DeafbyDeaf - Deaf community development workshops in China
- Country:
- China
- Organisations involved:
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- DeafbyDeaf: An International Deaf Development Association
- Save the Children, UK (China)
- China Development Brief
Contact information: Email Jennifer (Lan Qing) McLean on lanqing@deafbydeaf.org for more information.
Download a Chinese translation of this case study here - Synopsis:
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DeafbyDeaf Community Development Workshops are intended to provide a basis for the development of self-esteem and Deaf community pride and awareness. They are also meant to cultivate respect for Deaf persons, languages and culture on the part of mainstream individuals and organizations serving the Deaf.
The workshops are centered around a micro version of Gallaudet University's History through Deaf Eyes. DeafbyDeaf has had the exhibit translated into Chinese (funded by Gallaudet) and painstakingly edited by several individuals. Corresponding graphics designed by Deaf Chinese teaching assistant, Hu Ke, representing each element in the English display are hung side by side. The presentation is made in a Bilingual-Bicultural (Bi- Bi-) manner with support from local Deaf community members, who first learn the written text under the guidance of a Deaf team leader who possesses an advanced fluency in the host language (Chinese). The group then works together to develop a signed script in their regional sign language for presentation to school children and other Deaf community members.
Additional components of the workshops include
- teacher/parent training on David Schelper's Reading to Deaf Children:Learning from Deaf Adults video and text
- PVR for Bi Bi education based in part upon DeafbyDeaf's Dr. Ying Li, Education Director, doctoral research
- PowerPoint presentations on Deaf development in China and Deaf leadership
- Distribution of a self-published 105 page booklet filled with translated materials on topics of concern to Deaf people, teachers of the Deaf and service workers.
The workshops provide classroom demonstrations and signed homemade language puppets to each venue for subsequent use by the school or organization. The workshops also develop focus groups for local Deaf adults and local Deaf adult-led focus groups for parents and teachers. The booklet is intended to be used as an anthology of resources by local Deaf community leaders.
The first workshop was held in Beijing at Beijing Union University's College of Special Education and was funded by DeafbyDeaf and the College. Additional workshops have been held in partnership with Save the Children UK at venues serving their target populations in Anhui and Yunan Provinces. Other, less structured, workshops have been conducted in several locations. Demand is high, but funding has been on a piece-meal basis, and few requests have been honored.
The results of the workshops have been heightened sense of community and ability on the part of Deaf participants and a growing sense of respect on the part of all mainstream participants. "I didn't know about all of this!" and similar comments are the most common response. Focus group outcomes are being tracked and translated and will be analysed for recurrent themes WRT immediate impact. Deaf adult and teen participants express a range of emotions from anger and resentment (at being left behind) to pride and hope, some express disbelief when encountering information about Deaf medical doctors and other professionals. The common questions during Deaf adult discussion were concern employment, improving Deaf child education, higher education access, and increasing their collective status in the eyes of the hearing. A greater sense of connection with other Chinese Deaf communities and the international Deaf community is also apparent.
- Issues encountered:
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A number of issues have presented throughout the workshops' short history. Some are practical in nature, others philosophical/cultural.
Poor planning in the early stages resulted in a number of the workshop's components being omitted. We have learned that a strong communicative relationship between the venue and/or sponsoring NGO is essential for meeting the communication needs of everyone involved. Plenty of advanced preparation and exposure to the plans and technical vocabulary translations has helped our presentation greatly, but there is still room for improvement.
Cultural and philosophical differences emerge across four groups (Deaf America, Deaf China, mainstream Chinese, and mainstream American). We have consistently failed to gain the cooperation and attendance of the majority of hearing parents and teachers, leaving us effectively preaching to the choir during the parent/teacher components. It is no surprise to DeafbyDeaf that such reactions are being had, given that ignorance and prejudices toward Deaf culture are precisely what motivates us to conduct the workshops.
Issue has been taken with the advanced nature of some of the workshop's materials. It has been pointed out by some that the concepts discussed may be beyond the comprehension of Deaf adults and teens where they are the target of the presentation. While substantially the truth at face value, we assert that our post-exhibit content is not beyond all of the Deaf adult participants and that the nature of Deaf culture is almost certain to overcome this perceived barrier among the adults in due course. Most Deaf adults share information about issues of mutual concern and take responsibility for communicating new information in a variety of ways to meet the highly variable communication and comprehension styles of individual members of the group. Regarding the inclusion of teen participants with the Deaf adults, this is a deliberate attempt to simulate an incidental learning environment much like hearing children experience around the evening supper table. We do not expect the teens to grasp all of the concepts in the presentation, but hope to see their interests' piqued and their understanding and sense of responsibility broadened by participating with the adults in the focus groups that follow the presentations--we have not been disappointed with the outcome of this act.
Deaf people frequently complain about being condescended to by hearing service workers. This occurs at all levels in the Deaf community even among qualified, competent, Deaf professionals when interacting with their hearing counterparts. Often, those Deaf with less than fluent host language skills, but highly fluent in their first language are mistaken for unintelligent; incapable of understanding complex and abstract concepts. We feel a strong sense of obligation to make our materials as accessible, challenging, and accurate and plan our content accordingly.
Frequently, we have encountered difficulty in asserting factual information to hearing teachers, parents, service workers,and funding organisations. Our credibility is limited by a general lack of information on the parts of even the most well-meaning people. Knowledge about manual linguistics, child language acquisition, population and demographic statistics for the Deaf community is widely available in English, but seldom read or integrated into real-world practices. As developing Deaf professionals we have determined that we too are a part of our own target population in need of much support in asserting our competence and making our much needed contribution to Deaf development.
- Recommendations:
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If you are interested in duplicating this project in your country, please feel free to contact us. Apologies, our website is unavailable for the time being. We are happy to share what we have learned and whatever 'how-to' information might be relevant in your cultural context.
We have insisted that the Deaf history micro exhibit be displayed with befitting dignity and presented in a Bi Bi format, and wherever possible, under the leadership of Deaf people.
We use a community-based approach and do not seek to isolate or favour one segment of the Deaf population over another. We feel that the Deaf child prospers as the Deaf community develops as a whole.
DeafbyDeaf is a fledgling, grassroots organization that was founded by and for Deaf people. In our case, we needed to win the support of open-minded individuals and larger, more established, NGOs to help facilitate the workshop opportunities as well as our other activities. Save the Children UK, China Development Brief, and others have greeted our efforts with rare openness and support for our approaches and capabilities. We encourage all NGOs in service to the Deaf to actively recruit and accommodate qualified Deaf professionals.
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