Deaf and disability studies : interdisciplinary perspectives /

This collection represents a conversation between Deaf studies and disability studies. Ranging from history and anthropology to dialogue and personal narrative, the works explore the contradictions within d/Deaf studies and their relationships to disability studies. For example, resistance to the label of "disabled" is represented by ideas of deafness as another world or culture and not a disease or disability. This promotes ableism even as it empowers resistance to conformity to "the hearing world" and to pathologization and medicalization. The contributors discuss cross-cultural experiences of deafness and the current outlines of debates about language and educational rights, orality, and bilingualism. Lakshmi Fjord makes the argument that audiologists' resistance to sign language instruction for very young deaf children recapitulates colonialist narratives that barred the learning and teaching of indigenous languages. The book sections are framed with orienting questions that focus reading and facilitate the use of this book as a textbook. It would be nice if pediatric audiologists read it. Summing Up; Recommended. For d/Deaf and disability studies programs, as well as for programs in inclusive or special education, all levels. J. L. Croissant University of Arizona