DPN Not to be Forgotten but to be Celebrated by Bridgetta Bourne-Firl
DPN was a movement that moved so many people around the world, resulted into the passage of Americans with Disabilities Act, and became the beacon of hope for so many deaf youth who have never met deaf role models until later in life. People, especially college students, still contact us (the former DPN leaders) for interviews about what happened in 1988 and how it has affected the Deaf Community and the quality of life. The impact has been profound for mainstream students who discovered their new Deaf identity when they are in high school or college. The DPN story provides them with a hope they never had before. Our community needs something positive, something to remember, something to celebrate about.The Martin Luther King’s legacy continues as a positive way to remember and to provide the younger generation with hope (in spite the struggles that African American community still faces).The spirit of the Deaf President Now movement must not be forgotten. The DPN wasn’t about King Jordan. It was about a civil rights movement that provided paradigm shift in
America and other countries. By celebrating DPN, we reflect what has happened since 1988. Editor Matthew Moore of DEAFLIFE magazine sent me an excellent “review” of what happened during the last 20 years. Those are what I expect my alma mater to take a lead in recognizing the successes and challenges of the past 20 years. Like Matthew Moore wrote:
“So much has happened in the Deaf community since DPN. A few things that come to mind:* the revolution in text-pagers, videophones, Webcams, blogs, and wireless communications as a direct benefit for deaf people, AND the continued lack of open-captioning in Internet video streams as an obstacle;* the growth of TRS, AND the inaccessibility of cellphones;* the growth of ASL scholarship, Deaf Studies, sign-language courses for hearing high-school and college students, new books, the field of ASL poetics, and establishment of several new Bi-Bi (ASL/English Bilingual) schools, AND the increase in mainstreaming and strict-oral programs like Auditory-Verbal Therapy, spurred by the boom in pediatric cochlear implants, and the downsizing and closure of more traditional schools for the deaf due to shrinking enrollments;* the boom in “Baby Signs” multimedia courses, classes, and books aimed at hearing parents of hearing babies, with the recognition of early-education professionals that sign language benefits their acquisition of communication skills, AND the adamant anti-signing position taken by clinicians, audiologists, etc., who still counsel parents of deaf children not to use signing because it will interferes with their cognitive/speech development.* the 2006 “Unity for Gallaudet” protests (which have inevitably been compared to DPN, and the turnaround in Dr. Jordan’s reputation as a result of “Black Friday”), and the changes that have occurred since Dr. Davila was appointed Interim President;* the temporary spike in public awareness as a result of DPN, AND the continued problems faced by Deaf citizens with police and the justice system (as exemplified in Doug Bahl’s recent ordeal).* the fierce opposition of the Gallaudet
University campus community to Zinser, Spilman, and Fernandes (and Board chairs Spilman, Baldwin, and Brueggemann)
—can this be seen as a gender issue?How has DPN influenced public attitudes towards deaf people? In what was the effect temporary? In what ways lasting? How far we’ve come, how far we haven’t . . . We have much to celebrate, though, and we definitely want to emphasize the significance of DPN as an unforgettable, historic, one-of-a-kind event. Keep in mind that we have a new generation of Deaf adults who have no firsthand memory of DPN. Most of the “Unity” protesters were toddlers or young children when DPN occurred; those now entering adulthood weren’t yet born.” Bridgetta and Matthew said it all. As you can see, there is much more to celebrate than just Jordan. So, come on down and join the celebration. If you can’t make it, catch it on the internet at www.DeafNation.com. For more info go to the website: www.dpn20.com . To read the book go to
www.triumphofthespirit.com .