146 Deaf Epistemologies, Identity, and Learning
The strong collective response in Flemish Deaf Parliament, with over 350 partici-
pants in 6 regions, and the motivation of members to engage in political exchanges
exemplify the positive spirit often described in mainstream initiatives of deliberative
democracy (e.g., see Dryzek, 2000; Hofman, 2011; Huyse, 2014; Van Reybrouck,
2013). This platform aimed to foster intergenerational dialogue and the exchange
of multiple deaf epistemologies through democratic practice. One of the topics
that received a lot of attention was the impact of the transition from deaf schools
to mainstreamed education, which has gone hand in hand with the evolution of
cochlear implants. Individualism and virtual contact are other factors that have in-
fluenced the social and cultural lives of young members.
The documentary on Flemish Deaf Parliament gives insight into different per-
spectives in Flanders, as illustrated by the following excerpts.- An older member of Tred, the deaf club in Brussels, looked back in time: “We
used to have deaf schools in Antwerp, Hasselt, Gentbrugge, Bruges, Brussels,
and Woluwe, where deaf people gathered. Even when the students graduated,
they stayed in touch with other deaf people. Now that many deaf people have
been mainstreamed and are isolated in regular schools, contact with their
deaf peers has decreased.” - An older man from Limburgia, a deaf club in the east, shared this perspective,
noticing that this has an impact on the continuation of deaf clubs: “Before,
the influx from the deaf schools to our club was greater. Now deaf children all
have cochlear implants and attend regular schools.” - Kaat, a young woman at Dehaerne deaf club, in Kortrijk in the west, was in-
volved with the club’s youth work: “We tried to encourage young deaf people
from 9 to 12 years old to come to our club. Only 5 children were present at the
time. That makes it difficult for us to stay motivated. We also tried to persuade
members to set up a youth club for 12 to 15 year olds, but nobody came!” - Simonne, an 80-year-old member of Piramime deaf club in eastern Flanders,
wondered about the impact of technology and virtual contact: “In my time,
younger and older deaf people used to socialize with each other, and that was
really nice. We didn’t watch television or anything like that. We gathered and
had a good time. Now young people suddenly go away from the clubs, and
there is no contact with us anymore. I think this is because of the iPad, I am
sorry to say.” - In Madosa, the deaf club in Antwerp, an older woman expressed a sense of
powerlessness—“Some parents do not want sign language for their deaf chil-
dren. What can I say about the future then?” - Pascal, the president of Nowedo, the deaf club in Bruges, noted that the club
does not have the answer, even as they proactively explore different strat-
egies—“Young people say that they prefer to go out in their own group of
friends. That’s how it goes in life now. The Nowedo board is very aware of this
choice of our youth. Should we accept this or take more action?”