William Stokoe – American Sign Language scholar
William Stokoe (pronounced Stowkee) is the man most responsible for ASL being recognised as an official language rather than just a mimed vocabulary. Surprisingly, he wasn't deaf or a signer. He was an English teacher who had gone to Gallaudet college (the world's only Deaf University) in 1955 to teach Chaucer to deaf students.
Two deaf friends to walk length of UK for Mental Health awareness
Two deaf friends will hike the length of the UK to raise money and awareness for mental health in deaf people.
Martha’s Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island in Massachusetts and was home to the world's most famous Deaf community. Even though they were never more than a quarter of the population, nearly everyone used the local sign language which would go on to form the basis of ASL.
Accessible Banking for Deaf People: My Experience (Part 1)
One of the most common problems that D/deaf people face on a daily basis is not being able to contact organisations easily. For D/deaf people who cannot use the telephone, this can cause frequent accessibility issues.
‘Lost generation’ of deaf children falling behind by one grade at GCSE
New Government data, analysed by the NDCS (National Deaf Children’s Society), shows that English deaf children are falling a whole grade behind their hearing peers at GCSE, despite deafness not being a learning disability
Our Deaf legend: Leslie Edwards
He may have been dead for almost 65 years ago but the legacy of Leslie Edwards lives on. A whole new generation has been...
Can primates learn signs and acquire language?
In August 1969, Allen and Beatrice Gardner of the University of Nevada published an article in the journal Science claiming to have communicated with a chimpanzee called Washoe.
She had been brought up since 1966 in the Gardner's trailer and could use 100 signs. She was intelligent enough to sign "water bird" when she saw a swan. By the time of her death in 2007, she used 250 signs.
Deafness and Mental Health
I researched into whether there is a higher occurrence of mental illness in deaf people than hearing. Although a simple question, there is no simple answer.
Deaf Awareness Week: Celebrating Role Models
When I started blogging, I was also going through the process of finding my deaf identity, and part of that was looking for a deaf role model; someone to look up to. Other than the famous deaf celebrities, I couldn’t find that person and I aspired for an influential individual, so I figured why not become that person?
Deafness in Employment: To disclose or not disclose?
Finding employment can be challenging but when you have a hearing loss, it can become much harder. The theme: To disclose or not disclose, was sparked by an experience of mine and discusses whether deaf people should have to reveal their deafness to potential employers.
