John Bosco Conama | Trinity College Dublin (original) (raw)

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Papers by John Bosco Conama

Irish Sign Language (ISL) became a recognised language in the State with the passing of the 2017 ... more Irish Sign Language (ISL) became a recognised language in the State with the passing of the 2017 Irish Sign Language Act. It is a language that has been shown to not only be a fully-fledged language, but one that exhibits complexity and significant variation on the basis of gender and age. Research into the linguistics and sociolinguistics of ISL has been carried out over more than thirty years, and it is almost twenty years since the establishment of Trinity College's Centre for Deaf Studies, the source of much of this research. However, an examination of the historical records reveals an even greater complexity. Modern day ISL is descended, in the main, from the signed languages that were used in Cabra's Catholic Deaf schools from the 1840s, but little is written about other signed languages, and variations thereon, that have existed on this island over the last 200 years. This article attempts to show that the history of Irish signed language(s) used by Deaf people is nei...

Language policy, Jul 6, 2024

This small-scale survey aims to establish and ascertain the relative poverty level of Deaf people... more This small-scale survey aims to establish and ascertain the relative poverty level of Deaf people. The concept of relative poverty as defined by the National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS) is as follows, people are living in poverty, if their income and resources (material, cultural and social) are so inadequate as acceptable by Irish society generally. As a result of inadequate income and resources people may be excluded and marginalised from participating in activities, which are considered the norm for other people in society

TCD, 2001

It is useful to ask why it is necessary to analyse social policy. There are several answers to th... more It is useful to ask why it is necessary to analyse social policy. There are several answers to this question. Firstly, social policies affect how people live, and they can be studied to find out what way is the best way to deal with social problems. Secondly, understanding social policy is an important part of professional preparation and could contribute to the policy-making process. Thirdly, social policy study can help change the way people think about society and public policy (Spicker, 1995: pp 7). There is the appropriate definition of social policy given by Donnison in a National Economic and Social Council document: Those actions of government which deliberately or accidentally affect the distribution of resources, status, opportunities and life chances among social groups and categories of people within the country and thus help to shape the general character and equity of its social relations (Donnison, in NESC 1975). The Deaf community in Ireland is the specifically chosen ?social group? for this thesis. The subtext of the definition - ?thus help the general character and equity of its social relations? - is being explored in this thesis about the status of Deaf people in Irish society. Additionally, a 1981 document from the NESC outlines several social policy aims: the reduction of income and wealth inequalities, the elimination of inequalities of opportunities based on social and economic differences and the enhancement of responsible citizenship (NESC 1981). However, Curry (1998) acknowledges that these social policy aims were not successfully achieved or fully realised in an Irish context. Although previous studies of Irish social policy are frequently focused on the general population, some specific studies are based on certain perspectives such as feminist, anti-racist, pro-family, and disability. Even within disability studies, there are occasional references to a Deaf perspective. Furthermore, generally, there is little literature or discussion of social policies that affect Deaf people directly in Ireland. It must be mentioned that general social policies do affect Deaf people in many ways. Still, when it comes to specific policy responses to the perceived needs of Deaf people, practical responses are often influenced by ad hoc or ideologically driven decisions. There is plenty of evidence that ad hoc or ideologically driven decisions were often made to meet the perceived needs of Deaf people. For instance, educational policies for Deaf children were often decided at the local level (Griffey 1994, Crean 1997, Burns 1998). Despite several specific social policy responses made about Deaf people, such policies have not been closely analysed

Interesource Group, 2012

A booklet issued on the Irish part of the European-wide project: Hidden Histories: Intercultural ... more A booklet issued on the Irish part of the European-wide project: Hidden Histories: Intercultural Dialogue and Learning - administered by Community Engagement Unit in the University of Sussex. This booklet accompanies the online website which contains several video-clips in Irish Sign Language and their written English transcripts. http://deaflivesireland.omeka.net/items/show/2353

UCD, 2010

This study aimed to advance academic understanding of what equality of condition (Baker, et al., ... more This study aimed to advance academic understanding of what equality of condition (Baker, et al., 2004) would mean for Deaf people about recognising signed language in both education and access to information in particular. It set out to test the hypothesis that the social model of disability is necessary but not sufficient for realising equality of condition for Deaf people because it does not take sufficient account of the importance of either culture or language to Deaf people. Deaf communities identify the status of their signed languages as the indicators of their social standings; therefore, egalitarian measures must be intertwined with the status of signed languages (Lane et al. 1996, Ladd, 2003, Batterbury et al., 2007, Bauman, 2008, Emery 2009). To achieve its goals, a comparative study of signed language policies and practices in both Finland and Ireland was undertaken, two countries that are seen to be more advanced (Finland) and less advanced (Ireland) in terms of the equality of condition for Deaf people. The goal was to establish if Finland had actually moved towards equality of condition by comparison with Ireland concerning the education and public information access of Deaf people. The research process involved the compilation of a range of data, including the analysis of (a) the general political, social and economic contexts of both countries, (b) the wider legislative contexts affecting languages in both countries, (c) the specific language policy contexts of both countries, (d) short study visits to Finland and similar visits to institutions in Ireland and (e) interview data from 29 people (14 Irish people and 15 Finnish people, of which 3 Irish and 7 of Finnish respondents are Deaf). The study concludes that in terms of language policy on sign languages, at least on paper, Finland appears to be more advanced than Ireland. However, on the ground, the attitudes and responses to the language policy measures were very similar. Underlying assumptions that signed languages are a compensatory tool often influences attitudes and responses. Hence, the signed languages in Finland and Ireland are subjected to economic considerations (availability of resources) and political prioritisation (depending on goodwill) rather than legislative enforcement. As a consequence, those Deaf people who regard signed languages as their first language; do not enjoy the level of equality experienced by the majority of society. This study proposes that a Deafhood framework should be applied to guide the language policy orientation to achieve the equality of condition for the Irish Deaf community. The concept of Deafhood was first termed by Ladd (2003) through its practices and norms are used for decades

PAUL Partnership, Limerick, 2008

This report centres on the review of the Irish Sign Language/English interpreting services provid... more This report centres on the review of the Irish Sign Language/English interpreting services provided in the Mid-West via the ?Signing Information Mid-West? service. This was established under the aegis of Enhancing Disability Services (EDS). The EDS is administered by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and is operated by the PAUL Partnership. The service had employed an Irish Sign Language/English interpreter to undertake assignments in the Mid-West. A part-time development worker was also appointed with the goal of increasing awareness of the Signing Information service. Part of the funding contract includes the requirement to conduct a review of service provision to date. On the completion of the review, a report was given to the committee responsible for implementing the servic

TEANGA, the Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics

There is a strong perception among members of the Irish deaf community that the community is in g... more There is a strong perception among members of the Irish deaf community that the community is in gradual decline, with dwindling traditional bases for producing Irish Sign Language (ISL) users. For instance, enrolments in residential schools for the deaf have been declining steadily, and the numbers involved in social, sports and cultural activities in the community have been falling. Technological advances, consolidation of educational policies for deaf children in mainstream education, and individualisation and increased social mobility have also had an impact on how this community operates. However, there is paltry research on how such changes have affected deaf community cohesion, especially in the Irish context. Therefore, this ongoing research entitled Sense of Community – the Irish Deaf Community, seeks to explore the notion and strength of community belonging amongst the deaf community in Ireland. This project report presents the results of one element of this research, i.e. ...

Irish Journal of Sociology, 2022

This article seeks to explore the notion and strength of community belonging amongst the deaf com... more This article seeks to explore the notion and strength of community belonging amongst the deaf community in Ireland. The article outlines the results from the online and anonymous survey that took place in June 2020. Three hundred ninety-nine responses were made, and 270 out of them are fully completed and analysed before a commentary is made. Concepts such as the “community” and “deaf community” are briefly theorised to see if they are compatible with the community beliefs held by the respondents. Key issues that are perceived to unite or divide the deaf community include solidarity, cultural affinity, sense of belonging, lack of trustworthiness, feelings of exclusion and dissent regarding leadership. The theoretical concept of ‘sense of community’ adapted is that proposed by McMillian and Chavis (1986), who define it as “a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through th...

Journal of Clinical Speech and Language Studies, 2011

Background: Deaf individuals are often subject to legislation expressing deafness in medical or d... more Background: Deaf individuals are often subject to legislation expressing deafness in medical or disability terms, which neglects sociolinguistic domains. Objective: To evaluate Irish legislation relevant to Deaf individuals and the recognition of Irish Sign Language (ISL), in light of international human rights obligations. Method: The Equal Status Act (2000), The Equality Act (2004), The Disability Act (2005), The Education Act (1998), and The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN 2004) were evaluated in the light of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990), and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, 2008), with particular reference to sociolinguistic issues affecting Deaf communities in Ireland. Results and conclusion: The sociolinguistic rights of Irish Deaf communities are not explicitly safeguarded within current Irish law because lawgi...

Trinity College Dublin Centre for Deaf Studies, 2020

Deaf people are more likely to be unemployed than their hearing peers (REFS). They depend on the ... more Deaf people are more likely to be unemployed than their hearing peers (REFS). They depend on the social welfare income more than their hearing counterparts (REFS). The present review of the most recent literature has reported that Deaf and hard of hearing people continue to face significant barriers in their working lives. This report presents the results of an international literature review of the situation of people who are deaf and hard of hearing relative to their employment status. We tease out implications from the available data with regard to what this means for deaf sign language users in the labour market in Europe, and particularly, in the countries engaging in the DESIGNS project. We note at the outset that across this report, we frequently include reference to both deaf and hard of hearing people, rather than simply those deaf people who are sign language users (our target group). This is because, where figures relating to deaf peoples' employment are available, they tend to be conflated with data for those with a 'hearing disability' (i.e. without a breakdown of data to indicate whether someone is a sign language user or not, but rather, with reference made only to hearing status), for example, Irish census figures (CSO 2011). Sometimes deaf sign language users are included in a broader grouping of 'visual and sensory disability' (e.g. REFS). Where possible, however, we extrapolate data relevant to sign language using deaf people. Because of this tendency to conflate categories, what we can say is that there is surprisingly little empirical data that relates to the position of sign language users and employment, be that job seekers, graduate-entry employment, those in employment, underemployment issues, or unemployment levels, or re-entry to the job market. There are also questions relating to the intersection between, for example, age, gender, race, disability, and religion, that need to be considered, but which are absent from most of the published data. Given this, we concur with Houston et al. (2010:9) who note that 'Researchers have been unable to draw conclusions about labour market conditions for people how are deaf or hard of hearing because surveys of individuals with disabilities do not sufficiently sample these groups.' Despite these challenges, we hope that this study will be useful in presenting a collated analysis of the available data, and in presenting the gaps that remain to be explored. We have focused our review on national and international literature and data published from 2000 onwards. We provide an outline of both qualitative and quantitative findings on employment outcomes for Deaf people, workplace barriers described, and accommodations required by law within working environments. We carried out library based research and we also engaged with governmental organisations such as INTREO (A recently established service provided by the Irish Department of Social Protection 1); governmental census bodies, where applicable (e.g. the Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO) 2); Deaf-led organisations (e.g. Fevlado 3); as well as interpreting agencies. We begin by providing a country-by-country overview, before turning to present an analysis of the key themes emerging.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 2013

ABSTRACT

The Palgrave Handbook of Minority Languages and Communities, 2018

The twenty-first century has brought a unique dynamic for Sign Language Communities (SLCs) as the... more The twenty-first century has brought a unique dynamic for Sign Language Communities (SLCs) as they respond to threats and opportunities resulting from changes in both their external and internal environments. This chapter discusses those changes, as well as policy and planning aimed at sign languages, and explains how linguistic rights of deaf signers heavily depend on interpreting services and why this is problematic. The current ideological climate means that linguistic human rights, educational linguistic rights, self-determination, and the right to physical integrity are paramount on SLCs’ agenda. While some aspects that affect SLCs are similar to other linguistic minorities, some are quite different and result from the fact that SLCs are also seen as people with disabilities. Particularly SLCs’ long history of dealing with attempts at medical normalisation and the current genetic discourse (and in some countries also practice) that questions their right to exist raise concerns ...

Language policy, Jul 6, 2024

TCD, 2001

Interesource Group, 2012

UCD, 2010

PAUL Partnership, Limerick, 2008

TEANGA, the Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics

Irish Journal of Sociology, 2022

Journal of Clinical Speech and Language Studies, 2011

Trinity College Dublin Centre for Deaf Studies, 2020

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 2013

ABSTRACT

The Palgrave Handbook of Minority Languages and Communities, 2018

Irish Sign Language (ISL), the first language of Ireland’s Deaf community, has been a source of f... more Irish Sign Language (ISL), the first language of Ireland’s Deaf community, has been a source of fascination for decades. Yet the topic of the language’s origins has been only occasionally given any proper scrutiny, and has not been a topic for a critical dialogue. The subject has been left uncritically examined for so long due to a strong Deaf ‘folk belief’ that ISL owes its existence primarily to the establishment of schools for the Deaf in the early and mid-nineteenth century. This belief is not just confined to people who regard themselves as members of the Irish Deaf community; similar beliefs can be found in several other domains,
including within the ranks of Deaf Studies and other academics. Nonetheless, there have been some past attempts to posit that the origins of ISL lie prior to the establishment of the schools. This phenomena is not necessarily unique to Ireland; such beliefs persist in many countries including the United States and France.

We feel it is important to have a serious dialogue and a critical examination of the origins of ISL. To this end, we utilise a number of sources that provide significant prima facie evidence that the existence of signed languages in Ireland predated the establishment of Irish Deaf schools. We attempt to validate previous attempts to raise this point by presenting a range of such evidence, and to acknowledge the presence of Deaf signing groups that existed prior to or outside the establishment of schools. We hope that this paper will reignite discussion of this subject and bring such critical exploration to the next level.

Presented at 'Forward thinking in Applied Linguistics, Irish Association for Applied Linguistics 40th Anniversary Conference', Trinity College Dublin, 21 November 2015

Teanga: the Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Lingistics, 2020