DIPLOMARBEIT

Abstract
This thesis uses discourse analysis to investigate the contribution made by the canon of
literature on special needs education to the acceptance of Deaf people as a linguistic and
cultural minority. The theoretical part of the paper shows that from the perspective of Deaf
people loss of hearing is not primarily understood as a handicap but as the origin of the
genesis of their own culture, the defining element of which is sign language. Utilising
literature mainly of Deaf authors, the paper outlines their counter discourse that criticises
the dominant specialist discourse for its overly medical, deficit oriented representation of
Deaf people and describes the mechanisms of oppression resulting from this perspective.
Building on the critical discourse analysis of Siegfried Jäger, the thesis analyses current
literature on special needs education regarding the reception of the identity of Deaf people
described above. The main focus lies on the differences between the identity of Deaf
people and the articles analysed. The paper then takes issue with the representation of Deaf
people and suggests possible reasons for the discrepancies between the reality of Deaf
people and the reality constructed in Literature on special needs education. Furthermore
the paper questions the basic discursive events that gave rise to these discrepancies.
An important finding is that the dominant discourse about Deaf people in the literature on
special needs education still belongs to the deficit oriented discourse criticised by Deaf
people, even if clear evidence for the integration of counter discursive elements is
beginning to show.
Finally, based on the results of this investigation and currently observable developments,
the paper estimates the potential for future change regarding the representation of Deaf
people within the discipline of special needs education.
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