A New Language We live in a world where communication is an essential part of life. Can you imagine being a part of that world and not being capable of expressing your views, or feeling emotions but having no way to get them out? It seems unbelievable, like something out of a science fiction movie, but it is actually something that is very real and something that has happened recently. The deaf in Nicaragua have experienced it. First it is interesting to know how there came to be so many deaf in Nicaragua. You may think that it was inherited, but before the revolution there were rarely any deaf children with deaf parents. Birth defects and accidents contributed to the deaf population, but there was another greater cause. During the Contra War, trade embargoes that included many medicines were forced on Nicaragua. Consequently the only drugs available were drugs that would kill the hair cells in the inner ear. If you or your child became sick you had to choose life or deafness.
Click here for an MPEG video of a Nicaraguan child signing. For More Information on the Deaf in Nicaragua Visit these sites: http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/nuggets/028/nugget.htm http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/04/25/60II/main188527.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/arcsilentprod.shtml http://newscientist.com/lastword/answers/710communication.jsp?tp=communication1 |
Before 1979, deaf
people were isolated. They rarely met another deaf person, and were usually
hidden away in their homes. They were unable to communicate, except for
crude gestures that they used with family. After the Sandinista government
came to power, the first schools for the deaf were set up. This was the
first time deaf people were brought together, however when the children
arrived they had no way to communicate with each other. Amazingly, instead
of being taught what to do by their teachers, the children began to communicate
with each other, and formed their own sign language. Within a matter of
years this communication system has become a true language with specific
rules and order. It is becoming more and more intricate, and new words
are added every day. The language created by children is officially called
Nicaraguan Sign Language, and has given life to many of the deaf in Nicaragua.
This is just another example of how crucial it is to communicate with
others. It seems to prove that humans instinctively have the ability,
need, and want to communicate with each other.