'In full voice', Evening Post, January 2002

This fascinating book provides insights into a community about which most people are unaware. This is the world of Deaf culture, of Deaf as an identity, not a disability or deficit – Deaf with a capital D.

Rachel McKee is a hearing New Zealander with a PhD in Applied Linguistics, who has worked as an interpreter in both New Zealand and American sign languages. She is married to a Deaf American and they teach hearing and Deaf students.

She has collected Deaf life stories from 17 New Zealanders. These first person narratives are arranged chronologically with the oldest born in 1913 and the youngest in 1979. An introductory chapter discusses themes, including the visual nature of the Deaf (hence the ‘people of the eye’) and differences between those born into families with other Deaf as opposed to those alone in a hearing family. The latter often have no strong first language with which to express themselves.

A common, distressing theme is the lack of access to appropriate education. New Zealand educationalists from the dominant hearing culture insisted, until recently on ‘oralism’, which is lip-reading and speech. However, the most natural way of communicating is the indigenous New Zealand Sign Language.

Unfortunately, for many years children were punished for signing. Schools were usually residential and children entered at an early age, often unaware what was happening. Others report poor experiences of unsupported mainstreaming, or neglect in units attached to regular schools. Teaching of Deaf by Deaf was discouraged until the 1990s. Similarities between Deaf and Maori education are noted.

Yet some of the younger people featured have tackled tertiary education and report changing attitudes. Access to essential aides such as notetakers and interpreters can make a vital difference to achievement, and technology such as e-mail and faxes have also improved participation.

Other personal stories describe misunderstandings between Deaf and the police, abuse, and depression and anger caused by isolation, negative stereotyping and lack of cultural identity.

Bruce Connew’s photographs show Deaf participating in education, sport and leisure. Several archival photos are also included such as those of educationalist Gerrit van Asch, who pioneered oralism but must have been very difficult for his pupils to understand with his heavy beard and strong accent. While this volume has no index there are useful references, a glossary and a bibliography.

Hopefully, this powerfully gentle book will reach a wide audience.

Nelson Mail, February 2002

I hesitated about reviewing this book – mostly because I am hearing impaired, or hard of hearing, and I knew it could colour my review. However I am glad I have.

It was one of the best books I have read for some time. An insight into world of the Deaf (spelt with a capital D!), it is a collection of stories, first told in New Zealand Sign Language. For many of the young and old featured in this book it hasn’t been an easy path in life. For example – suddenly finding yourself at a strange place – that is a school for the Deaf – because your parents couldn’t communicate with you as to where and why you are going has to be a very traumatic experience. Coping with the time when signing was discouraged – you are going to learn to lip-read and talk! Today it is realised that signing, for the Deaf, is talking.

My first real contact with the Deaf Community was at combined conferences for the organisations that dealt with the Deaf and Hearing Impaired people in New Zealand. Here I became aware that they didn’t see hearing impaired people being Deaf – deaf maybe, but not Deaf – this comes out in this book from time to time.

To my surprise, this didn’t detract from my view of the book. It has been well put together by Rachel McKee, a trained New Zealand Sign Language and American Sign Language interpreter.

It also draws the attention of the reader to some of the issues that face the Deaf and those associated with the Deaf. Such as Deaf parents with Deaf children – should the child have a cochlea implant, for instance, so that it can enter into the hearing world, or is the child denied the implant because he is a child of the Deaf culture? Not an easy one, also, from the point of hearing parents with Deaf children, as they would see it right that their child enter the world of the hearing.

People of the Eye is well illustrated with photos supplied, or taken by photojournalist Bruce Connew. He has captured the way ‘people of the eye’ talk – with signing, expression and body language in his strong black and white photographs.

This book will shock and surprise you; it will assist you to understand a growing sub-culture in our community – the people of the eye, the Deaf community.