Y’know, I have been reading some deafhood responses here, and still can’t tell if it is a religion, or a recipe for blueberry flan… When will the first ‘Church’ be built to worship this new religion I wonder ? will we have to cut our ears off, do a Van Gogh ? Wear ‘Paddy Ladd is GOD’ T-shirts you think ? Let’s not leave it there…

“Wave, if you’re Deaf and Horny” lol….
“My other ear HASN’T a CI.”,
“Sign, deafie on board..” car stickers…
“Deaf do it with their hands..”
“On the 7th day, god created the deaf..”

There is no end to it is there…. Unfortunately…

Yes, you got it right!

Over million people have no idea about the concept…..they are bewildered.

That’s true.

However, it seems to me these few Deafhood presenters have seized upon Ladd’s book as an opportunity to put a modern gloss on what is basically old Deaf culture and further the cause of ASL use and Deaf culture. That is not deaf Renaissance in any shape or form. It’s still exclusivity, no matter what the label, Deafhood, whatever. It’s not a genuine reaching out to and including all deaf, so the priesthood’s agenda is more like a political winnowing process of “Who’s with us?” and attacking those who don’t toe the line.

One sees Deafhood terminology and so many catch-all phrases sprinkled throughout a number of DR blogs, that any reader new to DR would be able to pick out the Deafhood propaganda if he sticks around long enough. As we all know, Paotie has a field day with the propaganda!

So the depression/oppression does really play a factor in people taking interest in religions/movements, all right.

It reminds me kind of Al Qaeda approach… to “depressed” young men.

No offense.

Apparently Paddy Ladd’s book is hard for some deaf people to read (yes, it is a dry and rather academic read) much less understand, so there are several educated deaf people who have taken it upon themselves to spread the deaf journey gospel.

The problem with the seminars is that these are taught by a few cultural Deaf ASL-users who attempt to further their ASL-only agenda in what seems like a subtle form of politicizing Deaf culture exclusivity.

The seminar presenters don’t represent the spectrum of deafness, as it should be, hence the skepticism that some deaf here in the States have towards the Deafhood concept (note the bid D). One sees the same presenters at the various Deafhood seminars around the country.

Furthermore, some of the presenters have their fingers in several pies, namely DBC, CAD (Calif.) and other ASL organizations, so their influence in the deaf community is considerable and definitely NOT neutral or inclusive of other deaf, who may or may not use ASL.

As for the book itself, it doesn’t provide or suggest a means of dealing with oppression, of setting goals in the journey, and it’s mostly a philosophy of what “to be”. All the books about deafness have been so far been about deaf history, deaf experiences, deaf education, sign language and its history, Deaf culture, Deaf clubs, etc. but Ladd has come up with a deaf “philosophy”, a first. I think that unique first deaf philosophy is the reason why so many deaf people are suddenly treating it like gospel.

It is in this decade that one now sees so many deaf people who have college degrees, some master’s and PhD’s as well, in the States and there is a thirst for intellectual stimulation. It may well be the beginnings of a deaf Renaissance, but one would do well to approach it with a healthy dose of critical thinking before getting swept up in the “trends” of the day.