Deaf Epistemologies, Identity, and Learning

74 Deaf Epistemologies, Identity, and Learning

( medical) deaf identity and take on a new positive cultural deaf identity,

which makes them strong and equal to hearing people.

Hearing people no longer decide for deaf people: Deaf people are

independent and decide for themselves. Deaf people finally feel proud: They

feel that they are human too. Deaf people finally bloom. They grab all the

chances and opportunities they have missed in the past; they will make their

future themselves. As deaf people see their lives positively changed, with more

self-control, self-esteem, and agency, they boil with anger and frustration.

The deaf fire makes them active. It is important to spread information

about deaf culture and deaf people and fight for deaf rights and their own

world dream. Deaf people have to achieve goals. Both deaf and hearing people

should know: They should wake up from their sleep so that deaf people can

have better lives. When deaf people come into contact with deaf cultural

rhetoric, they will wake up, become empowered, and start to wake up and

empower other deaf people: The circle is round.

However, the deaf world will not be able to create more opportunities as long as

hearing people are still asleep. Therefore, deaf people have to be active in both

the hearing and deaf worlds. Deaf people should show hearing people a deaf way

of living, spread information, so that they can gain hearing people’s respect. Deaf

people still have a long way to go, to break through barriers and go on and on. In

Figure 3.3. Circle of deaf empowerment.

Note. Figure 3.3 was designed by dotplus, Belgium. Copyright © 2005 by

Goedele De Clerck.

INFORMATION: DEAF CAN!!!

OWN LANGUAGE! OWN CULTURE!

WAKE UP

STRONG

ACTIVE

THINK!

DEAF IDENTITY GROWS!

DEAF AND HEARING

MUST WAKE UP!