A Deaf Adult Speaks Out
by Leo M. Jacobs, 1989Born deaf to deaf parents, Jacobs is a native signer. Many deaf people have been through oral programs before learning sign, and have poor communication skills, but Jacobs grew up among deaf people who had also been fortunate enough to sign early. Jacobs is a successful deaf adult, and his book is meant to draw attention to the problem that many deaf adults are not successful. They have been held back, not so much by being deaf, but by poor education and poor development of communication.
Jacobs lays out the pertinant facts about deafness: the state of education and services for deaf people, how they are changing, and how they should be changed. Jacobs explains his positions in detail, citing studies, statistics, stories and possibilities. Jacobs' own experiences flavor the book but are not necessary to any of his points.
I especially enjoyed Jacobs' argument against mainstreaming. His statistics on how much time is spent in school by the average student are also interesting. Laws about education have changed since 1989, although current laws support mainstreaming as much as previous ones did. References, short stories, resources, and an interview of rank-and-file deaf people are at the back of the book.
Happy reading.
