Deaf Epistemologies, Identity, and Learning

186 Deaf Epistemologies, Identity, and Learning

sign evokes the journey I have described here, because even though the moon is

ever changing, it always lights up dark nights. This personalized myth has been in-

spiring for me in difficult times.

My study on deaf empowerment with Flemish deaf role models started from their

life stories and key moments in their processes of awakening, strength, and growth.

While exploring these questions in research, I was in the midst of my own continu-

ous process of “waking up” and “learning to be a strong deaf person.” Just as Johan

described in his story earlier in this chapter, I was looking for water and sunlight for

seeds to grow and flourish—and I found both at Gallaudet.

LEARNING TO BE A STRONG DEAF pERSON

When I came here, I developed a stronger identity... It’s like I am able to define in a good

way who I am.

— Fernando, Chile

Writing or rewriting one’s life story is a cultural practice. Similar to the stories of

international deaf people in Chapter 4, I also learned to look at life—at the past,

present, and future— and tell my story through the lens of Gallaudet. As such, this

chapter can be seen as a “‘biography in the shadow”’ (Behar, 2003) of the research

study with international deaf people.^8 I learned to develop an identity as a strong

deaf person, to view my life from a strength-centered perspective, and to reshape it.

The concept of the “strong deaf person” is also familiar in the deaf community in

Flanders (see Chapters 3 and Chapter 6), and the question of how such an individ-

ual comes into being initially guided my research there. However, in Flanders this

concept was not tied to a deaf-centered and barrier-free environment, and opportu-

nities for participation in an academic setting were restricted.

The three years when I lived and worked at Gallaudet have changed my life in

many ways. The resources available there guided me in my personal and profes-

sional development. When I reflect on this process, I am responding to the ques-

tions that I asked international deaf people at Gallaudet about their empowerment

in Chapter 4 (De Clerck, 2009b). Among other benefits, being able to communi-

cate with all the people I met, with a large group of people of different ages, social

classes, and cultural backgrounds, gave me a better understanding of how human

beings interact and socialize.

American Sign Language is the third most-used non-English language in the United

States, and it was a common experience to go to a coffee shop or a bookstore in Wash-

ington, DC, or its Maryland suburbs, and be able to place an order in ASL. Hearing

people were proud to say that they had learned ASL because they had worked with

a deaf colleague or had had a deaf classmate at school. These daily life experiences

are still rare in the Flemish context. Twenty-four-hour access to video relay services,

8. This notion is further discussed in the next section of this chapter, which is titled “The Challenge
   of Breaking Through the ‘Glass Ceiling.’ ”