American Sign Language Health Article

ASL and education

Across North America the majority of deaf children attend public schools. Some of these children may rely on lip reading and other people as note takers, while others may have an ASL interpreter in the classroom. A significant minority of deaf children attend residential schools where communication philosophies vary. Some promote the use of sign language (most often signed English, and fewer, ASL) while others may promote oral communication. However, most children attending residential schools do learn ASL, often from their peers, rather than, or in addition to, their teachers. It is important to note that for deaf children, ASL, as well as signed English, appear to serve, equally well, the same roles in thinking as spoken language does for hearing children.

Implications in healthcare

In the last decade advocates in both the United States and Canada have been promoting better laws that provide ways for deaf people to access health care services more easily in hospitals and government settings. Currently hospitals in the United States are required to provide Tele-Type (TTY) telephone machines that allow deaf patients to make calls, as well as to provide ASL interpreters upon request. Further, the rights of the deaf patient are promoted by hospital regulations that demand that all efforts are to be taken to ensure communication between patients and staff and that the needs of the deaf patient are being met. The above have yet to become laws in Canada. However, efforts are made to provide TTYs and interpreters for Canadian deaf patients. Advocates for the Canadian deaf community continue to push for the implementation of the same laws that protect the American deaf community.

BOOKS

Bochner, J.H. & Albertini, J.A. "Language varieties in the deaf population and their acquisition by children and adults." In Language Learning and Deafness. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

Moore, M.S. & Levitan, L. For Hearing People Only: Answers to Some of the Most Commonly Asked Questions About the Deaf Community, its Culture, and the "Deaf Reality." Rochester, New York: MSM Productions Ltd., 1992.

Valli, C. & Lucas, C. Linguistics of American Sign Language. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press, 1992.

Wilbur, R. "Linguistic: The Linguistic Description of American Sign Language." In Recent Perspectives on American Sign Language. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers, 1980.

Timothy E. Moore