Hispanic/Latino
Deaf Outreach.
Deaf students
of Hispanic-American heritage are the most rapidly growing minority group among
the deaf population. The challenge faced by Hispanic deaf children is unique.
They are faced with the task of learning two languages-- ASL and English-- and
two cultures-- American and Deaf, while being exposed to the Spanish language
and Hispanic culture at home. In addition to their sensory impairment, Hispanic
deaf students have cultural and linguistic differences which exacerbate the
already formidable task of acquiring language. Texas ranks second only to California
in its Hispanic deaf population.
The barriers for implementing successful programs for Hispanic deaf
students are the same as encountered for
Hispanic students; limited language base when they enter school, limited
home-school collaboration, lack of access to the dominant language used in
home, higher drop-out rates and lower percentages of graduates entering
college. Delgado’s research
indicates that higher than average numbers of deaf Hispanic students are
classified as multi-handicapped and referred to vocational tracks. 38% of TSD’s
student population is Hispanic, and there are many more students across the
state in dire need of services that will never attend TSD.
Texas School
for the Deaf is fortunate to have many of the resources proven to be effective
with Hispanic Latino deaf students. These include but are not limited to,
Hispanic Club and Celebrations, a Hispanic Parent Advisor, Hispanic deaf role
models, bilingual and ESL consultants, Parent Sign Language Classes. We would like to fund an ongoing
Hispanic/Latino Outreach Project that would focus on:
$35,000