June 19, 2001

Dr Stone and CSDR

I am writing this letter in hope to get "Hearing/Non Signers" to understand what just had happen at CSDR.

1. People need to understand that not every Deaf Child is going to learn how to speak. Forcing a Deaf Child to learn how to speak is no different from trying to teach a Hearing Child how to sing. Not all hearing Children can sing.

2. Right now, there are just too many staffs at CSDR that can not sign. As long the staff is unable to sign, then the students will not learn English. When you have a classroom full of Spanish speaking students. The teachers do not walk into the classroom and start speaking English. The teacher would need to use Spanish to teach the students English. The teacher would need to use ASL to teach English.

3. Are you aware that many colleges all over the United States that teaches ASL to college students are not using their voice? Voices are prohibited in many of their classrooms. Its called "Turn Voice Off"

4. In the Public School system. How many Public Schools hire Deaf Teachers to teach Math? Science? Reading? PE? How many Deaf Principals are there in the Public Schools?

Then why is it okay to have many hearing staff at CSDR that cannot sign? If the Hearing are not going to accept having Deaf Teachers at their Public School system. Then why should CSDR be any different? CSDR does not want another Non-Signer or Hearing Superintendent.

Hearing and Non Signers don't have to worry about their jobs. They always have the Public School system to turn to. The Deaf Teachers don't. I would like to share a story with you about CSDR back in the early 70's. Where there were only a small numbers of Deaf Teachers and Counselors. An 8-year-old Deaf Boy, was at the school for the first time. He could not speak nor sign. After only being there a couple of months. Three older boys sexually assaulted him.

The 8-year-old Deaf boy wanted to tell someone. He went to the Night Dorm Counselor and tried to tell him what had happen. But the boy had very limited signing skills. So did the Hearing Counselor. When the boy tried to sign. The Hearing Counselor mistook it as a dirty sign language, and punished the boy. The little boy tried to tell his parents what had happen to him at the school. But the parents did not believed in Sign Language. They are waiting for that little Deaf Boy to speak.

It would appear that the little Deaf Boy, was doing nothing but causing trouble in school. And all this time, he wasn't causing any trouble. He
wanted someone to listen to him.

Finally someone did listen to the boy. It was another Deaf family that was able to help this little boy. When a Deaf Mother realized what had happen to this boy. She simply grabs the little boy and gave him the longest hug. Dr. Stone wasn't doing anything new. She is one of many educators that saw believed it was about time. When the Deaf says, " It's Time" It's always the Hearing/Non-Signers that would step in and say "Wait!" " Slow down!" Has anyone been paying attention? It is much easier and faster to learn ASL, than it is for a Deaf Child to learn to speak. A Deaf Child has something to say right now. Why is people choosing to delay the child's right to communicate right now? Instead of praying, hoping, crying, and wonder, if their child will ever be able to speak.

It is very clear that for the Hearing, they need to have some form of control over the lives of Deaf Children and Adults. Hearing people have a serious problem with oppression and codependency. It is unthinkable to them that the Deaf are right and the Hearing are wrong. To make matters more interesting, none of you hearing people ever lived at the deaf school.

Now the State of California is telling everyone that American Sign Language is a foreign language. This makes no sense to me. "Americanâ€þ.American Sign Language" I could see how this could look foreign if I was living in Canada. Again, a classic example that Deaf people are foreigners here in their own country.

The firing of Dr. Stone is uncalled for. She was only doing what she thought it was right. She also was the one who contacted a "Hearing/Non Signer" Henry Der for some assistance. Only to have him fire Dr. Stone shortly after. It is clear that Dr. Rachel Stone was fired because she broke the "Hearing/Non Signers" rules. But she did not break any ASL rules.

Frankie Arnold
CSDR 79