The Rise of a Whole Deaf Identity Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Rise of a Whole Deaf Identity - Article Example The key concepts of these essays are the importance of rejecting traditional modes of communication and education that do not acknowledge and promote American Sign Language (ASL) as a natural, dynamic language system and the significance of continuously expanding access to and use of the artistic and literature channels by which the Deaf community can express themselves and become more visible to the public.Two articles underscore the theme of challenging traditional modes of communication and education that disenfranchise Deaf individuals from learning ASL as a natural and vibrant language system. Kuntze (2008) explained the differences between analogic and digital communication modes where analogic expressions include gestures and intonations, for instance, while digital communication consists of arbitrary symbols that a specific group has given meaning to (Kuntze, 2008, p. 148). He stresses that written communication falls under digital languages, while ASL combines analogic and d igital communication modes (Kuntze, 2008, p. 148). He compared the importance of making inferences and understanding visual language for both written language and ASL to prove that ASL is also a rich, visual language like the written and spoken word. Kuntze (2008) concluded that literacy cannot be measured through writing and reading skills, but on the ability to process content and to organize and express ideas to others (p. 154).