Dancing Without Music: Deafness in America

by Beryl Lieff Benderly

Book Overview

More than a decade ago, Beryl Lieff Benderly wrote in Dancing Without Music about two burning issues of the Deaf community: oralism versus American Sign Language, and the rights of Deaf people. Now,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0930323599
• ISBN13: 9780930323592
• Release Date: September 1990
• Publisher: Gallaudet University Press
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

This book literally changed my life

I grew up hard of hearing and never had any contact with the deaf community before age 19. In 1981 I lost two jobs because I was unable to communicate effectively with customers. My hearing loss was progressive; at the rate it was going, I fully expected to become completely deaf by age 30. After wondering what I would do in the future as a deaf man, I went to the library to learn what I could, and discovered this book. It was my first exposure to deaf culture and deaf education. I learned about Gallaudet - then known as Gallaudet College - University while reading Dancing Without Music, and made up my mind to go there. If I was going to become deaf, then I would go live with deaf people and learn from them. I followed through and attended Gallaudet at age 19, and I've never regretted that decision. After 25 years of deep engagement in the deaf community, it is my home now. I came in as an immigrant, was taken in and embraced, and every year since has been rich and rewarding. I shudder to think different my life might be if I had not read this book. There are more current books available now about the deaf community, but this one does a terrific job of documenting the community's emergence at a time when ASL began earning respect as a genuine language. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to understand what deaf culture means, what the deaf community is, and how it began in America.

great book!

This is an awesome book, i totally recommend it!