BSLZone: What is Deafhood? (BSL and English Subtitles):https://www.bslzone.co.uk/watch/deaf-world-what-deafhood
The word “Deafhood” was first developed by Paddy Ladd in 1993.
Understanding the concept of colonization is an integral part of the Deafhood philosophy. The term “Deafness”, and others like it, are seen as arising from the colonization process. Hence there was a need to develop a Deaf-centered term, “Deafhood”.
Deafhood includes:
According to Ladd, Deafhood requires deaf people to evaluate and liberate themselves from the oppression they have faced historically from the majority hearing society. To this process of self-liberation, Ladd writes:
"...I found myself and others coining a new label of 'Deafhood.' Deafhood is not, however, a 'static' medical condition like 'deafness.' Instead, it represents a process - the struggle by each deaf child, deaf family and Ddaf adult to explain to themselves and each other their own existence in the world. In sharing their lives with each other as a community, and enacting those explanations rather than writing books about them, deaf people are engaged in a daily praxis, a continuing internal and external dialogue." (Ladd, 2003:3)
I really would like to see more Deaf entrepreneurs showing that they can do it.
All of which shows how great the need is by Sign language users to have this direct dialogue in their own language."
