Deaf Culture Essay

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Deaf people have been strongly excluded and labeled through out history. Deaf people have had many negative, life changing events. Through out history, deaf people have been excluded from many different opportunities that hearing people are just given. For example, communicating, it is something that we all do but, at one-point deaf people weren’t even allowed to sign. Deaf people have made a strong community and have made a huge difference in how we communicate with each other today. There are many famous deaf actors, artist, musicians, etc. who have all made an impact on deaf culture. One man who made an impact within the use of ASL is Chuck Baird, a famous deaf artist. Chuck Baird was born February 22, 1947 in Kansas City, where he attended Kansas School for the Deaf and later attended Gallaudet College for two years. After Gallaudet college he went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio painting in 1974, from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). Since Deaf culture doesn’t have specific food, clothing, or music associated with its people, there is a focus usually on material culture. These are things like TTYs (text telephone), flashing lights, close captions, and interpreters. Material culture can be paintings or pictures that the Deaf community can relate to. “Some Deaf artist feel that visual art can be a ‘way of life’ among Deaf people and a part of Deaf culture in the same manner that music is a way of life among the hearing society. Visual art can enlighten Deaf and hearing observers by presenting experiences reflective of a Deaf person’s world view. This, in turn, can strengthen a Deaf observer’s sense of identity within the Deaf Culture” (Miller 1989 pg.

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