The Deaf Community in America by
The deaf community in the West has endured radical changes in the past centuries. This work of history tracks the changes both in the education of and the social world of deaf people through the years. Topics include attitudes toward the deaf in Europe and America and the evolution of communication and language. Of particular interest is the way in which deafness has been increasingly humanized, rather than medicalized or pathologized, as it was in the past. Successful contributions to the deaf and non-deaf world by deaf individuals are also highlighted. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
A Journey into the Deaf-World by
In this comprehensive and engrossing study, three distinguished scholars of Deaf culture--one hearing, one deaf, and one coda (child of deaf adults)--offer clear, penetrating insights into the existence and makeup of the deaf world, the community whose natural language--American Sign Language in the United States--is manual and visual. Bringing the latest social and cultural findings and theories into sharp focus, the authors take us on a fascinating journey to discover what deaf culture is; the benefits of signed language and deaf culture for deaf children and hearing people; how deaf children are now educated and how they could be; how deaf people integrate into the larger society; the nature of American Sign Language; how technology helps (and hurts) deaf people; what can be learned from deaf societies in other lands; the future of the deaf world. Combining thought-provoking intellectual perspectives with enlightening first-hand accounts of life in the deaf world, this landmark volume is vital for professionals working in fields involving deaf people and for those with an interest in deaf studies.
Forbidden Signs: American culture and the campaign against sign language by
"Forbidden Signs" explores American culture from the mid-nineteenth century to 1920 through the lens of one striking episode: the campaign led by Alexander Graham Bell and other prominent Americans to suppress the use of sign language among deaf people. The ensuing debate over sign language invoked such fundamental questions as what distinguished Americans from non-Americans, civilized people from savages, humans from animals, men from women, the natural from the unnatural, and the normal from the abnormal. An advocate of the return to sign language, Baynton found that although the grounds of the debate have shifted, educators still base decisions on many of the same metaphors and images that led to the misguided efforts to eradicate sign language. Baynton''s brilliant and detailed history, "Forbidden Signs," reminds us that debates over the use of dialects or languages are really the linguistic tip of a mostly submerged argument about power, social control, nationalism, who has the right to speak and who has the right to control modes of speech.OCoLennard J. Davis, "The Nation" "Forbidden Signs" is replete with good things.OCoHugh Kenner, "New York Times Book Review""
Once Upon a Sign by
This book shows how integrating American Sign Language (ASL) into story time and other educational programs can benefit and entertain ALL children, whether or not they are hearing impaired, from infancy onward. * Includes 14 complete program ideas appropriate for young learners, from infancy through high school-age patrons (plus parents of babies/toddlers) * More than 200 photos clearly illustrate signs * Resources listed include ASL Books/Media for Adults, ASL Books/Media for Children, and the ASL Manual Alphabet
