| The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the experiences of adult deaf and hard of hearing people as they learned how to successfully read in a mainstreamed setting. The qualitative approach allows for deeper insight into the perspectives of the learner, as these adults reflected on their childhood experiences of literacy development and shared their personal, yet strikingly similar, stories of triumph. Linguistic and cultural narratives are presented, with a focus on the language use of the deaf community versus the hearing community, and on how much support subjects received in terms of access to language, especially in a hearing environment. The theoretical framework is shaped by sociocultural theory and focuses on the importance of social interaction, society's influence on each individuals' development, cultural beliefs and attitudes that influence learning, and the environment of the learning process. Unpacking complex issues through narrative inquiry provides a lens into issues that deaf and hard of hearing students face as learners. The investigations in this study tap into those complex issues of history, culture, and language of the deaf community, and may be used as a source of inspiration and guidance for future policy discussions. |
