Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness in Martha’s Vineyard: Hereditary Deafness on Martha’s Vineyard
£17.70
From the seventeenth century to the early years of the twentieth, the population of Martha’s Vineyard manifested an extremely high rate of profound hereditary deafness. In stark contrast to the experience of most Deaf people in our own society, the Vineyarders who were born Deaf were so thoroughly integrated into the daily life of the community that they were not seen―and did not see themselves―as handicapped or as a group apart. Deaf people were included in all aspects of life, such as town politics, jobs, church affairs, and social life. How was this possible?
On the Vineyard, hearing and Deaf islanders alike grew up speaking sign language. This unique sociolinguistic adaptation meant that the usual barriers to communication between the hearing and the Deaf, which so isolate many Deaf people today, did not exist.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Harvard University Press, Revised ed. edition (1 July 1988) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 192 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 067427041X |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0674270411 |
| Dimensions | 14.61 x 1.27 x 22.86 cm |
by Mrs. C. M. Bryer
Interesting and useful for anyone interested in deaf language and culture even though it’s American based the insights are fascinating
by wheelgirl
Deafness has been the subject of much social misunderstanding.
Deaf people throughout history have experienced much isolation and social disadvantage. The dominant view of deafness in our society is one of disablement. The prevailing response to the condition has been to “normalise” affected individuals by the provision of such things as hearing aids and speech therapy, seeing this as the only way to help them to function and interact in daily life. However, many deaf people do not think of themselves as disabled, but rather as part of a linguistic minority.
Nora Groce’s book, examines the very different reaction to deafness that that occurred many years ago within a very small community on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, USA. Many of the islands population were deaf. The cause of this is widely accepted to be hereditary. Groce documents the social response to this situation. The book details how islanders were routinely proficient in the islands own sign language, regardless of weather they were hearing or deaf.
This meant that communication was seamless. Individuals were not seen as different and were able to participate in all aspects of daily life.
The book is a wonderfully concise and readable style that uses both oral testimonies and historical records which are wonderfully edited into an extremely readable style to provide a vivid account of a society with an ethos far in advance of its time.
British sign language (BSL) is now recognised as a language in its own right; even so, deaf people often remain unable to access communication on their own terms. What happened on Martha’s Vineyard, is a wonderful example of what is possible when responding to the needs of all individuals in society.
by Sharpy
This was recommended to me by a friend. I really enjoyed the book and found it hard to put it down. Great read
by Lady M
I was fascinated when I learnt about this in Deaf History and had to buy it. Well written and easy to follow – have lent it to a Deaf Student as he was as intrigued as I was.