Access Issues And Answers
Look who's talking!

Have you ever thought about why playwright Mark Medoff titled his most famous work, Children of a Lesser God? This cautionary tale about a deaf woman and the speech therapist who comes to know and love her is, in my opinion, less about Deaf culture than it is about human communication.

The deaf woman, Sarah, refuses to apologize to the hearing world for being deaf. Her speech therapist/teacher/husband loves her for who she is-but wishes she wasn't deaf. While he doesn't admit it to himself or to Sarah until late, the fact remains that he feels sorry for her because of all the things he believes she misses by not being able to hear, and he really wishes she could and would talk to him. It always reminds me of a sign that used to hang in the Speech and Hearing Clinic in my undergraduate days... "May He, who has chosen to limit some of His children, be gracious enough to guide the hands of those entrusted with their care."

What does this have to do with college students who are deaf? Lately I have been hearing a lot of stories about faculty members who balk at the idea of having a deaf student who uses sign language involved in courses such as Public Speaking or Marketing, courses that have a heavy emphasis on oral presentation.

The argument is usually presented in two parts: (1) the presen- tation element of this class is an essential part of what is being taught, and (2) there is no reasonable accommodation that can be made to the assignment for the deaf student. How about using a sign language interpreter to reverse interpret the presentation, you ask? That won't work, asserts the professor, because I am grading on how well the student presents himself/herself, not how expressive, articulate, or effective the interpreter can be.

These arguments should not be allowed to inhibit a deaf student's educational pursuits, but sometimes these arguments hold sway and that's wrong.

That same professor likely will tell you that the whole purpose of the assignment is to have the student learn to handle the pressures of standing in front of a class and making an oral presentation.

The student in a wheelchair, of course, is permitted to sit while making a presentation since that is the way s/he does, and will continue to, function in this world. Ummm....does anyone else see a parallel here? The deaf student should be permitted to use an interpreter since that is the way s/he does, and will continue to, function in this world!

Unfortunately, the majority of the hearing world still believes that the use of sign language is second best. It may be acceptable in some situations, but everyone knows that speech is the only good way to communicate, right? Hearing people may be fascinated with sign language, they may envy those with facility in its use, but when it comes down to the wire, they believe that anything other than speech is a poor substitute.

We have to help faculty, staff, students, and the community understand that sign language is a viable alternative to speech. The use of sign language does not diminish either the user or the value of the communication. Until that point is made-and understood-deaf students using sign will always be seen as doing the best they can, under the circumstances. Talk about damning with faint praise!