Two Gallaudet news briefs: Center for Black Deaf Studies established; new research study on health risks associated with communication neglect
Here are two news briefs coming out of Gallaudet University.
The first — Gallaudet announced they are establishing a new “Center for Black Deaf Studies.” The founding director will be Dr. Carolyn D. McCaskill.
She said in a press release that the concept started in 1996 when Black students petitioned the former chair of the Department of Deaf Studies, Yerker J. O. Andersson, to create a Black Deaf studies course.
Dr. McCaskill said she was hired that same year and created and taught Gallaudet’s first Black Deaf People Studies course that fall, and that the course is a required course for Deaf Studies majors and minors.
Andersson passed away in 2016. Dr. McCaskill credits Andersson for his vision 24 years ago and said she is grateful to Gallaudet President Cordano and Interim Provost Jeff Lewis for their support.
Gallaudet said the “aim is to preserve the history of the Black Deaf community, as well as Black Deaf education, culture and language.” For more information, you can watch a YouTube video announcement — the link is in the transcript.
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The second news brief — Gallaudet published a research study that showed deaf children who experience language deprivation growing up have a higher risk of developing physical and mental health problems as adults.
The study collected online survey responses from over 1,500 deaf and hard of hearing adults who were born deaf or became deaf in both ears prior to age 13.
The study said early childhood language deprivation and communication neglect can cause toxic stress on the deaf child. An example of neglect is hearing family members, when asked by a deaf child on what they are talking about, telling them to wait or that they would tell them later and then never doing that.
Those who had poor direct communication with their parents or guardians, called a “primary caregiver,” had a 61% higher risk for heart conditions and increased risks for diabetes and hypertension.
The study also found that if a deaf child was frequently neglected or left out from family communications, their risks for developing depression or anxiety disorders is 34% higher and lung disease by 19%.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar from Gallaudet University’s Center for Deaf Health Equity, and her colleagues, said there needs to be a better understanding of the above issues so that interventions and policy can better support accessible, language-rich, and inclusive environments for all children. She also said the medical and education community needs to consider developing and utilizing screening measures to spot possible language deprivation and communication neglect and work to remediate.
Center for Black Deaf Studies: https://bit.ly/33EjanN
Study:
https://deafhealthqol.com/acce/
https://www.prweb.com/releases/gallaudet_university_research_study_finds_language_deprivation_communication_neglect_increase_deaf_childrens_risks_for_heart_conditions_depression_and_other_diseases/prweb17284552.htm?fbclid=IwAR29OgRJ2007-p-bCPZHoGCcjHZnE1CPWNV15csWxB5_fQOp672jgGE1_6M