Gallaudet University Terminates Appointment of Incoming (deaf) President

Foxnews ^ | October 29, 2006 | AP

[kokonut]

WASHINGTON — The board of trustees of the nation's premier school for the deaf voted Sunday to terminate the appointment of the incoming president, who had been the subject of protests, the board announced.

The vote at Gallaudet University came after a daylong closed-door meeting that followed a month of protests by students and faculty members. Jane Fernandes, the school's former provost, had been selected in May to take office in January.

[Athwart]

I'm not trying to be snarky at all, but is there some kind of psychological....psychosis?...attachment disorder?...that can result from isolation/lack of communication with those around you? Such as one sees in orphans who are housed in facilities where there is almost no contact with caregivers? I can think of no other way to explain such behavior

Well, there's something, perhaps. I once participated in an online discussion with a deaf woman who was part of the "deaf community." When others on the thread pointed to her slow uptake of others' points, her lack of command of clear language, her conceptual vagueness, and her readiness to react with inappropriate hostility, she admitted that these were qualities that come from the lack of development that occurs in many deaf people because they miss out on critical verbal interaction at early formative stages (very young). Actually, "admit" is the wrong word -- she proclaimed these as common deaf characteristics, and stated that if you wanted online interaction with the deaf, you should expect these characteristics, and adjust for them.

I don't have wide experience with the deaf community, but I do see a certain resemblance between her behavior, which she accepted as normal for people with her disability, and the goings-on at this deaf university. It doesn't seem unreasonable to infer that, for the most isolated deaf people, especially those lacking early interaction, there are emotional and cognitive aspects to the disability. I sympathize, certainly, and have pity, though I confess that I haven't been eager to repeat the interaction with people functioning at that emotional level.

That said, I have also had multiple interactions with less-profoundly deaf people who had better integrated with the hearing community, and whose emotional adjustment seemed entirely normal.

[MinorityRepublican]

That said, I have also had multiple interactions with less-profoundly deaf people who had better integrated with the hearing community, and whose emotional adjustment seemed entirely normal.

That is because their hearing loss is relatively mild and that allows them to speak and participate in a wider hearing society without having to suffer discrimination or blatant attacks from hearing people who accuse them of "being unable to do anything".

Deafness is an unique disability. Usually a deaf person is capable of doing almost anything, except to hear.

But the problem is that communication is usually difficult even though there are many strategies such as email, AOL Instant Messenger, Text Messaging via cellphone, etc to make it much easier nowadays without having to use an American Sign Language interpreter.

Unfortunately, Deaf people are shunned and treated as outcasts, so naturally it makes sense that Gallaudet University is radicalized in this aspect.

Gallaudet is unlike other universities in that the President is a Cultural leader.

This is where Jane Fernandes failed overwhelmingly.

[MinorityRepublican]

Kooks on parade.

How ignorant. Next time please restrain your judgement unless you know all details of this story.

Thanks in advance.

[MinorityRepublican]

And within two weeks the kid was refusing to wear his hearing aid and communicating entirely in sign. The mother hated, hated, hated that but was trying to be supportive. That's why she went ballistic on me when I'd innocently advocated mainstreaming when on a panel with her in the audience. After our chat, we both understood where her anger had come from, and my heart went out to her: her son was virtually lost to her.

90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. In many cases, the parents have a difficult time accepting their kids. They believe that their world has turned upside down.

But it does not have to be that way. Probably what they have to do is to find God and make things the best they can be.

Above all, it is important that the parents find a communication method that suits their child, whether it is in Cued Speech, American Sign Language, etc....

Cochlear Implant and hearing aids do help but it is really case by case basis. Above all else, parents need to discover a way to communicate and connect with their child, no matter which method.

[hunter112]

And just like any affirmative action laws, people assume you are hired just because you are a member of a protected group.

When you identify yourself as a spoiled brat, are you saying that you are one of the people who protested a deaf woman who only learned sign language later in life? That's what I was talking about.

My first ex wife is blind, I hung out at the disabled students' association at the university where we met, and I saw all kinds of people 'tin cupping' the system. I'm immune to disability sympathy tricks.

[dmw]

"And just like any affirmative action laws, people assume you are hired just because you are a member of a protected group."

Quite frankly I don't care what people assume. If the laws help people who would be discriminated against based on the color or their skin or their disability then I think it is a good thing. I know ADA has been abused at times and that's unfortunate, but the sad truth is, if it wasn't for ADA laws many disabled wouldn't even get in the door simply because of their disability. If the world wasn't full of narrow minded bigots who didn't have their biases and prejudices we wouldn't need laws like ADA. So yeah, ADA has been abused by some, but many disabled have been looked down on and not even given a chance to prove they could do the job just because of the way they looked, or the fact that they could not hear or see or whatever.

By the way, no, I was not one of those people who was there to protest at Gallaudet, but I did support her removal. You seem to think it was only because she learned sign language later in life. That's because of what the media keeps focusing on, but there were a host of other issues that played into this. She was the wrong choice for a lot of reasons and if you search google news you would find that there is much more to the story than just the fact that she learned sign language late in life. In fact, that was not the issue at all, but that is all that got emphasized because that is the way the media works.

One more thing, for 27 years of my life I could hear. I never experienced one day of being discriminated against. When I became deaf I was shocked at how differently people treated me, looked down at me, acted like I was inferior to them, etc. I experienced all kinds of prejudices and discrimination after I became deaf, still do. But I'm no victim and I know how to stand up for myself. There are a lot of valid reasons why ADA law is not good, but there are a ton of reasons why it is, and as a deaf person I am glad to have the benefits of this law.

[austinmark]

We all know we will never get 98% of those who post Here about "Deaf/deaf" issues to actually pull their heads out of their rears and come up for air. Most have never had to go w/out hearing, PLUS these always turn into a "Ignorance on Parade" Thread.

I notice it is the least informed who are first to go On & on & on w/ the anti-ADA bit, etc,etc...

I have no time for people w/such dense incomprehension!

[dmw]

Well said--thanks!