John Whiting - Essay Example

The writer tries to envision if the whole world was a bilingual community where everybody was taught sign language, in the same manner, they were taught how to speak using their tongues This is an important notion as people were able to communicate easily with their extended family of the Vineyard society. This means that there was no language barrier, and by proxy, no social barrier in this society. The writer acknowledges that there were no difficulties that the deaf children suffered on the Vineyard as the society acted as an extended family for them.

From childhood, one could obtain families where one or two children in the family were deaf so this would not be a major concern in another child was born deaf. The deaf children stood better off continuing with their education than students who could be able to hear. This is evident when the writer claims that “the recommended period of instruction in Hartford was five years but education for the deaf was available up to ten years”.On social aspects, the deaf on Martha’s Vineyard married freely.

Though the number of children that were born deaf was quite high and at an alarming rate. The deaf were also able to be independent as they were able to make a living off the talents and skills they had, for example, a carpenter. With respect to families, fertility was higher and there were many comparisons between the children who are born when hearing and those who were deaf. The Vineyard was a safe haven for the deaf. However, s time went by things started to change, to them, deafness was treated like a stigma and something to be ashamed of.

In schools, other students made fun of the deaf students as the student who could hear made fun of them and nobody wanted to learn sign language anymore. This forced the society to open schools for the deaf and lead to a total split-up of those who could hear and the deaf in the society. A perception that society tends to uphold up to date.