Our recent discussion about the seemingly other world that seems to be characteristic of the experience of people who are deaf brought me to the attention of this article. The article discussed how deaf voters could effectively be disenfranchised due to the lack of services provided to them with regards to current political matters. This is something I never really considered before when it came to language, but it is an important issue. I wonder why it hasn't really been emphasized as much as speakers of other languages than English. Could it be due to the confusion over whether sign language is actually a foreign language or not? Or perhaps people don't realize how those who are deaf are affected because they are not aware of what is going on in the "deaf world." Nonetheless, it is still an important consideration for all politicians to have.

It makes me wonder how the deaf population has traditionally participated in politics. I feel that it is a considerable population that would need specific services and resources and thus if its voice is not heard then there can be consequences. The fact that deaf people may consider themselves "invisible" to politicians is disheartening. Deaf voters not only have perspectives that come from just being citizens of their countries, but also may have perspectives that come from having such a different experience. I have always considered how people may be disenfranchised due to being of a certain minority or socioeconomic status, but never how they can be disenfranchised due to being deaf. It is an interesting topic to think about and there is a much needed dialogue with regards to addressing this issue amongst both politicians and those who participate in politics.