Deaf Women of Ireland (1922–1994)
Temas
Detalles
This monograph explores whether Irish Deaf women can take up their position as full Irish citizens by participating fully in society and in all aspects of community life. We set out to examine if Irish Deaf women feel that they are a full part of the economic, cultural and social fabric of society. We explored this by surveying 301 Irish Deaf women from across the island of Ireland aged 18 to 90 years, collecting data in 2013 and 2014. The community reports radical changes to the education of Deaf children, technological advances, and legislative changes. We document the experience Deaf women at different stages of their lives, including their time in educational/ training settings, at work and their experience of motherhood. We also explored the social and cultural life of women within the Deaf community, and the experiences of Deaf/Blind women in the Deaf community. Participants report many improvements in educational standards achieved, across the generations, with increasingly better access to secondary and third level education. As a result, the nature of employment undertaken by Irish Deaf women has also changed.