the Cultural and Language Aspects of Deaf Health.

Language and cultural-concordant healthcare providers improve health outcomes for deaf patients, yet training opportunities are lacking. The Deaf Health Pathway was developed to train medical students on cultural humility and communication in American Sign Language to better connect with deaf community members and bridge the gap in their healthcare.

Developing an Accessible, Inclusive and Responsive (AIR) Library Services Framework for Deaf Communities in City Libraries of National Capital Region

The research agenda is to develop a library services framework for city libraries in order to cater to the needs of the deaf community. In doing so, existential trends and practices of city libraries in the National Capital Region (NCR), Philippines were explored vis-à-vis deaf community members’ library experiences, and third place preferences.

The FATE Landscape of Sign Language AI Datasets

Sign language datasets are essential to developing many sign language technologies. In particular, datasets are required for training artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems. Though the idea of using AI/ML for sign languages is not new, technology has now advanced to a point where developing such sign language technologies is becoming increasingly tractable. This critical juncture provides an opportunity to be thoughtful about an array of Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics (FATE) considerations. Sign language datasets typically contain recordings of people signing, which is highly personal. The rights and responsibilities of the parties involved in data collection and storage are also complex and involve individual data contributors, data collectors or owners, and data users who may interact through a variety of exchange and access mechanisms. Deaf community members (and signers, more generally) are also central stakeholders in any end applications of sign language data. The centrality of sign language to deaf culture identity, coupled with a history of oppression, makes usage by technologists particularly sensitive. This piece presents many of these issues that characterize working with sign language AI datasets, based on the authors’ experiences living, working, and studying in this space.

Qualitative research within the Deaf community in Northern Ireland: A multilingual approach

In this methodology article, the authors illustrate how they conducted multilingual qualitative research in an exploration of the barriers that Deaf people in Northern Ireland face when attempting to access the system of justice. The authors’ research practices are informed, to the extent possible, by the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR). They explore the challenges of conducting research in American Sign Language (ASL), British Sign Language (BSL), and Irish Sign Language (ISL), and spoken English, facilitated by sign language interpreters fluent in BSL and ISL. Centering the research on the lived experiences of Deaf people who navigate the system of justice, the authors implemented CBPR-informed research methods, which ultimately led to sustained discussion and joint action by the authors and members of the Northern Ireland Deaf community aimed at the removal of barriers that Deaf people face when interacting with the justice system. By writing about their methodological approach in Northern Ireland, the authors wish to be transparent about their work in the hope that other researchers can replicate their successes and avoid the limitations of conducting this work in partnership with members of the Deaf community in other countries.

Proceso de (re)organización de la asignatura de Anatomía Humana del Aparato Locomotor para recibir el primer alumno Sordo de la Escuela de Medicina en UFRJ-Macaé

Introduction: After the Law of reservation of vacancies for People with Disabilities, Macaé Medical School received the first Deaf Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) user medical student. Justification: We aim to report challenges and adaptations made on the Human Anatomy discipline to suit the Deaf’s learning process, considering the urgent need to create accessibility for the academic. Methodology: Research-Action conducted by the discipline team perspective on the process of reorganization and adaptation of didactic activities, such as theoretical and palpatory classes, practices, after-class support, visits to health services and exams. Development: Almost all activities were carried out with the help of a Libras Interpreter. Practical and palpatory lessons had an individual approach with Teaching Assistants, optimized lesson scripts and Photographic Atlas. Despite the visual teaching strategies, we recognize the difficulty of learning the contents, in particular, due to the linguistic barrier. Conclusion: We understand the need to consult members of deaf community to design better pedagogical methodologies. The creation of signs on the health sciences field is the next step to make medical training accessible to the deaf.

The Legal Recognition of Sign Languages: Advocacy and Outcomes around the World ed. by Maartje De Meulder, Joseph J. Murray and Rachel L. McKee

Reviewed by: The Legal Recognition of Sign Languages: Advocacy and Outcomes around the World ed. by Maartje De Meulder, Joseph J. Murray and Rachel L. McKee J. Albert Bickford (bio) The Legal Recognition of Sign Languages: Advocacy and Outcomes around the World, ed. Maartje De Meulder, Joseph J. Murray and Rachel L. McKee (Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 2019, 352 pages. Hardbound $149.95, ISBN 978-1-7889-2400-9; Paperback $49.95, ISBN 978-1-7889-2399-6; PDF $40.00, ISBN 978-1-7889-2401-6; ePUB $40.00, ISBN 978-1-7889-2402-3) This new volume presents a set of case studies about the legal status of sign languages in eighteen countries and regions, as examples of advocacy and language planning at the national and regional levels. More than just a discussion of laws, these studies explore their social context, the processes by which they came to be enacted, and their effectiveness. Although the book is not intended as a how-to guide for developing sign language legislation, these varying situations can still serve as models for language activists, providing a framework for planning sign language advocacy and outlining strategies, realistic expectations, and pitfalls. Many of these studies are the first of their kind in their respective countries and reflect recent events and ongoing developments. The authors of the individual case studies were participantobservers in the campaigns described. At least one coauthor of each study is deaf, reflecting a broader theme that emerges from the studies: success in enacting and implementing legislation depends on broadbased collaboration between deaf community members and academic and political allies, some of whom have no prior involvement with deaf people. This broad perspective—academic, political, and social—is one of the strengths of the book. The editors' introduction makes a key distinction (following De Meulder 2015) between explicit and implicit legal recognition. [End Page 699] Explicit recognition accords a sign language status as a language, whereas implicit recognition treats sign language in the context of laws addressing other issues, such as disability or education. Many laws take a hybrid approach, incorporating both types of recognition. A key influence in many countries has been the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2006, an example of implicit recognition. Still, since the 1990s, there has been increasing interest in explicit recognition, from the perspective of linguistic human rights, especially in Europe. Laws generally address concerns such as the right of deaf children and their families to learn and use a sign language, educational practices, use in general or in specific situations, instrumental rights such as sign language interpreters and captioning, and corpus planning such as dictionaries and instructional materials, among others. These laws may be modeled on legislation for minority spoken languages in a country, but they often do not achieve equal status with them. The case studies are organized into four main sections. Part 1 presents four recent "success stories," laws recently enacted (in Ireland, Korea, Malta, and Scotland). Part 2 describes five situations where recognition is implicit (in Turkey, Japan, United States, Chile, and France). Part 3 present three ongoing campaigns (in Netherlands, Italy, and Norway) that have not yet succeeded. However, just getting a law on the books is not sufficient; there must be ongoing implementation of its provisions, and such challenges are discussed in the final six countries (Austria, New Zealand, Iceland, Brazil, Catalunya, and Belgium). Thirteen of the countries/regions represented are European or more broadly Western. Only two are in South America (Brazil, Chile) and three in Asia (Japan, Korea, Turkey). This imbalance, of course, reflects greater progress towards legal support for sign languages in Europe, as documented in Wheatley and Pabsch (2012). It is understandable that the editors were limited in their selection by who offered to contribute to the volume. Still, we should hope there will eventually be a broader survey of efforts in other parts of the world, particularly Africa, to provide understanding of how these issues manifest themselves in a wider variety of cultural and legal systems. [End Page 700] A closing epilogue summarizes the main themes that emerge from the case studies. In some countries, legislators...

Ophelia, Emma, and the beast from the east effortful engaging and the provision of sign language interpreting in emergencies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how the Republic of Ireland’s National Emergency Coordinating Group performed with respect to ensuring access to emergency information for deaf sign language (SL) users over the course of two emergency situations in 2017 and 2018 as a result of storms. The storms book-ended parliamentary and public debate around the recognition of the indigenous SL of Ireland, Irish Sign Language (ISL). The author explores if/how increased political awareness led to better access in 2018, and how access provision maps to best practice guidelines set out by the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) and the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD).Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides empirical insights about the asymmetrical effort that is required of a minority linguistic community, in this instance, community of deaf ISL users and their allies, to secure provision of access to emergency information that is provided as a matter of course to the wider community of hearing English language speakers. The author draws on parliamentary records, social media and print media to document the political, societal and deaf community discourse around ISL recognition and the emergencies.FindingsThe author finds that significant effort was required of deaf people and their allies to secure access to national emergency briefings in 2017, with significant improvement evidenced in 2018 for Storm Emma and the Beast from the East, in the aftermath of the adoption of the ISL Act (December 2017). The author drew on the theory of effortful engaging, which posits that unless we have greater awareness of and pro forma consideration of SLs and deaf people, the burden of work required to ensure appropriate access and participation falls on deaf people.Research limitations/implicationsThere is scope for completing a 360° analysis of stakeholders engaged in the process. Further work should also include interviews with deaf community members and emergency response coordinators.Practical implicationsThis paper identifies implications for emergency coordinating groups: provision of appropriate interpreting must be a pro forma element in the planning for delivery of any emergency information. Broadcasters must be required to ensure that interpreters are visible on screen at all times during live briefings: what is unseen is “unheard” for SL users. Work remains to ensure that deaf people have access to preparatory information in their language, and that they have ease of access to two-way emergency services. Emergency coordinating teams need to integrate the UNCRPD-mapped WASLI-WFD recommendations into their emergency strategy.Social implicationsCommunities depend on information for their survival in times of crisis. Communication requires comprehension and interaction. For SL users, information in an indigenous SL is a lifeline in a time of crisis. This requires emergency response teams to understand that “language” is multi-modal and embed strategies for engaging with deaf communities in all aspects of their processes, with guidance from deaf community leaders and advocates. There is also a need to consider deafblind people and deaf people who have disabilities, who are more vulnerable in crisis situations.Originality/valueThis is the first analysis of state provision of access to information for the Irish deaf community in an emergency setting. It is one of very few empirical analyses of how deaf communities fare in emergency contexts and the first to evaluate a state’s practicevis-à-visUNCRPD-led guidelines on best practice issued by the WASLI/WFD. The socio-political context described represents a unique period where the Irish deaf community and ISL were central to political and media discourse because of the ISL Act and the death of two deaf brothers in tragic circumstances in Autumn 2017.

3009 Understanding the Lived Experience of Deaf Dominicans: Implementing Qualitative Methods with the Deaf Community in the Dominican Republic

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Qualitative approaches help explore poorly understood phenomenon, and are highly engaging, enabling both sides of an encounter greater connection. Historically, Deaf communities have been marginalized and oppressed, with their linguistic needs unrecognized and ignored. As a result, Deaf participants are rarely involved in clinical research. Like other marginalized communities, the Deaf community experiences health disparity compared with others, especially in low- and middle-income settings. The purpose of this project was to assess the feasibility of conducting qualitative research with Deaf Dominicans. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We implemented a partnered research process with 59 Deaf community members in the Dominican Republic, conducting preliminary thematic analysis through reviews of interviews and on-site debriefings. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Participants were highly engaged with the Deaf-Deaf research encounters, indicating satisfaction with both the process and with the opportunity to communicate their needs and interests. Preliminary findings indicated Deaf Dominicans were highly engaged, confirming their interest, and often stated that they felt they were being listened for the first time. Indeed, some participants claimed that this was the first time they communicated their experiences as Deaf Dominicans and appreciated the opportunity to relate this experience to Deaf interviewers. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This experience confirms that the Deaf Dominican community can be mobilized and will participate in Deaf-Deaf research.

Citizenship, Politics, Difference: Perspectives from Sub-Saharan Signed Language Communities ed. by Audrey C. Cooper and Khadijat K. Rashid

Reviewed by: Citizenship, Politics, Difference: Perspectives from Sub-Saharan Signed Language Communities ed. by Audrey C. Cooper and Khadijat K. Rashid Eyasu Hailu (bio) Citizenship, Politics, Difference: Perspectives from Sub-Saharan Signed Language Communities, edited by Audrey C. Cooper and Khadijat K. Rashid (Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press, 2015, 272 pp., hardbound, $80.00, ISBN 978-1-56368-634-4) This volume is a collection of diverse contributions on several issues concerning Deaf communities living in sub-Saharan African nations. It comes out of a two-day conference titled "African Lessons on Language and Citizenship: Local Action and Transnational Partnerships," which was held at Gallaudet University in April 2012. This conference was mainly coordinated by the two editors of this volume. The editors were inspired by the positive feedback they received from people asking when they would publish the proceedings and also by those wondering if there would be a "second African languages conference" in the future (xiv). Three years later, the editors took a step to compile this volume, the first of its kind, which is specifically on Deaf communities in African nations. Including the editors, there are 18 contributors in total, hailing from various professions: law, anthropology, African studies, education, linguistics, deaf studies, entrepreneurship development, social work, history and governance, and international development. They are also comprised of different nationalities across the world. In addition to the editors' introduction, the volume broadly categorizes 13 contributions into three sections: Sub-Saharan Signed Languages and Perspectives; Politics and Difference; and Citizenship. This review presents an outline of each contribution. The volume begins with the editors' introduction, which includes a general overview of sub-Saharan African Deaf communities and sign languages. The fact that little has been written on this topic necessitates the compilation of this volume. Concepts of citizenship, politics, [End Page 461] and difference are discussed as a framework of the volume, with examples from the rest of the contributors. With regard to citizenship, the editors consider it an important device to examine agents (such as those in government) so as to create ways of being within certain social-historical constructions (xxi). The fact that sign languages are not officially recognized in sub-Saharan African countries is often challenged by political willingness as in the case witnessed by the World Federation of the Deaf (2009). In line with this, questions of equality and difference are not addressed by many African governments, especially in education. Deaf people were not consulted in the areas of medium of instruction and educational policies. In fact, this inequality is directly reflected in employment policies and nations' developmental agendas. Sam Lutalo-Kiingi and Goedele A. M. De Clerck collaborate to produce an introduction about "Sub-Saharan African Signed Languages and Deaf Communities" for the first section. Under this section there are three topics discussed. The duo presents a summary of each in their introduction. The first chapter is about "Ethics of Researching Signed Languages: The Case of Kenyan Sign Language" by Julie A. Hochgesang. As a former Peace Corps volunteer and a team member of the KSL dictionary preparation team, the author presents her scientific observations and recommendations on ethical issues that need to be considered while doing research and compiling sign language dictionaries. The driving force to conduct research on the Deaf community or compile sign language dictionaries relies heavily on the direct involvement of members of the local Deaf community from the data collection stage through the approval stage. This article shows that the success of the KSL dictionary project was due to the involvement of the Kenyan Deaf community members. She explains that her contribution to the Kenyan Deaf community in the early 2000s bares a fruit to the extent that the Kenyan parliament recognized KSL constitutionally. Furthermore, the author illustrates that although she knows KSL and the culture of the Deaf community in Kenya, she cannot conduct independent research on KSL grammar as it can be considered unethical to work alone. However, this chapter does not state why people choose to not involve members of the Deaf community in their research. [End Page 462] Lutalo-Kiingi and De Clerck again collaborate to write on "Deaf Citizenship and Sign Language Diversity...

The Historical and Social Context of the Philadelphia ASL Community

The focus of this article is the experiences of Deaf Philadelphians vis-à-vis language policy and practice at PSD. We delineate the official and unofficial communication philosophies and pedagogies from the school's inception to present day, providing a framework for understanding the trajectory of linguistic freedom and restriction of its students. We couple these administrative perspectives with crucial input from older Philadelphia Deaf community members who acceded to and resisted the oralist policies against sign language use before, during, and after their time at PSD.

Promotion of Healthy Humor Cancer Education Messages for the Deaf Community.

The Deaf community members of this community-campus partnership identified the lack of health information in American Sign Language (ASL) as a significant barrier to increasing the Deaf community's health knowledge. Studies have shown that the delivery of health messages in ASL increased Deaf study participants' cancer knowledge. Once health messages are available on the Internet, strategies are needed to attract viewers to the website and to make repeat visits in order to promote widespread knowledge gains. This feasibility study used the entertainment-education strategy of coupling cancer information with jokes in ASL to increase the appeal and impact of the health messages. ASL-delivered cancer control messages coupled with Deaf-friendly jokes were shown to 62 Deaf participants. Participants completed knowledge questionnaires before, immediately after, and 1week after viewing the paired videos. Participants' health knowledge statistically significantly increased after viewing the paired videos and the gain was retained 1week later. Participants also reported sharing the newly acquired information with others. Statistically significant results were demonstrated across nearly all measures, including a sustained increase in cancer-information-seeking behavior and intent to improve health habits. Most participants reported that they would be motivated to return to such a website and refer others to it, provided that it was regularly updated with new jokes.

Using Popular Education with the Oppressor Class: Suggestions for Sign Language Interpreter Education

The Deaf community is an oppressed sociolinguistic, collectivist minority that primarily uses sign language. Interpreters are frequently used to bridge the gap between the members of the Deaf community and hearing people. In the past, many of these interpreters were raised in Deaf households with Deaf family members, or had other close connections to the Deaf world. However, the establishment of training programs in the 1970s reoriented sign language interpreter education to the academic classroom. This removed Deaf cultural values and norms from interpreter development. Deaf community members are increasingly unsatisfied with perceived culturally inappropriate and oppressive behaviors by academically trained interpreters. Popular Education is proposed as a way to remediate the negative effects of the individualist-based hearing academic reorientation, which can create Language Technicians. Allies, interpreters who strive for social justice and Deaf empowerment, can be created through Popular Education-centered interpreter programs.

Emergency Preparedness with People Who Sign: Toward the whole community approach.

The concept of the "whole community" involves including everyone in the community in preparing for emergencies, including members of often-overlooked groups. Deaf people who sign are one example of this type of group. An innovative model based on the whole community approach, Emergency Preparedness with People Who Sign (EPPS), is introduced in this article. This model focuses on members of the deaf community directly training first responders using a variety of techniques for effective communication and cultural understanding to achieve safety for all. This model was developed and field tested by a university Deaf Studies program through student service-learning activities and faculty involvement including on-site role-playing. Through the reciprocal awareness training for both professionals and community members, deaf individuals become actively empowered to participate in developing culturally and linguistically sensitive public safety services. Response to the concurrent training of first responders and deaf community members has been positive, and it is hoped that this model can be replicated with deaf people and first responders in other locations, as well as with other often-overlooked groups.

Telling deaf lives: agents of change

The 8th Deaf History International Conference featured 27 presentations from members of Deaf communities hailing from 12 different countries around the world who related their own autobiographies as well as the biographies of historical Deaf individuals. Thus, they created a transnational phenomenon of widespread interest in the collection, documentation, and dissemination of Deaf History by and for members of the deaf community. Telling Deaf Lives brings together the best of these stories.

Special Issue: Language Planning and Sign Language Rights

Special Issue:Language Planning and Sign Language Rights Joseph J. Murray (bio) Sign languages exist throughout the world’s societies with varying degrees of acceptance and recognition. Sign languages have emerged as a result of the establishment of schools for deaf people as well as within shared signing communities with sign languages used by both deaf and hearing people. The past half century has witnessed remarkable growth in the academic study of sign languages around the world, an endeavor that has given scientific support to deaf communities’ advocacy for full acceptance of their sign languages by the societies in which they live. Some countries recognize national sign languages in legislation, whereas others do not. Language standardization can threaten sign languages used by a relatively small group of people by favoring a designated “national” sign language or attempts to impose an extranational signed lexicon to take the place of a naturally occurring national sign language (Adam, this volume). The theme of this special issue is “Language Planning and Sign Language Rights.” The six articles in it look at the intersections of language attitudes, public policy, and deaf community discourse at national, regional, and international levels. This is the second special issue of Sign Language Studies on the theme of language planning in sign languages in three years, following an issue in 2012 edited by Josep Quer and Ronice M. de Quadros. This issue comes in the context of widespread interest in sign language rights among academics and within the deaf community. A number of articles on language planning and sign language rights have appeared, as well as two books: Larry Siegel’s The Human Right to Language (2008) and Language Planning [End Page 375] in Sign Languages, by Timothy Reagan (2010), both published by Gallaudet University Press. This interest in sign language rights and sign language planning parallels campaigns by members of deaf communities to use sign language as a means of securing equality for deaf people in the societies in which they live. The late nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth saw decades of struggle by organized deaf communities to undo misguided attempts to remove sign language from educational settings for deaf children. As I write in “Linguistic Human Rights Discourses in Deaf Community Activism,” the academic legitimacy conferred by sign language research shaped a new discourse on cultural and linguistic distinctiveness that deaf communities could use to advocate for sign language rights as a means of achieving equality in their societies. The movement for sign language rights has had to overcome the perception of sign languages as not real languages. Verena Krausneker, in “Ideologies and Attitudes toward Sign Languages: An Approximation,” writes that this is one of five ideological constructions that influence this mind-set. Others include the contention that sign languages are of limited value in an ostensibly hearing world, the problem of either/or attitudes of viewing deaf people either as having a disability or as a cultural minority, thereby characterizing both deaf people and sign language as economic burdens. In addition to these four negative frameworks Krausneker suggests that a fifth, positive, attitudinal framework can be found in the concept of Deaf Gain. Robert Adam, in his article, “Standardization of Sign Languages,” explores a particular form of corpus planning with regard to sign languages: language standardization. Although agreeing with previous scholars that such efforts have been led by hearing people or guided by priorities established by them, Adam also notes that some groups of deaf people have been involved in these attempts as well. Adams’s article gives examples of language standardization in Australia, Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands, and the Arab region. It explores arguments against language standardization by the World Federation of the Deaf and concludes that such efforts should be studied, with careful attention paid to the prime actors and to whether deaf communities’ [End Page 376] primacy in determining the use of their language has been taken into account in the process. A number of countries have recognized sign languages in various ways. Some have done so with a declaration by a government official that the national or regional sign language is indeed a language. Other forms of acknowledgment...

On-Demand American Sign Language Interpreting Services: Social Policy Development in the Yukon

In 2012, a two-year pilot project was implemented throughout the Yukon to provide free, on-demand professional American Sign Language (ASL/English) interpretation services to all members of the Deaf community. Following extensive community consultation, this project was developed to meet a growing concern that a denial of ASL interpretation services was limiting the ability of Deaf Yukoners to exercise their rights of citizenship. After eight months, the first project evaluation indicated enhanced communications in medical services, employment, and quality-of-life activities for a majority of Deaf community members in the Yukon.

Deaf Sociality and the Deaf Lutheran Church in Adamorobe, Ghana

This article provides an ethnographic analysis of “deaf sociality” in Adamorobe, a village in Ghana, where the relatively high prevalence of hereditary deafness has led to dense social and spatial connections. Deaf people are part of their hearing environment particularly through family networks, and produce deaf sociality through many informal interactive practices which take place in “deaf spaces”. In this context, efforts by the Deaf Lutheran Church to institute deaf-only signed worship services and (development) projects have been unsuccessful. Deaf community members are a priori socialized into practices of deaf sociality through deaf spaces and see little or no need for this set of practices which bring them few benefits. Furthermore, collective structuring, social security, social work, interpreting and leadership rather happen in the context of lineages and extended families—where sign language is used—rather than in deaf-based support networks.

Insights into Deaf History

Insights into Deaf History Joseph J. Murray Overcoming the Past, Determining Its Consequences, and Finding Solutions for the Present, edited by Mark Zaurov and Klaus-B. Günther (Seedorf: Signum, 2009, 325 pp., ISBN 978-3-936675-28-3) Mark Zaurov and Klaus-B. Günther’s edited collection, Overcoming the Past, Determining Its Consequences, and Finding Solutions for the Present, originated from papers given at the Sixth Deaf History International conference in Berlin, Germany, in 2006, which attracted participants from twenty-eight countries.1 Deaf History International (DHI), founded in 1991, holds triennial conferences with widespread participation by community historians and Deaf community members.2 Thus situated within this movement of community historians, Overcoming the Past also attracts presentations by professional historians and scholars in Deaf studies. Nearly all of the contributions to the volume deal with twentieth-century Deaf history, and a significant cluster of them focus on the experiences of Deaf people in World War II. Indeed, this focus is a highlight of the volume. The book contains a diverse collection of stories on the Deaf experience in World War II. Douglas Bahl, a longtime community historian, offers biographical capsules of nine of the ten pupils of Berlin’s Israelite Institution for Deaf-Mutes who escaped on a 1939 Kindertransport to Great Britain. The remaining 146 pupils were murdered in Auschwitz and There-sienstadt. This biographical focus can also be found in part of Mark Zaurov’s chapter “Deaf Holokaust,” which covers the experiences of selected Deaf German Jews during the National Socialist period. John A. Hay, a member of DHI’s founding committee, writes of the evacuation of British Deaf schools during World War II, organizing his information geographically with lists of schools and locations [End Page 125] to which the schoolchildren were evacuated. Newby Ely offers a meticulously researched account of the incarceration of Deaf people of Japanese ancestry in the United States during World War II. Ely’s article is the first to examine this topic from a historian’s perspective, and his use of primary sources will be helpful for future research on this important period in U.S. Deaf history. Iris Groschek explains how teaching aims changed at the Hamburg Deaf-Mute Asylum during the National Socialist era to fostering in pupils a sense of “responsibility for the continuation and improvement of the German race.”3 While instilling German values through a special unit of Hitler Youth for Deaf children, called Bann G, schoolteachers were also charged with “convincing parents and the affected pupils about the necessity of sterilization.” Teaching staff debated the eugenic fitness of their charges and gave evidence in a special “Hereditary Health Court” about their former pupils.4 These chapters are supplemented by a collection of photos of Bann G’s activities, which are unfortunately limited by a lack of explanatory text aside from section headings. Two other photo collections, one from the Israelitische Taubstummenanstalt and another from the Finnish Museum of the Deaf, offer much more contextual background for their photos. Mark Zaurov’s chapter on “Deaf Holokaust” presents still photos of different signs for holocaust in the American, Dutch, and German sign languages, as well as a description of the sign shoah in Israeli Sign Language. The visual palette of this volume is further strengthened by full-color photos of paintings in articles by Paul Johnston and Uzi Buzgalo on aspects of Deaf art. Of particular interest to historians of the Deaf experience are transcripts of interviews that Zaurov conducted at the conference, with either a panel or individual Deaf people, on their experiences during World War II. The first panel consisted of an interview with Harald Weickert and Kurt Eisenblätter, two Deaf Germans who related their experiences in residential schools and at home during the war years. The eyewitness accounts of their war experiences from the perspective of Deaf children—the burning of Jewish synagogues, a rabbi being lynched outside his Berlin home, visits to concentration camps where Eisenblätter’s father was held as a political prisoner, and numerous other stories—show that Deaf people were not immune to the excesses of the National Socialist era. The tensions within the general [End Page...