Deaf Culture Reflection

When I took American Sign Language I was amazed by how different it is from English. In mid-semester, as part of a volunteer assignment for that class, I attended a homecoming volleyball game at The Texas School for the Deaf. It was such a cultural shock to “see” everyone communicating. Instead of hearing people’s voices, I “saw” their voice. It was amazing to me to finally witness people hearing with their eyes and speaking with their hands. It was then that I realized I wanted to major in Deaf Education/Studies.
When I started taking classes that taught me about the characteristics of Deaf culture, I became convinced that this was what I wanted to major in. I learned that deaf people who are part of the Deaf community, are proud of their culture. They celebrate when a deaf child is born. As a hearing person I thought to myself, who would want their child to be deaf? I learned though that those who are a part of the community are Deaf first, and that it why they take such pride in their culture. Then there are deaf people who rather not be a part of the Deaf community. They rather identify themselves as everything but deaf. It’s fascinating to me how there are two completely opposing sides on this spectrum, two sides that I never knew of. I never knew Deaf culture existed, but now that I am aware of it, I can’t help
As a member, I will be able to gain new insights about different deaf people. I will also be able to volunteer in clinics around Austin that help with speech, language, and hearing disabilities. As a member of a different organization known as The Liberal Arts Refugee Alliance, I will assist refugee students with educational opportunities. This service will help me in the educational part of being a Deaf Education major. As a member of these organizations I hope to gain experience about the road that lies ahead as a Deaf Education/Studies