22•09•2023 | throwback 13•09•2016 | english

First story to unveil – the Deaf mother and the Hearing school

What to say, what not to say? I have been having this kind of inhibited feeling but the more and more I tell myself to just let it go and let me be. There’s the right and freedom of expression, why cannot we the Deaf? Sometimes I feel many stories stay too quiet… for various reasons. However, here in Quebec… and Canada, we have experiences that I feel are worth sharing. The power of observation, the power of dissonance, the power of expression – – – sometimes they are too powerful to an extent where they are viewed necessary to become taboos. Let’s talk about sign languages, about Deaf experiences – – – to untaboo.

There are so many stories. I ask myself, where do I start? Well, let’s start with the most recent one.

Last night, I was chatting with two members of the Deaf community, two friends, two colleagues. One of them was telling me how a Deaf mother decided to withdraw her Deaf child from a mainstreamed school after the school went ahead with their own choice of an interpreter (whose the mother saw isn’t qualified enough to interpret). The mother (a native Quebec Sign Language, Deaf families, strong Deafhood) told them she found a qualified interpreter that is more than happy to work in that school. The school said : “Sorry, our interpreter is already chosen and processed” without verifying with the mother and the child.

*bing* dissonance, discomfort, confusion

Now, three weeks of academic absence due to lack of proper accommodation to the LSQ needs, would that be called negligence on behalf of the school or that of the mother? Or both? If the mother and child went ahead with the “so-called interpreter”, the child will not obtain equal academic access… interpreted information will be warbled and the miscommunications will lead to other problems (psychological, emotional, social, etc).

What I hope for them is that the withdrawal would lead to the winning situation at the end and that the school would agree to better accommodate them and their needs.

Us three, we look at each other in disbelief while discussing this.

Tilted head, slow nods, widened eyes.

Language of discussion : LSQ • Location : Montreal, Quebec

don’t worry about my english or french, it’s not my mother tongue. please don’t criticize. the language used on this site will be a mix of lsq, english, french and/or asl.*

*ne vous inquiétez pas de mon anglais ou de mon français, ce n’est pas ma langue maternelle. ne critiquez pas. la langue utilisée sur ce site sera un mélange de lsq, d’anglais, de français et/ou d’asl.*