Deaf History

Human Rights Day 10th December 2022: Let’s focus on the D/deaf people and D/deaf with disabilities people in the community.

Last Thursday, 8th December 2022, I finished the EGL (Enabling Good Lives) Leadership Waikato meeting. Many of the representatives of their groups talked about their experiences and how we can persuade other people to learn about us, to listen to us – Disabled people, D/deaf people and D/deaf with disabilities people as this voice of choice.  

In D/deaf societies, the vital thing to remember is that many have their first language, sign language. Other languages such as English, Irish, American English, Korean and the list go on, their second language. Sign language has been around long before a human starts speech. Then came the banning of sign language at the Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf in Milan, Itlay. This conference took sign language away and forced many of them to use oral but how they could or could not hear the sound of the voice and the noise surrounding them. This banned sign language was a significant impact on many D/deaf people and D/deaf with disabilities people through education. The educators, scientists, doctors and researchers caused to ban on their decision against a small number of Deaf educators by believing sign language was not a solution for communication in the classroom. Where are our human rights to use sign language? 

Here is one of my favourite quotes I have come across many times. 

He aha te mea nui o te ao

What is the most important thing in the world?

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata

It is the people, it is the people, it is the people

Maori proverb

There have been many barriers to many D/deaf people and D/deaf with disabilities people for thousands of years since the banned sign language, such as employment, accessible housing and buildings, communication (no interpreters), and technology – landline phone. In the last hundred years or two hundred years ago, several reports mentioned an interpreter in the newspapers, which bought an exciting result for any D/deaf researchers and other researchers to learn more about history. 

Yes, there were several Deaf Educations around the world using sign language and oral language, but not together after the banned sign language. For example, in Paris, an Institut National de Jeunes Sourds de Paris continues to use sign language, and in Washington D.C., Gallaudet University continues to use sign language. What about New Zealand? In Sumner, Christchurch, there was a school for the Deaf, but it was taught in the oral method by Gerrit Van Asch in 1884, then enrolled with forty-two students and three teachers in 1890. We did have one person who firmly believed that D/deaf children should learn sign language in education in New Zealand, and this person was Dorcas Mitchell of Scotland. Unfortunately, Van Asch Education School for the Deaf (Sumner School for the Deaf and the previous names were Sumner Deaf and Dumb Institution, Sumner Institution for Deaf-Mutes) – appointed Gerrit van Asch and D/deaf children taught to use Oral until the late 1970s. Then the change in education to use sign language in the late 1980s. 

What about employment in societies? In New Zealand, the deaf author/blogger researched the census record dating back to the 1840s and discovered a small number of D/deaf adults worked in the society across New Zealand.

Historically, there were plenty of D/deaf workers in the factories, rural farms, horse industries and industries, and they received income. 

Depictions of Printing in Deaf Periodicals

Printing the newsletter – author Pamela Kincheloe 

What about captioning on screens? Who made the captioning?

Emerson Romero

link – https://www.hearinglikeme.com/emerson-romero-history-of-closed-captioning/

https://www.ai-media.tv/ai-media-blog/5-great-moments-in-the-history-of-closed-captioning/

https://deafhistory.eu/index.php/deaf-history/deaf-scientists/item/emerson-romero

Closed Captioning allows many D/deaf people and D/deaf with disabilities people feels the same experience as other people in the same way, such as music and sound in the background, actors/actresses’ faces away from the camera and other sound effects. With closed captioning and interpreters in the media and video team meetings, we can follow up on the latest news to understand what is happening, such as earthquakes and COVID. 

What about legalising laws for our human rights in countries? In New Zealand, we have legalisation laws, but they are outdated, weak, and require a stronger law like the Disability Act Law in the U.S. Here is the critical detail from the United Nations website. 

What is outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?

The purpose of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

I came across this one many years ago, and it is a helpful tool kit. 

10 Principles of Disability Justice:

• Intersectionality.  
• The leadership of Those Most Impacted. 
• Anti-Capitalist Politic. 
• Cross-Movement Solidarity.  
• Recognizing Wholeness. 
• Sustainability. 
• Commitment to Cross-Disability Solidarity.  
• Interdependence.

This link is from Portland Children Levy Org. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjrnd788-_7AhVBHnAKHWdrDvkQFnoECAgQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.portlandchildrenslevy.org%2Ffile%2F1324%2Fdownload%3Ftoken%3DXC6pG0Dj&usg=AOvVaw1QSseDkUkjjGFESD5wu9dq

Manaakitanga means the process of showing respect, generosity and care for the people who use services, their whānau and communities. It also means showing respect and care for their information and stories.

Find out more information from Human Rights of the Deaf here https://wfdeaf.org/our-work/human-rights-of-the-deaf/

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari kē he toa takitini

It’s a good whakatauki to use when wanting to acknowledge the support of many.