Senior+Project-Deaf+Culture

__** Deaf Culture **__ My name is Jenna, and I am a senior at I-Poly. At I-Poly, all seniors are required to do a senior project  on a topic of their choice.

I have decided to focus my senior project on  [|Deaf Culture]  . There is a lot about this culture that most people do not know. Some don't even realize that there //is// a Deaf Culture. I have just started doing research on this subject, so my knowledge on it is pretty broad, but by the end of the year, I will have learned a //lot// about it.

**Presentations:** For senior projects, we have various presentations. My first presentation was a brief 3-5 minute one that covered the basics of interpreting. Interpreting is an integral part of Deaf culture because it is one of the most used and convenient forms of communication between deaf and hearing people. I interviewed an interpreter who is currently working for the Burbank school district. She shared a lot of information with me on the mannerisms of deaf kids, the regulations for an interpreter, and the basic ethical rules that are recognized by interpreters as their guidelines.

The next presentation that we will be required to do is a 15-20 minute one. We have not yet gotten instructions for it yet, though, so I do not know what subject I will do it on. The third and final presentation is the culminating component and will take place at the end of the year where seniors will be required to showcase what they have learned in 1 1/2- 2 hours presentation (including a class activity).

<span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">**Aspects of the Culture:**


 * Interpreters** are seen in different places such as schools, churches, presentations, a few television shows, and various other public places. Some interpreters are hired personally by the deaf person to accompany them to a doctor's appointment, a lawyer's office, or other meetings where they have to converse formally. This isn't quite as common anymore since certain places are required to provide adequate interpreting services when a deaf person is present. This is largely thanks to the <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #158943; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).



Here is a short video that shows you how to sign a few letters using sign language:<span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"> media type="youtube" key="s-_6Nm5lEVk" height="344" width="425"
 * Sign Language** is the language of this culture. <span style="font-size: 120%; color: #97206c; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">ASL was not considered an official language at first, and it was a long struggle for the deaf community to have their language viewed as 'official'. The first signs (that are known and acknowledged) were created in France. A school was started to teach deaf students to read lips and speak French, but, obviously, this was not successful. Soon, one of the teachers recognized that students used a crude and basic set of signs to communicate with each other, and he helped them to develop it into a usable means of communication.

A key point in my previous presentation was the importance of **//facial expressions//**  and **// body language. //**
 * __ImAgInE tHiS__**: Try listening to someone who speaks with a monotone. There is no <span style="color: #f52929; font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;">voice inflection, <span style="color: #4e22c3; font-family: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif;">tone , <span style="color: #d4870c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">pitch , or any other voice variation to indicate meaning, emotion, or even what part of speech they are utilizing. Would the meaning hold the same meaning? Would they leave any other impression on you other than boredom? NOPE...which leads us to **BODY LANGUAGE** in ASL. Body language takes the place of voice inflection, since signers are very obviously not using their voice. Inflection is like the [|connotation] of language, and body language is the inflection of Sign Language. //Therefore, body language and your facial expressions are crucial to communicating **fully** using ASL or any other form of signing.//


 * MEANING??** If you're ever signing with someone, try using some of //these//:



<span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;">**Causes of Deafness**

There is no definitive or singular cause for deafness. For those who are born deaf, the reason for their condition could be related to birthing problems or pregnancy complications. Causes of deafness after the person is born could be for any number of reasons. Certain medications, different types of sicknesses or diseases, and various other causes are often responsible. Those that are hard of hearing may have their condition due to the causes stated above, listening to sounds at damaging volumes, or physical trauma to the ear itself.


 * __<span style="font-size: 140%; color: #064165; font-family: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif;">CLOSER: __**

After researching and immersing myself into this subject, I quickly realized that it truly is another world. Every culture that is centered around heritage rather than a language signifies a sense of unity, a commonality between the members, and loyalty to each other, and Deaf Culture is no different. In fact, since it is a culture within a culture, these traits seem to be intensified. I am half way through this project, and I know that there is still a plethora of information that I have yet to discover. Soooo.........<span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">

http://www.deafculture.com/
 * If you are interested in researching this topic further** (which I encourage, seeing as this is a very interesting topic, and the information covered here is just the tip of the iceberg) here are some links that may be helpful:

http://www.aslinfo.com/deafculture.cfm

http://www.deaf-culture-online.com/

http://www.deaflinx.com/DeafCommunity/culture.html