Report: Marie Jean Philip's Influence on ASL and Deaf Culture

This report examines the life and contributions of Marie Jean Philip, a pivotal figure in Deaf education and ASL advocacy. Born to deaf parents, Philip attended the American School for the Deaf and later Oberlin College, where she experienced the challenges faced by the Deaf community in a hearing world. She dedicated her career to promoting ASL as a language of instruction and learning, working with organizations like The Learning Center for Deaf Children (TLC) to change educational approaches. Her efforts led to the establishment of a commission for the deaf, and she is remembered through the 'Marie Jean Philip ASL poetry, Storytelling, and Deaf Art competition'. The report highlights her influence on Deaf culture, her fight for recognition of ASL, and her lasting impact on the educational landscape for the deaf.

Running Head: REPORT ON MARIE JEAN PHILIP
Report on Marie Jean Philip
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

1REPORT ON MARIE JEAN PHILIP
Introduction
Marie Jean Philip is considered to be the most influential personality in the world of
the curriculum for deaf for her contribution to make ASL a language of instruction and
learning. Born to deaf parents, she completed her studies from the American School for the
Deaf (ASD), after which she took a brave step, which surprised everyone around her. Though
she was raised with the consciousness of independence embedded in her, she grew in a
surrounding of people using sign language. However, she applied to Oberlin College and
exposed herself to an environment of hearing people who did not even know sign language.
Discussion
Being exposed to an environment where only a few people could use a little
fingerspelling, she learned that they were scared too. It was after this she took upon herself to
bring upon herself to spread awareness while working as a research assistant at Northeastern
University, where her area of research remained ASL and its application. She was a
significant part of TLC (The Learning Center for Deaf Children) and the change in their
approach to recognizing ASL as the formal language used for instruction (Tlcdeaf.org, 2012).
Conclusion
Philip’s conscious effort remained faithful throughout her life, and she worked
alongside advocates to fight for the right to set up a commission for the deaf, which finally
paid off. The government passed the law, and the commission was brought into existence in
the year 1986. Her work was interrupted due to her sudden demise in 1997, where people
from all over the world flew in to attend the memorial showing the impact she left on people
with her work. She is honored and remembered with the help of a storytelling competition
named after her as ‘Marie Jean Philip ASL poetry, Storytelling, and Deaf Art competition’
(Northeastern, 2019).

2REPORT ON MARIE JEAN PHILIP
References
Northeastern. (2019). About the Marie Jean Philip Competition - American Sign Language
Program. Retrieved 12 March 2020, from
https://cssh.northeastern.edu/asl/events/mjp-competition/about/
Tlcdeaf.org. (2012). The Learning Center for the Deaf: Tribute to Marie Jean Philip.
Retrieved 12 March 2020, from https://www.tlcdeaf.org/page.cfm?p=501