Yader Martinez]]> Justin Jackerson]]>
The idea for Deaf Education Pinball first occurred to Johnston when he imagined a Deaf child as a pinball ricocheting off the confusing options the educational system posed for Deaf children. The artist captures the essence of the experience in this imaginary pinball game that labels the complexities faced by Deaf children and their parents. The largest is English, flanked by VR (Vocational Rehabilitation) and SSI (Supplemental Security Income) which channel children down a cochlea-shaped spiral that removes them from the game. Only if Deaf children successfully navigate to the bottom are they offered services promised by the ADA—the Americans with Disabilities Act—the legislation that ensures accommodations commensurate with a child’s educational needs, such as an education in ASL, positioned at the very bottom right of the game.]]>