A new language minority has come to the fore in America and around the world. It is the tight-knit society – some million strong in the United States – that calls itself, in American Sign Language, the DEAF-WORLD.

In this comprehensive and engrossing study, three distinguished scholars of Deaf culture— one hearing, one deaf, and one coda (child of deaf adults)— offer clear, penetrating insights into the existence and makeup of the Deaf-World, the community whose natural language— American Sign Language in the United States— is manual and visual. Bringing the latest social and cultural findings and theories into sharp focus, the authors take us on a fascinating journey to discover:

What Deaf culture is; The benefits of signed language and Deaf culture for Deaf children and hearing people; How Deaf children are now educated and how they could be; How Deaf people integrate into the larger society; The nature of American Sign Language; How technology helps - and hurts - Deaf people; What can be learned from Deaf societies in other lands; The future of the Deaf-World

Exceptionally readable, this landmark volume is vital for professionals working in fields involving Deaf people and for those with an interest in Deaf Studies.