While April may be known as a month of sunshine and flowers, did you know that it actually has a deeper meaning? April is also known as “National Deaf History Month” as it recognizes the societal contributions of the Deaf community.
One of the 5 languages that Cathedral Catholic offers is ASL. This course allows students to learn various signs to communicate with Deaf individuals.
Sarah Brownlee, a 4-year ASL student and president of the ASL Honors Society spoke on what Deaf History Month means to her. Brownlee explained, “Deaf History Month is a time to reflect on the resilience and contributions of the Deaf community. It’s about recognizing their culture, language, and ongoing fight for equality.”
She then continued by saying, “It is also a great opportunity to uplift Deaf voices, spread knowledge, and celebrate the diverse community.” This month can truly teach us the culture behind this community and its many contributions to the culture of our school today.
This month is extremely important because sometimes people do not acknowledge the importance of supporting the Deaf community as a society. Brownlee spoke on this as she said how some people “assume Deafness is something that needs to be “fixed” rather than understood and respected as a cultural identity.”
Another major role that Deaf History Month plays is standing against discrimination. As Brownlee explained, “Audism is the belief that being able to hear or ‘behave like a hearing person’ is superior, leading to discrimination against Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. It can show up in attitudes, systems, and practices that devalue sign language, Deaf culture, or the abilities of Deaf people.”
According to the VAW, some common examples of Audism include, “Jumping in to help a deaf person communicate, asking a Deaf person to read your lips or write when s/he has indicated this isn’t preferred, or making phone calls for a deaf person since they ‘can’t.'” It is important to acknowledge these to make sure that we can avoid Audism in our everyday lives.
As a school, Cathedral has worked diligently to honor the month on campus. For example, during our last all-school Mass, members of the ASL Honors Society signed part of the songs and blessings.
Norah Kotnik, an ASL Honors Society member, spoke about the experience. Kotnik explained, “It was scary but felt empowering to be able to show how important the Deaf community is and to bring awareness to the fact that so many people don’t have access to interpreters.” This experience allowed the Dons community to see school Mass from a different perspective.
Furthermore, when asked how CCHS increases Deaf awareness, Kotnik said, “CCHS has an ASL Honor Society which allows us students to be able to become well-versed into the Deaf community. We participate in Deaf culture events and all of the money that we make from the carnival goes to Deaf children.” These experiences that Cathedral offers are unique as they allow students to be fully immersed in Deaf culture.
Ultimately, everyone needs to appreciate this community year round, especially in honoring their achievements during April. It’s not too late to get involved in ASL on campus and support the Deaf community at large.
