Rosie Malezer
July 3, 2015
Is Signing a Right or a Privilege?
As a Deaf woman who was, until
recently, a member of the Hearing community, I find it astounding as
to how ignorant many professionals and everyday people can be
towards Deaf people. Audiologists, lawyers, doctors, bar staff in
Finland whom I have encountered automatically assume that if you are
Deaf, you must only communicate with sign language. Yet how
accessible is sign language education to late deafened people?
In Finland, you are only educated for free in Deaf languages at a young age , and only if you are Deaf. Those who lose their hearing after high school graduation age are required to pay a minimum of 4,000€ to attend Finland's Deaf school which is located in Helsinki. Both Hearing and Deaf students are accepted into the school, which students reside at during week days, however you are only permitted to learn Finnish Sign Language, even if your mother tongue and only language of understanding is English. If you are Hearing, however, you are entitled to every language interpreter known to mankind. The Finnish Deaf Museum further shows how little Finland has done for the Deaf community.