Abstract This paper discusses the life of an individual who has the sensory impairment of deaf-blindness. The paper goes into detail of how a person with this impairment must live and learn to communicate, using methods other than vision and hearing. Different methods are introduced as well as opinions and research by experts in the field. Finally, there are individual testimonies as well as techniques, which allow communication to occur.
From the Paper "After communication is successfully achieved there are still many difficulties that a person must face. We all have to remember that a deaf-blind individual may actually have no sight or hearing. Venturing outside of the home and classroom is often very difficult. One thing to make hearing, seeing, or both people aware of is that when outside, deaf-blind individuals use a red and white cane."
Abstract In this article the writer reviews and contrasts two physical impairments, blindness and deafness, using scholarly research on the subject of blindness and visual impairment as well as Nora Ellen Groce's "Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha's Vineyard". The writer maintains that most people believe that to see is to perceive acutely and hence to understand, while to hear without seeing leaves one left to conjure up pictures in the mind's eye as to what likely is there making the sound. Further, the writer points out, not only are people uninformed about eyesight during aging, but they tend to be ignorant of local resources available to them. The writer maintains that according to a study, the most effective tools for informing people about eyesight issues are newspapers for adults and the Internet for younger people.
Outline:
Introduction
Blindness, Low Vision, and the Search for a Model
Deafness on Martha's Vineyard
Deafness in Two Swedish Counties
Blindness - "Promoting a Message on Vision Loss..."
Works Cited
From the Paper "To be deaf, or blind; if a hundred people were given that choice, hypothetically, how many would choose deafness over being sightless? Ninety? Ninety-five? All one hundred? It would likely be most, if not all, one hundred, because vision offers so much to the brain, the senses, and the heart."
"That is not to discount the impact of serious hearing loss, but clearly, most people believe that to see is to perceive acutely and hence to understand, while to hear without seeing leaves one left to conjure up pictures in the mind's eye as to what likely is there making the sound. Approaching a train crossing in reckless fashion without the aid of auditory support is potentially suicidal, of course; but approaching a train crossing with no auditory abilities and yet using keen eyesight for oncoming train traffic is making the best of an impaired situation - and also it is just the use of good sound human judgment."
Abstract Discusses how the deaf & blind population is treated as a minority within current American culture. Needs and problems of this population. Provisions of the American Disabilities Act (ADA). Concept of equal access. Status of the deaf & blind population in mainstream American society. Power relationships. Application of Bowen's family systems theory. Social work advocacy.
From the Paper "This research examines the deaf/blind population as a minority within the current American culture, for the purpose of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of mainstream society and determining possible ways in which the discipline of social work can engage the process of social transformation and reform with this population. The research will set forth salient characteristics of this group and discusses ways in which the deaf and/or blind population has been identified as a minority within society, and also discuss the content of the values and traditions, strengths and resources, and needs and problems that the deaf/blind contribute to the diversity of contemporary culture. Based on evidence provided, the research will evaluate the dimensions of power informing the experience of culture by the deaf/blind, citing, as appropriate, how concepts of power..."
Abstract This paper examines how the process of orientation actually entails designing a desired set of policies, principles or rules, drafted such that the entire program accommodates the individuals under consideration, grabs their attention, arouses their interests and compels them to perform the way they are required to, functioning to the best of their abilities under varied circumstances subject to constant change. It discusses how this applies to every walk of life be it manufacturing, selling, buying, pursuing a job or a career in an academic field and how it is not only schools, colleges and universities requiring effective orientation programs but also firms, organizations and various other workplaces where employee morale must remain high. It evaluates how to make students and employees orientation programs effective and in particular how to make orientation programs effective for deaf-blind children.
From the Paper "With the growing need for and awareness regarding Orientation Programs that have proved fundamental to every facet of human life, educational institutions are making efforts to draft more effective orientation programs. Hence, the incorporation of such programs into the curriculum is increasing with every sketching moment, with number of academic institutions increasing in number and the universities and schools realizing their responsibility in regulating student behavior and in enhancing their sense of responsibility and discipline thereby making desperate attempts to reduce health related and other social problems that are alarmingly augmenting (Curtis, 1999)."
Abstract This paper examines the language and cultural aspect of deafness. The author discusses the effect these have on the deaf substance abuser's therapeutic relationship and on the treatment. It is also stressed that more research is needed to aid deaf and hearing impaired people.
From the Paper "According to Robert Pollard (1996) approximately about 40,000 deaf Americans suffer from serious psychopathology. Only 2% of Deaf Americans in need of mental health services receive them. The Deaf population is severely underserved, proven by this fact. Individuals who are deaf constitute a special subgroup of the disabled population for whom counseling services are insufficiently provided (Tucker, 1981).According to Johnson and Locke (1978), research on substance abuse among deaf people is meager. Enough drug and alcohol abuse in a residential school for the deaf was present to justify special intervention and prevention programs (cited in McCrone, 1982). The deaf alcoholic is not only isolated from society because of his/her alcoholism, but the deaf community is normally an isolated group of people and there is the painful awareness of isolation for a person who is not only deaf but also ill with the disease of alcoholism (Hetherington, 1979). It is evident, as I will show in the following paper, more research is needed to allow mental health centers to provide services for hearing impaired and deaf individuals. This paper will focus on one of the reasons the mental health community has not fully served this cultural population."
Abstract This paper studies the unique challenges faced by deaf athletes. The paper looks at the various sports organizations for the deaf and how they function. The paper also profiles some deaf athletes and chronicles changes for this community over the past century.
From the Paper "The deaf have long been competing in sports, though they usually compete against other deaf athletes. The Akron Club for the Deaf in Ohio sponsored the first national basketball tournament in the United States..."
Abstract This papers begins with Heward's chapter on blindness and low vision and their nature as sources of individuality and challenges in educational settings. It looks at how Heward favours understanding of the visually impaired as having a different perception of life and the world. He is also a proponent of rectifying Braille as compared to Internet sources selling appliances to aid blind, low vision students as though these were essential.
From the Paper "Individuals faced with blindness or low vision as a lifelong or acquired disability are apt to confront a great variety of materials, especially, on subjects of adaptations that are possible to permit normal living, including the needs of Education. This paper explores a number of substantial Internet sites addressing blindness and low vision, directly, and with reference to other published material in William L. Heward's chapter on blindness and low vision in the 2002 edition of Exceptional Children - Introduction to Special Education (402-437)."
Abstract This paper discusses the pros and cons of pursuing a full inclusion policy of placing blind children in general education classrooms.
From the Paper "Since the passage of the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) and its reauthorization, educators have confronted tremendous pressure to mainstream children with disabilities in deference to the IDEA's least restrictive environment (LRE) provision. Essentially, to the extent possible, children with disabilities, including blind children, should be educated alongside their non-disabled peers in general education classrooms."
Abstract The paper discusses the prevalence and education of deaf children and focuses on how deaf children of hearing parents suffer from a delay in developing the ability to understand false beliefs and take into account other people's desires and thoughts. The paper then discusses the benefits of cochlear implants over hearing aids but emphasizes the importance of encouraging deaf children to engage in conversations among their peers and within their families. The paper maintains this can contribute to a deaf child's overall development as a functional member of society.
Outline:
Deafness in America
Theory of the Mind Development of Children with and without Cochlear Implants
Level of Cognitive Development in Educational Settings of Deaf Children with and without Cochlear Implants
From the Paper "Imagine a world without sound. For many, to be unable to hear noise, voice, or music is almost unfathomable. For 28 million Americans, however, the inability to hear is a state that one has to live with each day. Two to three out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born deaf or have difficulty of hearing. Nine out of ten of these children are born to parents who have normal hearing (National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2008). Nearly 10,000 of these children have received cochlear implants."
Tags: hearing, aids, speech, sign, language, theory, of, mind
Abstract This study examines the inclusion programs adopted by LRE mandates for students who are deaf to be integrated within the traditional classroom. The researcher adopts a qualitative approach to the research using narrative analysis to provide observations regarding deaf students' achievement in direct communication vs. interpreted learning environments. The study results suggest that deaf students perform better in direct communication environments. Information gathered from the literature review, however, suggests that LRE limits deaf students' opportunities for direct communication learning. The paper concludes that as a result, the researcher assumes that in many instances LRE may prove more damaging than beneficial to the deaf community.
Outline:
Abstract
Problem Statement
Research Methodology
Conclusions
From the Paper "In recent years there has been significant support among government agents for total inclusion programs within educational institutions throughout the nation. Along with this push has been much controversy and indecision regarding the efficacy of such programs, particularly among parents, educators and administrators working with special needs populations. The purpose of this research study is an analysis of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Mandate for the deaf, which suggests that children with disabilities be provided regular classroom interaction to the greatest extent possible. Inclusion programs adopted by LRE mandates may include use of various services including interpreters, teacher aids and consultants for students who are deaf within the traditional classroom."
This paper discusses the historical and socio-cultural effects of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and the subsequent least restrictive environment (LRE) provision on deaf students.
Abstract This paper first explains the historical and legal background of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and the least restrictive environment (LRE) provision, as they apply to the general population. The author stresses the problems created when, by mandate, deaf students are put into mainstream classes, which most often results in more socio-cultural damage than good to the deaf community because it separates the deaf individuals from each other through language. The paper states that, if IDEA is properly implemented, deaf students and all special needs students could afford the opportunity to be placed in special education situations based on the fact that the conventional classroom cannot adequately meet their needs. The paper includes examples of court cases and personal experiences of students.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Historical Framework of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Early Court Interpretations of the LRE Mandate
Recent Court Interpretations of the LRE Mandate
Socio-cultural Framework of LRE
Are Deaf Students Suffering in Silence?
Conclusion
From the Paper "Cost arguments against specialized education for deaf students in favor of LRE also fail to make a valid point. Ostensibly, proponents of LRE claim that the provision of special education is cost prohibitive in an era of restrictive school budgets and an aging population that generates lower tax revenues which are needed to finance public education. However, when the cost of special education is weighed against the cost of institutionalizing, imprisoning, hospitalizing or keeping a special needs individual on the rolls of the welfare system because they cannot support themselves after high school, the investment in special education is a far better value from a multitude of points of view."
Abstract The paper examines the book "A Journey into the Deaf-World" by Harlan Lane, Robert Hoffmeister and Ben Bahan. It discusses how the book covers many technical issues in detail, but the underpinning for all of it is that the Deaf-World is its own unique culture with its own unique language and is every bit as much of a subculture as it is to be African-American or some branch of Hispanic. It looks at how the beliefs of people in the Deaf-World about their culture and language are challenged by people charged with helping them: educators, psychologists, audiologists, social workers and others all tend to think of hearing loss as a disability. It provides a detailed history of sign language and the use of ASL (American Sign Language).
From the Paper "Many people in the Deaf-World object to this view. They know the richness of their language and understand its cultural significance, which the authors broke out into several sections. They note that ASL is a symbol of identity for people in the Deaf-World. In addition, it is the only language they can use to communicate with each other. It binds them together. One fear the Deaf-World has is that forced oral communication will undermine their culture, because it will force deaf people with no sign language skills to talk only with non-deaf people."
Abstract An analysis of heredity deafness in Martha's Vineyard, and what this means to the deaf that must live there. By understanding the deaf in this aspect, and as portrayed through the book "Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language" By Nora Ellen Groce, we can see how the deaf live in this region.
Abstract An analysis of heredity deafness in Martha's Vineyard and what this means to the deaf that must live there. By understanding the deaf in this aspect, and as portrayed through the book "Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language" By Nora Ellen Groce, we can see how the deaf live in this region.
Abstract The paper discusses how deaf students face particular challenges in the classroom, challenges often met and addressed by interpreters. The paper examines the misconceptions that exist with respect to the interpreter's role. The paper explains that the primary role of the interpreter is as translator, providing objective and factual information to deaf students in a manner that doesn't interfere with the student's ability to participate actively in the classroom. The paper concludes that it is vital that teachers, hearing and deaf students understand the role of the interpreter to maximize deaf students' opportunities for shared communication and success in the mainstream classroom.
From the Paper "Many assume the interpreter's role in the classroom is limited to providing interpretive services to deaf students. Realistically speaking however the interpreter's role in the classroom is much more complex and involved. Frasu (2003), an interpreter, notes that it is vital to educate hearing consumers regarding the interpreter's role in the classroom, but that this is also one of the more difficult aspects of an interpreter's position. Further as an interpreter the author notes that no matter one's skill level it is often difficult to interpret information for those that aren't knowledgeable of the role and significance of interpreting services (Frasu, 2003)."
