How do role models impact the lives of deaf people?

Sep 30, 2020

Video description: https://tinyurl.com/ucoylgm

DESCRIPTION:

NDC logo. White text beneath it reads “HOW DO ROLE MODELS IMPACT THE LIVES OF DEAF INDIVIDUALS?”

[LIGHT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

DESCRIPTION:

The video fades to a white background created by light coming in through the window and pans down to a side profile of a young white girl facing the left. She has brown hair held back with a blue headband and wears a light blue shirt. She looks intently at the menus and purses her lips as if she’s trying to decide. The video pulls back to reveal the same girl looking at the chalkboard menus. Different dishes are listed in red and white handwriting. Wooden signs read “Kids Crepes” “Beverages” and “… Goodies”. The girl makes a decision and walks towards the counter. She approaches the counter and the camera changes perspective as if we are looking at her from the other side of the counter. The background is whited out by the light coming through the window and fuzzy images of different people are sitting around and signing.

The girl:

Do you have paper and pen?

DESCRIPTION:

The camera switches angle to over the girl’s shoulder to reveal the cashier. She is a Latina female with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wears a white and maroon striped long sleeve and has a green apron on over it.

The cashier:

Oh, I’m deaf too.

DESCRIPTION:

The camera goes back to the young girl.

The girl:

Oh. Are all the workers here deaf, tool?

DESCRIPTION:

The camera points back to the cashier.

The cashier:

Yes, the entire staff is deaf.

DESCRIPTION:

The young girl smiles.

The girl:

Oh, okay. I’d like a Wee Royale.

DESCRIPTION:

The cashier nods

The cashier:

Sure.

DESCRIPTION:

She types something and looks back at the girl.

The girl:

I’m just curious. Who’s your role model?

The cashier:

My role model is a woman named Claudia Gordon. She’s a deaf lawyer and she works for the White House.

DESCRIPTION:

The video switches to the blonde man seen before in the pale fuschia shirt. The man signs.

The man:

My role models are my grandmother and my mother. When I was growing up, they taught me how to make food from scratch. I always wanted to be a chef one day.

DESCRIPTION:

The video switches to the woman in the red and black plaid shirt. The woman signs.

The woman:

I look up to my parents. They’ve worked incredibly hard to survive, and I admire them for that.

DESCRIPTION:

The video switches to an older white man with a short dark beard, grey baseball cap, and grey shirt that says “Crepe Crazy” on the front. “Crepe” is in larger cursive font and “Crazy” is in smaller print. A gold ring circles the text and small white text on the outside reading “Savory & Sweet”. The man signs.

The man:

My entire family’s deaf. My father was an outdoor photographer, capturing clients in front of mountains or wooded scenes. I was impressed with how my father, as a deaf man, managed to communicate with his hearing clients.

The video switches to another white man wearing black glasses, a white baseball cap and light blue t-shirt with the red and yellow Superman logo. The logo is an outline of a red diamond with a large red S filling up the middle. The rest of the space in the diamond is yellow. The man signs.

The man:

I admired and respected one of my teachers who taught printmaking from 30 years ago in my old school in California.

DESCRIPTION:

The video returns to the cashier as she signs to the little girl:

The cashier:

She’s [Claudia Gordon] accomplished so many extraordinary things.

DESCRIPTION:

The little girl signs:

The girl:

That’s really cool.

DESCRIPTION:

Text appears in white reading “PRESENTED BY PAIGE JOHNSON” as light instrumental music plays.

The image becomes clear and the text fades.The background pans quickly and ends at a white woman with long dark hair, purple shirt, and a black cardigan. She faces the camera and signs.

The woman:

As you can see, role models are imperative for everyone, regardless of their hearing status. We want to understand how role models may be beneficial for deaf people in particular. We’re using a theoretical framework called social capital in order to understand the importance of role models in deaf people’s lives.

DESCRIPTION:

White text appears to the right of the woman reading “Social Capital”. She continues to sign.

The woman:

Social capital describes how connections and networks between people provide access to information. For example, if a person is looking for a job, being introduced to the right people and making connections can result in successfully obtaining employment. This is an example of social capital in action.

DESCRIPTION:

The white text appears reading “HOW WE DID THE STUDY”.

The woman appears to the right of the screen and facing the camera. Screen is black and white. She signs.

The woman:

Why are role models important?

DESCRIPTION:

White text appears to the left of the woman reading “Why are role models important?” The woman signs.

The woman:

What do they do?

DESCRIPTION:

White text appears reading “What do role models do?” The woman signs.

The woman:

What do they do?

DESCRIPTION:

White text appears reading “Where does role modeling happen?” The woman signs.

The woman:

Where does role modeling happen?

DESCRIPTION:

White text appears “When are role models needed?” The woman signs.

The woman:

When do we need them?

DESCRIPTION:

White text appears reading “How exactly do role models support deaf people?” The woman signs.

The woman:

And how do they support deaf and hard of hearing people specifically?

DESCRIPTION:

Video fades to black and returns to the woman. This time she is sitting closer to the middle. Image is still black and white. She signs.

The woman:

We did a research synthesis.

DESCRIPTION:

White text reading “Research Synthesis” appears to the top left.

The woman:

which means that we gathered relevant articles to our topic. In this case, role models. We did a search for articles that used the key term “role models,” but of course not–articles use that key word specifically. Instead, mentioning mentors, leaders, or guides. After collecting all the relevant articles, we summarized key findings and looked for common themes to synthesize relevant information. We found a total of 18 articles.

DESCRIPTION:

White text appears reading “WHAT DID WE FIND?”

The text disappears as the little girl appears and the camera closes in on her. She signs.

The girl:

Why are role models important?

DESCRIPTION:

The camera pans out to both of them in the screen and yellow text appears to the left, above the little girl reading “Why are role models important?” The woman signs.

The woman:

95% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. That child could possibly be the first deaf person they have ever met. That means that those parents may have limited perspective of what their deaf child can accomplish. Deaf youth do not have the opportunity to interact with peers. They’re often lonely and isolated. Role models who are deaf can provide support from a place of shared understanding.

DESCRIPTION:

Video fades to black and then returns to the little girl. She signs.

The girl:

What do role models do?

DESCRIPTION:

Video opens up to both of them on screen with yellow text above the girl reading “What do role models do?” The woman signs.

The woman:

Role models contribute to multiple aspects of life. We found five broad categories. First, parent attitudes.

DESCRIPTION:

White text appears in place of the previous question in yellow text, reading “Parent Attitudes”

The woman:

Parents often focus on what their child can’t do. However, meeting successful deaf adults can help parents focus on what their child can do.

DESCRIPTION:

White text disappears to be replaced with “Language Development” The woman signs.

The woman:

Language development. Research indicates that if families and their deaf children work with a deaf mentor, the child demonstrates improvement in ASL as well as in English.

DESCRIPTION:

White text fades to be replaced with “Identity Development” The woman signs.

The woman:

Identity development is the important process of understanding our roots and our cultural practices.

DESCRIPTION:

White text is replaced by “Psychosocial Development”

The woman:

Psychosocial development, which refers to the overall feelings about self, such as self-esteem, self-confidence, self-worth, improved peer relationships, and resilience.

DESCRIPTION:

Text fades to be replaced by “Navigational Capital”

The woman:

Navigational capital recognizes that as youth navigate a variety of settings, such as workplace or schools, they may face obstacles. This is when deaf role models can provide support, empathy, and provide strategies on how to cope and navigate.

DESCRIPTION:

Video fades to black and returns to the little girl again. She signs.

The girl:

Where does role modeling usually happen?

DESCRIPTION:

Video opens up to both the girl and woman on screen. Yellow text above the girl reads “Where does role modeling happen?” The woman signs.

The woman:

Role modeling can happen anywhere. Role modeling can take place in workplaces or schools, but many studies explain that role modeling often happens in residential schools, where staff and teachers are also deaf and share the same identity.

DESCRIPTION:

Video fades to black and returns to the little girl. She signs.

The girl:

When do we need role models?

DESCRIPTION:

The screen opens up to include both the girl and the woman. Yellow text appears reading “When are role models needed?” The woman signs.

The woman:

Role models are needed from birth to career. Early in life to support language development and strengthen family interactions. In middle school, they provide support through a period of identity exploration. When people enter college, they must learn to navigate the landscape of accommodations and related services. Role models can provide support in many aspects of life.

DESCRIPTION:

Video fades to black then back to the girl. She signs.

The girl:

What–how exactly do role models support deaf and hard of hearing people?

DESCRIPTION:

Camera opens up to both girl and woman. Yellow text appears reading “How exactly do role models support deaf people?” The woman signs.

The woman:

We found two ways they can support deaf people.

DESCRIPTION:

Yellow text disappears and white text reading “Effective Communication” appears across the top left. The woman signs.

The woman:

First is effective communication, which is warm, engaging, and full comprehension occurs.

DESCRIPTION:

Under the first set of text, a plus sign appears, then “High Expectations” underneath. The woman signs.

The woman:

The second area is high expectations. In a previous video, we shared findings about the significant impact of parent expectation. Does this mean we should spoon feed deaf youth? Absolutely not. We should expect them to act autonomously and do whatever they set their mind to.

DESCRIPTION:

She pauses, then turns and gives the little girl an enormous high five. They each wrap one arm around the other in a side hug as they smile. The screen fades to a green background as white text appear reading “Take away message”

The video returns to the setting of the woman sitting in the restaurant. She signs.

The woman:

Deaf role models are clearly important and meet multiple needs. They can also provide a strength-based perspective based on deaf gain as opposed to a deficit perspective. However, there are areas of concern. There are not enough deaf role models available. Most professionals who work with deaf youth are hearing white women. Deaf role models are important, yes, but there are very few deaf role models who are diverse. Identification solely as a deaf person may not be enough. Research has found that if deaf students work with professionals with whom they share identities, their academic performance improved. Deaf students say there are not enough diverse role models, so there’s something for us to keep in mind as we move forward. We must make sure that deaf youth can access role models who are deaf and diverse.

DESCRIPTION:

The image turns to a white background with the NDC logo and text appears “nationaldeafcenter.org” beneath the logo as light instrumental music plays.