Struggles in the past...

Sandi Inches Vasnick
Silence
Batik
1989

We cannot truly know the Deaf community without learning about the struggles and issues they have faced throughout history. In the past, those who were deaf were not highly respected as human beings and were ignored since they were not able to communicate with hearing people. When nobility were affected by deafness and it affected their rights to inheritance, discovering ways to teach the deaf became more important (Fleischer & Zames, 2001). Eventually, people began to realize that deaf people are just as capable as the hearing, but need different methods of communication and education.

The Disability Rights Movement
In retrospect, the community has come a long way in terms of establishing rights for themselves. Since the 1850’s, before the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s, people with disabilities have been fighting for equality in society; this movement is known as the Disability Rights Movement, which was inspired by the Civil Rights and Women’s Liberation Movements in the 1960’s. Through protests, civil disobedience, boycotts and organizations, people with disabilities have caught the eyes of policymakers in the United States government. Since the beginning of the Disability Rights Movement, there have been a string of laws enacted to help make equality a reality. I would like to give a brief overview of the Disability Rights Movement and governmental policies so that the reader can understand the struggle of people with disabilities who have been and continue to fight for equality. One of the first laws to directly address access issues for people with disabilities was passed in 1968 and was known as the Architectural Barriers Act. This act required facilities funded by the Federal Government to be physically accessible for individuals with disabilities. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, more specifically Section 504, prohibits discrimination by the Federal Government and whatever they fund in the areas of facilities, programs and employment. This act was a pivotal civil rights law that led to the creation and development of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is more specific about how disability is defined; it branches outside of the Federal Government to include public and private institutions and transportation and telecommunication services. More recently, in 2008, amendments were made to the ADA to increase protection for people with disabilities by creating a broader definition of the word “disability” and the phrase “major life activities” within the document. Along with these national laws, some states have created their own accessibility codes, as well. The existence of these laws and the 2008 amendments signal a need to improve accessibility in order for people with disabilities to obtain equality in societal services.

The Deaf President Now Movement (DPN)
Despite all the effects of the Disability Rights Movement, it was not until 1988 when Gallaudet University (the first deaf and hard of hearing university in the U.S.) selected their first Deaf president in its existence since 1864 – not through elections, but through protests and demonstrations (Fleischer & Zames, 2001). Initially, the board of directors selected a hearing president over two additional equally qualified deaf candidates. This election stirred uprisings in the student community of Gallaudet University known as the Deaf President Now (DPN) movement. Since DPN, Gallaudet University’s board of directors must be at least 50% Deaf (Brueggemann, 1995).

References
Brueggmann, B. (1995). The coming out of Deaf culture and American sign language: An exploration into visual rhetoric and literacy. Rhetoric Review, 13(2), 409-420.

Fleischer, D.Z., Zames, F. (2001). The disability rights movement: From charity to confrontation. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.