NIC Deaf Culture 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the cultural and political significance of the 1880 International Congress on Education of the Deaf held in Milan?
- It officially recognized ASL as a complete language equal to spoken languages
- It passed resolutions banning sign language in schools in favor of oral-only instruction, suppressing Deaf culture for nearly a century (Correct answer)
- It established the first international network of Deaf-led schools across Europe and North America
- It created the first professional interpreter certification standards
Correct answer: It passed resolutions banning sign language in schools in favor of oral-only instruction, suppressing Deaf culture for nearly a century
The 1880 Milan Congress, attended mostly by hearing educators, voted to abolish sign language instruction — a decision that damaged Deaf education and cultural transmission for generations.
Question 2: In the context of NIC interpreter ethics, why must interpreters understand Deaf cultural norms around turn-taking in signed conversations?
- So they can interrupt Deaf consumers when hearing speakers are talking too fast
- To accurately convey the natural flow and register of signed discourse without imposing hearing conversational structures (Correct answer)
- To slow down Deaf consumers' signing speed to match hearing participants
- Because RID requires interpreters to teach Deaf cultural norms to hearing clients during assignments
Correct answer: To accurately convey the natural flow and register of signed discourse without imposing hearing conversational structures
Imposing hearing turn-taking conventions (e.g., verbal overlap cues) on ASL conversations distorts the meaning and naturalness of signed discourse, violating interpreting accuracy standards.
Question 3: How has Deaf culture been shaped by the experience of Deaf individuals in hearing families versus Deaf families?
- Deaf individuals from Deaf families are considered less authentic community members because they did not struggle to find the community
- Those from Deaf families (DODA) often acquire ASL natively and have deep cultural immersion, while those from hearing families may discover Deaf culture later through schools and peers (Correct answer)
- There is no meaningful cultural distinction between Deaf people from Deaf versus hearing families
- Deaf individuals from hearing families are excluded from leadership roles in Deaf organizations
Correct answer: Those from Deaf families (DODA) often acquire ASL natively and have deep cultural immersion, while those from hearing families may discover Deaf culture later through schools and peers
Because roughly 90% of Deaf children are born to hearing parents, residential schools and peer networks become primary sites of cultural acquisition for most Deaf people.
Question 4: What is 'Sim-Com' (simultaneous communication), and how does Deaf culture generally regard it?
- A professional certification for interpreters specializing in deaf-blind settings
- Attempting to sign and speak English simultaneously; often criticized in Deaf culture as degrading ASL grammar and producing errors in both languages (Correct answer)
- A federally mandated communication method in public school IEP meetings
- A Deaf theatre technique combining spoken and signed performance for mixed audiences
Correct answer: Attempting to sign and speak English simultaneously; often criticized in Deaf culture as degrading ASL grammar and producing errors in both languages
Because ASL and English have fundamentally different grammars, Sim-Com typically results in distorted ASL syntax and incomplete spoken English, undermining communication quality in both languages.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes the 'Big D' versus 'little d' distinction in Deaf studies?
- 'Big D' Deaf refers to people with profound hearing loss; 'little d' deaf refers to those with mild or moderate hearing loss
- 'Big D' Deaf identifies cultural and community membership with shared language and values; 'little d' deaf is audiological — describing hearing loss without implying cultural identity (Correct answer)
- 'Big D' Deaf is used only in academic writing; 'little d' deaf is the standard clinical term
- The distinction was eliminated by the NAD in 2010 as outdated and stigmatizing
Correct answer: 'Big D' Deaf identifies cultural and community membership with shared language and values; 'little d' deaf is audiological — describing hearing loss without implying cultural identity
The distinction, introduced by James Woodward in 1972, separates audiological deafness (lowercase) from cultural Deafness (uppercase), recognizing that identity is not determined by decibel levels.
Question 6: What is the Deaf community's general stance on the use of the word 'hearing impaired'?
- 'Hearing impaired' is the preferred term because it is more precise than 'Deaf'
- Many Deaf people reject 'hearing impaired' as it defines them by deficit; they prefer 'Deaf' or 'hard of hearing' as identity-affirming terms (Correct answer)
- 'Hearing impaired' is legally required terminology under the ADA for all official documents
- The term is acceptable in Deaf cultural contexts but offensive only to hearing allies
Correct answer: Many Deaf people reject 'hearing impaired' as it defines them by deficit; they prefer 'Deaf' or 'hard of hearing' as identity-affirming terms
The term 'hearing impaired' frames deafness as a broken version of hearing; the Deaf community, NAD, and most Deaf advocacy groups prefer 'Deaf' and 'hard of hearing' as person-first identity terms.
Question 7: In professional interpreter settings covered by the NIC, how should an interpreter's knowledge of Deaf culture inform their role?
- It allows interpreters to make cultural judgments and omit content they deem culturally inappropriate for Deaf consumers
- It informs accurate, culturally competent interpretation that respects Deaf consumers' linguistic and cultural autonomy without paternalistic intervention (Correct answer)
- It enables interpreters to educate hearing clients about Deaf culture during the assignment
- It allows interpreters to substitute their cultural judgment for the Deaf consumer's communication preferences
Correct answer: It informs accurate, culturally competent interpretation that respects Deaf consumers' linguistic and cultural autonomy without paternalistic intervention
Cultural competence enhances interpretation accuracy and respect for consumer autonomy; it is not license to edit content, educate clients, or override consumer preferences during an assignment.
NIC Deaf Culture 5
What is the cultural and political significance of the 1880 International Congress on Education of the Deaf held in Milan?