* There is now reognition that Deaf community members have their own culture and language (American Sign Languange)
* American Sign Language is not a language that is based upon spoken English; it is a distinct language and can convey even the most complex of thoughts.
* It is indeed a challenge for Deaf individuals to become fully bilingual in ASL and English because their own hearing parents probably could not sign ASL and, due to their hearing loss, spoken English is extremely difficult to learn.
* Deaf people face communication challenges everyday as they interact with hearing people, but most have become proficient at employing different strategies to addressess these challenges.