MILWAUKEE, Wis—The 48th Biennial Convention of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) opened June 27 in Milwaukee, hosting approximately 1,500 attendees from 44 US states and 14 countries who have come together to celebrate spoken language for children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.

AG Bell’s 2008 convention ran through June 30 and featured more than 75 educational program sessions, 58 exhibitors, and 200 presenters. Attendees included children who are deaf or hard of hearing who use spoken language and their parents; professionals in the hearing health and deaf education fields, including teachers of the deaf, listening and spoken language specialists, pediatricians, and researchers in the field of hearing health; and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing and use spoken language to communicate.

“This convention is unique in that nowhere else will you find such a diverse gathering of families, adults who are deaf or hard of hearing, and professionals,” says Karen Youdelman, EdD, president of AG Bell. “There has truly been no better time to celebrate spoken language.”

DBC protests AG Bell. Against the backdrop of the AG Bell convention is the Deaf Bilingual Coalition's (DBC) protest, an organization that argues that American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural first language for deaf people, and that deaf children who sign before learning English outperform those who do not in core academic subjects. The Coalition held its inaugeral DBC Conference at the same time as the AG Bell conference, with National Association of the Deaf (NAD) President Bobbie Beth Scoggins as one of six keynote speakers. The Coalition reportedly views AG Bell as oppressing Deaf culture and as responsible for swaying the medical community away from promoting sign language. In an article by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a member of the Deaf Bilingual Coalition said, “We're concerned about the audism behind the implants—this belief that hearing is more advantageous than being deaf. It's the same as racism."

NAD CEO Nancy J. Bloch said, “The NAD has been involved in EHDI activities for many years. We support the early identification of deaf and hard of hearing children and early access to both American Sign Language and English. It is only through early access to language and communication that deaf children can reach their full potential.”

To reiterate AG Bell’s position on various communication options for the deaf and hard of hearing, Youdelman stated, “AG Bell is an organization that recognizes there are many options regarding language choice, including spoken and signed languages, for the deaf. We believe there should be free, unrestricted, and informed choice in communication approaches, and that parents are the ones in the best position to decide what is best for their child and their family. For those who choose spoken language, we’re here to help.” A spokesperson for AG Bell made similar comments in an HR interview last summer.

“We believe that is it is far more productive to focus on what brings us together, the common issues that affect all individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, rather than what divides us as a community,” continued Youdelman.

SOURCE: AG Bell, NAD, and other sources

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