Giving all children a chance: advantages of an antiracist approach to education for deaf children.

This paper begins with the assumption that racism exists and influences educational policy and curricula in American schools, including schools for deaf children, and discusses bow a multicultural approach to educating deaf children is often limited to the description of ethnic differences. What is also needed is an antiracist approach to education that addresses the social and political ramifications of ethnic differences. It is suggested that schools for the deaf are in a strategic position to respond to the inadequacy of American schools to educate deaf children of color.

Deaf children from ethnic, linguistic and racial minority backgrounds: an overview.

Deaf children from ethnic, linguistic and racial minority backgrounds demonstrate significantly depressed achievement levels relative to their White deaf peers. Educators of deaf children and youth have had a tendency to accept the erroneous proposition that deafness in some ways precludes ethnic and racial minority group membership and status. This article describes some of the unique social and educational realities faced by Black and Hispanic children and their families in the northeastern United States and the similarities experienced by deaf Black and Hispanic children and their families. Implications concerning educational assessment, placement, student expectations, curriculum development, staffing and policy making are noted as are recommendations that resulted from the first national conference on Black and Hispanic deaf youth held in March 1989. Demographic data are also presented showing the growth and distribution in the population of minority deaf children, as well as the results of a survey indicating the dearth of minority personnel, board members and specialized programs in schools.