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Deaf History Isn’t Silent: How Sign Languages and Deaf Culture Were Pushed Aside by Oralism
In most classrooms, Deaf history is barely a footnote. Names like Laurent Clerc, Thomas Gallaudet, or the bold visual artists of the De’VIA movement don’t show up in standard history textbooks. The story we’re usually told is one where Deaf people were passive recipients of help from hearing saviors — a distorted narrative that centers speech over signing and conformity over culture. But the truth is, long before hearing institutions tried to dictate how Deaf people should communicate, Deaf communities had already been building languages, traditions, and identities on their own terms. Sign languages have been around for centuries. Deaf people have always created culture — in art, theatre, storytelling,…
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You’re Not Deaf Enough” vs. “I Am Deaf Enough”: The Battle Over Belonging in the Deaf Community
When people think about Deaf identity, they often picture someone who signs fluently, grew up in Deaf culture, and went to a Deaf school. But what about someone who became deaf later in life? Or someone raised in a hearing family with no access to ASL? Or someone who uses a cochlear implant and speaks? Too often, those individuals hear a painful message: “You’re not Deaf enough.” In response, many are fighting back with a powerful, simple truth: “I am Deaf enough.” Let’s break down what these phrases really mean—and why they matter. What Does “Deaf Enough” Even Mean? In Deaf circles, identity isn’t just about how much hearing you…
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Deaf People Are “Behind” in Education — Not Because We’re Slow, But Because the System Failed Us
Too many people look at Deaf students and assume we’re not smart. They see gaps in our reading levels, test scores, or graduation rates and jump to the wrong conclusion: that Deafness equals deficiency. But they don’t see the why. They don’t see the years we spent fighting just to access basic education. They don’t see the barriers built around us — invisible to hearing people but suffocatingly real to us. They don’t see that while hearing kids were learning, many of us were trying to survive. Let’s be clear from the start: Deaf people are not broken. The education system is. A System Built Without Us Education in most…
