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Socialist Review Index (1993–1996) | Socialist Review 168 Contents
From Socialist Review, No. 168, October 1993.
Copyright © Socialist Review.
Copied with thanks from the Socialist Review Archive.
Marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
Deaf people are an oppressed minority in our society. They are denied equality with hearing people, particularly access to education and employment.
Many things that hearing people take for granted, such as the telephone and television, are largely inaccessible. But the biggest obstacle is in comfortable communication with the majority hearing people in everyday life.
Deaf people are portrayed as helpless victims who lead unhappy lives because they cannot hear. But being deaf does not make anyone unhappy or sad, although some of the circumstances that can cause deafness (such as meningitis) are very unpleasant. It is the way society excludes deaf people that is the problem. They are seen as people with a difficulty that requires the help of social workers, welfare and charity.
The recognition of British Sign Language would recognise that deaf people are a linguistic minority with language rights. But the government continuously refuses to do so.
Much of the debate on deaf issues is centred around the question of ‘methods of communication for deaf children’. Should they be encouraged and taught in British Sign Language (BSL)? Or is it better to learn to communicate by lipreading in English with the use of any residual hearing via the use of powerful hearing aids – a method otherwise known as ‘oralism’?
A European conference which took place in Milan 1880, and attended by ‘professionals’ working with deaf children, favoured oralism over sign language. Only one of the 164 delegates was deaf. Thus oralism has been promoted by governments and ‘professionals’ for over 100 years.
Following Milan, the suppression of sign language and the modern day oppression of deaf people began. Most deaf teachers who worked in schools were sacked. Children were punished when they signed: such discipline included having their hands tied up or slapped or having to wear a notice around them saying, ‘I must not sign’.
A few deaf individuals who had obtained high level qualifications were held up to demonstrate the ‘success’ of oralism. Many were successful in this way and continue to be so. But the mass, mainly working class deaf, and especially users of sign language, are excluded from society.
This method was not the right way to ensure deaf people were fully integrated. That is why sign language has begun to re-emerge having been kept alive by a minority (50,000) for whom sign is their only means of communication.
How can the barriers that separate deaf and hearing be removed? The socialist answer should be simple: cater for all deaf people’s needs. Hearing aids and all other technological aids to communication are important because deaf people’s needs differ and many do benefit from technology. Presently, equipment is beyond the reach of working class deaf people.
However, opening up sign language is the key. Sign language needs to be recognised and made accessible to both deaf and hearing, children and adults. It needs to be taught as a language in mainstream schools, alongside other languages. Teachers need to acquire the language as part of their training. In this way, not only will deaf children be able to freely sign and study in the classroom, so will hearing children.
But it is quite clear real equality will only be possible with the complete uprooting of a society which puts profit before any plans to meet people’s needs.
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Last updated: 27 February 2017