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From: James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Multiple Uses Of Sign
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Date: 1 Mar 91 04:23:53 GMT
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Index Number: 13815

[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

What you tell Anne is true, Jay. The mainstreaming mentality is oddly
enough bringing Alexander Graham Bell's dreaded "prevent the emergence
of a Deaf Race" philosophy back from the dead. This oralist view of
deaf genocide had mainstreaming as its core toprevent among other things,
deaf people from marrying each other and eliminating Deaf teachers
from deaf education programs. You ought to read the man's full history
and his true depth of involvement with Deaf people. Oddly enough, he
seemed fine with deaf people until he hooked up with his oralist deaf
educator-hating wife Mabel Hubbard.

Deaf people who know mainstreaming for what it is and as it is applied
today, consider it a form of cultural genocide. Anne, I fear is only
able to see her view of things. A forum involving deaf people from
all walks of life and statistics showing the social, cultural, and
personal impact of the majority of deaf people in these programs will
show that mainstreaming is doing far more harm than good (yet if it
were applied the way I showed how it is sometimes used here in Tucson,
it could be fantastic!).

Recently, a former student of mine whose parents pulled her from ASDB
a few years ago was seen driving into the deaf school rapidly. She
was followed by what appeared to be a hearing friend or counselor.
This follower was in another car. Theyparked outside. the girl was
distraught. We watched. The friend or whatever plead with her for a
long time. We left them alone. It seems the girl was experiencing problems
with earing peers, teachers etc etc and wanted to return to the deaf
school. Nobody agreed with her wants of course. She was lonely, bitter,
angry, upset etc etc. To quote jer when she came to visit later, "I
didn't belong there. I would not recommend mainstream for deaf people.
It's all lies." Tome this is an overstatement because there are situation
in which it can work for some deaf students. Especially if the child's
needs are the true core of placement and not some bonedheaded narrowminded
philosophy from someone who doesn't know a darn thing about deaf people
or deafness. In any case, this girl is just one more frustrated and
angry "Deaf adult" who was forced to endure an educational system that
does not work and does a lot of psychological damage. I asked why did
she come back to visit. She said I justhad to talk with a deaf teacher,
someone who understands me. I wish and Maureen could have come to help
me learn when I couldn't understand my teachers in thepublic school.
She speaks angrily abouther parents who insisted she go mainstreamed.
She is angry at the public school and a lot ofits staff. Telling her
that they al did what they believed was best for her and they did not
fully understand what this meant to she herself as a person gets this
response. "F--- them! I didn't ask for this!" She goes on and on. Such
an angry young woman. Yet she is just one of many I have watched over
the years warped by what I insist are well-meaning people who just
don't recognize that a deaf child is first of all "deaf." And Engolish
being phonetic is not meant for cramming  through the eyes. And that
the systems focusing on English and English only as an education medium
is an over all 200 plus year old FAILURE. In a millionyears I don't
knwo if many hearies and brainwashed deaf people willget this thru
their heads. in the meantime, so many kids pay dearly for this absurd
approach.

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