Language Rights Petition
Please go to the Deaf Bilingual Coalition’s website to sign the
petition to support language rights for Deaf babies and children.
PETITION
Advocating For Bilingualism-Biculturalism
As A Birthright of Every
Deaf Infant and Child
We collectively call for an end to intolerance and exclusion of
American Sign Language in a Deaf infant and child’s life and
education.
1) Whereas research has shown that children acquire a natural
language, one that is fully accessible, and that exposure to the
language needs to happen at an early age.
2) Whereas a fully accessible language means one that is easily
perceived and expressed so that the child can acquire it without
training. Deaf children are visual children. The primary channel for
acquiring language fully and completely is through visual channels.
3) Whereas American Sign Language, ASL is a natural, visual language,
which is acquired through natural interactions with others who use the
language, and Deaf children acquire it in the same way that children
around the globe acquire their native languages. All other methods and
approaches that exclude the use of a natural visual language are
artificial and inhumane.
4) Whereas exposure to this natural, accessible language is a human
and linguistic right and must happen at an early age in order for the
child’s cognitive skills to develop.
5) Whereas the fluency of ASL has been shown to be the key to ASL and
English (functional, critical, and cultural) Literacy for Deaf
children and their overall academic development.
6) Whereas keeping a Deaf child away from sign language and Deaf
people communicates a denial that the child is Deaf. This type of
isolation from language, identity and culture has adverse affects on
social and emotional development and self esteem.
7) Whereas many Deaf adults today intimately know the experiences of
growing up without accessible language, without the ability to
communicate smoothly with their families, and without being able to
participate in social situations through oral/aural only methods.
8) Whereas there has been a second wave of Oralism (an oral-aural
ONLY mandate) spreading across the U.S., which as been in practice
since the Milan Congress of 1880 with an abysmally low rate of
success. For Deaf children research and years of experience with
oral/auditory only programming has shown that these exclusionary
approaches violate a child’s basic human and linguistic right and
have been proven to be ineffective for the majority of Deaf children
(Babbidge Congressional Report ’65, Commission on Education of the
Deaf Congressional Report ’88).
9) Whereas bilingual-bicultural programs have never EXCLUDED English
and there is ample research reporting their success. (Drs. Jim
Cummins, Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, Laura Petitto, Harlan Lane, Stephen
Nover, et al.)
We resolve to advocate for the basic inalienable human right to a
natural and fully accessible language – to understand and be
understood naturally – to be a part of the Deaf infant’s and
child’s birthright. Be it further resolved, the EXCLUSION of a
bilingual-bicultural approach to the Deaf child is no longer a
tolerable “option” for civilized society.
Please sign your name to this PETITION to show your support for the
Deaf child’s right to ASL and English
Tami Hossler
Email: [email protected]