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Watch this wonderful interview of Dr. Barbara Kannapell by Jehanne: Jehanne Interviews Dr. Kannapell
The following is a transcript of the interview.
DBC Interview Part 1: Dr. Barbara Kannapell
Interviewed by Jehanne McCullough
Filed August 9, 2008
ASL video interview at:
http://jehanne.wordpress.com/2008/08/09/dbc-interview-part-1-dr-barbara-kannapell/
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if any errors in the transcript.
Jehanne: Hi, I attended the DBC conference in Milwaukee, Wisc. During the last week of June and it was a thrill. So now I am interviewing some of the conference presenters who live in the DC area about their DBC presentation.
First, I’d like to introduce to you Dr. Barbara Kannapell from Washington, DC, here. Thank you for letting me interview you.
Dr. Kannapell: Sure, I’m happy to do this.
Intertitle: What are the main points of your recent DBC presentation?
Jehanne: Could you summarize your main points from your DBC presentation?
Dr. Kannapell: I was so thrilled by the DBC conference. There were so many new people who were not aware of all the past efforts and individuals who had fought to get bilingual rights for Deaf children – since the 1970s! I presented some of these points such as:
- my first paper where I recognized the need for bilingual education for Deaf children and the reasons for this
- discussion of the history of people trying to get the federal government to recognize ASL as an official language of Deaf people, which includes the children
- I covered the chronology of these efforts from the 1970s onward to the 1990s
That basically sums up my presentation.
(Note: See Dr. Kannapell’s powerpoint of her presentation at the DBC conference June 2008)
Jehanne: Thank you.
Intertitle: What did you first think of DBC when it started last year in Alexandria, VA?
Jehanne: When the DBC first started to spread almost one year ago, what did you first think of it?
Dr. Kannapell: My first thoughts were “What is this? What’s going on?” The ideas of the DBC are good – the Bilingual Coalition aims for the Deaf child to be bilingual – to give them ASL during that critical period – age 0 – 3. That is their mission statement and it’s good. Their first event was in Alexandria, Va. People gathered there and demonstrated. I didn’t go. I was a bit confused and didn’t know what was fully happening. Now it is very clear what they are about.
Intertitle: When you attended DBC last June, what was your experience like?
Jehanne: Last June, when you attended the DBC conference what was your experience like there?
Dr. Kannapell: I anticipated it with great excitement. Once I was there, it made me wish I had attended the first rally in Alexandria, Va. Regardless of that regret, being at the DBC conference, being amongst everyone and all that interaction, was just a wonderful experience. It was dynamic, the solidarity, the cohesion. There was no arguing, NONE. We were all in the same frame of mind. Unified. The EXCITEMENT! A W-O-W experience. I really enjoyed every minute of the DBC conference. My center felt clean, often I can feel quite uncomfortable and inner turmoil. After leaving DBC conference and going to NAD, that old conflicted feeling arose. There was such differing opinions and conflicting points of view. I was kinda dumbfounded. At DBC there was unity, DBC cohesiveness. It was a wonderful experience for me. Oh, Y-E-S!
Intertitle: What Kind of things should we do to make DBC successful?
Jehanne: Can you share any suggestions of how we can help DBC to really take off and be fully successful?
Dr. Kannapell: Yes, it’s important to learn from my own lesson of the past – Doing it alone is not a good idea. Mobilize a group to come together to work on a common goal. Like with the federal government level, I tried to breakthrough to the top alone. Of course I did learn and work with others, we all chipped in. But it was mostly folks in the Washington, DC area. That’s all. Now for DBC to be successful it must start from the bottom. DBC is doing the right thing. Its strategies are good and its progressing along to affect the top. It can also work from the top down too. This is called… what’s the word?...”Think Globally and Act Locally.” That has important meaning – the two-prong approach “top down” and “bottom up” to meet together. Building a strong foundation and having this two-prong approach is really an important strategy.
It is also important that they all have a CLEAR understanding of the DBC mission. At the DBC conference I saw some confusion so its important to be clear about the mission of having ASL for Deaf children age 0-3.
Intertitle: What are your concerns for our Deaf children now and in the future?
Jehanne: Do you have concerns for Deaf children now and in the future?
Dr. Kannapell: Yes, I am concerned about polarization. We have one group focusing on speech andcochlear implants – trying to pull in folks who support ASL. And the ASL group is trying to pull folks their way so its like a seesaw going up and down. I’m concerned about that. I am hopeful that the folks who teach ASL 0-3 will be a strong group and can draw in folks from the other group, regardless if they have cochlear implants and use speech – it doesn’t matter. It’s critical to focus on signing for that time period 0-3. Im really worried about that. My other chief worry is about identity. Will Deaf children grow up being confused about their own identity. I’m concerned about that.
Intertitle: What are your thoughts about ongoing issues related to Deafhood and DBC?
Jehanne: You know now there is a lot of discussion all over DeafRead regarding the Deafhood topic– I’m wondering what you think of that?
Dr. Kannapell: After experiencing the DBC conference, feeling it was great and wonderful I arrived home to see DeafRead and my stomach turned over. I was like WHAT? People were being so criticizing. I just felt so disgusted. In regards to Deafhood, I am not a scholar in that area but I am familiar with the concept enough to say a few words on that subject. Really Deafhood and DBC can not be separated. Deafhood’s emphasis is on identity. The DBC has an emphasis on identity also. They are similar in this way. They are inter-connected. They really can not be separated. If Deafhood were an organization it would be a different story but it is not. I would call it a movement. Movements signify different times and Deafhood is presently a hot topic. I can see how the DBC and Deafhood can work together.
During the DBC conference, did I feel some Deafhood people were orchestrating things behind the scenes? No, not at all. Nothing of the sort. Everything went so smoothly and and well but after I left and saw all the criticism, I was like “again, with the crab theory!” Oh, my gosh! I hoped it wouldn’t happen.
Intertitle: Whose rights should have priority when it comes to learning ASL: parents or children?
Jehanne: In discussing parents and children, if parents don’t want a child to learn ASL yet the child does desire to learn ASL, who should have the right to decide – the parent or the child? What’s your opinion?
Dr. Kannapell: My first thought is the children should have the right. First and foremost in importance is the child. If the parent says they do not want to learn ASL, we must explain to them… From my own experience going back, I worked at Deaf Pride and I worked with Jack (note: translator not sure if caught right name), who was involved too. I worked with parents, hearing mothers and fathers with Deaf babies, about 6 or 7. At first they wanted signed English, SEE, in English word order. I worked with them once a week, teaching sign language and over time I saw the parents change and become more accepting of ASL. Oh, I learned you have to give the parents time and work with them then they can accept ASL. Yes. It is important that the babies 0-3 have access to ASL. If future parents prevent this, block this learning of ASL by their Deaf children, they could really adversely impact their child’s cognitive development and intellectual capabilities.
Jehanne: Thank you again for coming and letting me interview you. I myself attended the DBC conference this past June and saw the same things she speaks of and I agree fully with her.
You want to add any other comment(s)?
Dr. Kannapell: I want to see DBC succeed. If the DBC needs any help – I am READY! Need my help, I am there and READY! |
