2000s
Here is a list of Singapore newspaper articles from 2000 to 2009 that have been coded and analysed.
Newspaper Articles
Yap, A. (2000, June 28). It is rude to call these people deaf and dumb. The New Paper, p. 10. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper20000628-1.2.23
Themes
Codes
Ableism and audism
Linguicism
Discrimination and stigma
Challenging stereotypes
deaf identity and self-determination
media responsibility
medical model
social model
Thematic Analysis
The letter, written by a deaf person, strongly challenges ableist and audist language. Its central theme is that calling people “deaf and dumb” or “deaf and mute” is inaccurate, disrespectful, and reinforces prejudice and discrimination.
Themes:
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Ableism and audism: It criticises hearing-centred assumptions that deafness means a person is deficient, incapable, or less intelligent.
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Linguicism: It defends sign language and writing as valid forms of communication, rather than treating spoken speech as the only legitimate language which is often assumed by hearing people who have audist attitudes.
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Discrimination and stigma: The writer explicitly connects the label “dumb” with misunderstandings, prejudice, and discrimination, especially because “dumb”although it is associated with the inability to speak in this context commonly also means “stupid.”
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Challenging stereotypes: It rejects two stereotypes: (1) that deaf people cannot speak, and (2) that deafness is associated with low intelligence.
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Deaf identity and self-determination: The letter emphasises that Deaf people should be named as they name themselves: “deaf.” This centres community preference and dignity.
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Media responsibility: It asks journalists to use accurate terminology, recognising that newspaper language shapes public attitudes.
Partially reflects a medical model or deficit framing when it explains speech difficulty through inability to hear and refers to vocal cords.
But its overall argument aligns more with the social model because the actual problem is not deafness itself, but society’s false assumptions, attitudes insulting labels, and discriminatory responses which are harmful.
It also gestures toward a deaf cultural/linguistic perspective by validating sign language and deaf people’s authority over their own identity.
The deaf writer has provided a counternarrative and challenged stereotypes by writing the letter himself because it shows his level of intelligence and that he has the ability to write.
‘Please don’t shun her.’ (2000, October 14). The New Paper, p. 11. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper20001014-1.2.14.2
Themes
Codes
Audism and ableism
Problematic language and representation seeped in ableist and audist attitudes
Othering
Medical model
Social model
Inclusion
Parental advocacy and unequal access
Thematic Analysis
The article reflects several overlapping themes:
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Audism and ableism - Erika is excluded specifically because she is deaf. Assumptions that deaf students would burden teachers or disrupt other children’s learning treat hearing ability as the expected norm. Audism and ableism are forms of discrimination. She is denied access to language and computer classes despite her ability to learn. The concern attributed to “other parents” shows prejudice in society, and not an inability on Erika’s part.
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Problematic language and representation seeped in ableist/audist attitudes - Phrases such as “normal children,” are seeped in audist/ableist attitudes. These words are outdated for the 2000 period and can reinforce the idea that deaf people are abnormal or deficient. It is a form of “othering” and shows the binary distinction between deaf and hearing people. The article is sympathetic, but it partly relies on an individual “she’s no different from anyone else” narrative rather than fully affirming deaf identity and sign language as a cultural difference.
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Medical model - The British Council manager frames total deafness in terms of what a deaf student supposedly cannot do, such as pronouncing words or making “the right sounds.” This positions deafness and inability to speak like hearing people as an individual limitation to be managed before participation is possible.
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Social model of disability -The computer centre provides an alternative, specifically teachers who know sign language. That shifts the issue from “Erika cannot participate” to “institutions need accessible communication and trained staff.” The school principal similarly rejects the claim that deaf children are inherently less capable.
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Inclusion - Erika’s mum asks that Erika not be “shunned,” but much of the discussion still evaluates her through the standards of the hearing society, especially capability for speech and pronunciation. Inclusion is portrayed as conditional on whether institutions can accommodate her.
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Parental advocacy and unequal access - Her parents must repeatedly fight for ordinary educational opportunities. The comparison with Western countries suggests a critique of Singapore’s disability support and social attitudes at the time which is lagging behind those countries.
Low, C. L. (2004, April 11). Silent achiever. The New Paper, p. 3. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper20040411-1.2.3.3
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Themes
Codes
Supercrip narrative
Medical model
Inspiration porn
social model
audism, stereotyping and discrimination
Thematic Analysis
This article contains multiple overlapping disability narratives.
Supercrip narrative
A supercrip narrative presents a disabled person as exceptional because they succeed despite their disability.
Examples:
“He was born deaf, and his parents thought he would never make it past his O levels. But Mr Benedict Ho proved them wrong.”
“Taxi-driver’s son overcomes handicap to excel.”
“Mr Ho’s disability has not robbed him of his hunger to succeed.”
“He had to fight against the odds most of his life.”
The article repeatedly constructs a storyline:
Deafness → hardship → extraordinary perseverance → academic success
His achievements are not simply reported as achievements; they are framed as remarkable because he is deaf.
This does not mean his accomplishments are unimportant. Rather, the article suggests:
“Look how amazing he is despite being deaf.”
Medical model
The article often treats deafness as a deficit, tragedy, or impairment located within the individual.
Examples:
“A medical checkup confirmed their fears.”
“They were initially devastated.”
“His disability has not robbed him…”
“overcomes handicap”
“Though his speech was slightly slurred…”
The narrative begins with diagnosis, parental grief, rehabilitation, hearing aids, speech development, lip-reading, and adaptation to the hearing world.
The underlying assumption is that deafness is a problem that must be managed, compensated for, or overcome.
That is characteristic of the medical model.
Hints of inspiration porn
Inspiration porn occurs when a disabled person’s life is used primarily to inspire nondisabled audiences.
Several parts point in this direction:
“Not only did he manage to ace the exams, he did it while giving tuition part-time to normal kids.”
Note the contrast:
deaf person teaching “normal kids.”
The implication is:
“Even a deaf person can do this!”
Other examples:
“proved them wrong”
“silent achiever”
“overcomes handicap”
The article invites readers to admire and feel inspired by his determination.
However, I would not classify this as pure inspiration porn because the article also gives substantial space to his own voice, experiences, and ambitions.
Social model
The article occasionally reveals structural barriers rather than individual deficits.
Examples:
“When I looked down to copy the information, I’d miss some of what the teacher said.”
This is not a problem with Benedict’s motivation.
It’s a problem with classroom design.
“I didn’t learn Chinese in the previous school. It’s hard to learn it from lip-reading.”
and
“Some students and parents accused the teachers of giving him good grades because he was deaf.”
These passages expose educational and attitudinal barriers.
The issue is not merely deafness but:
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inaccessible teaching methods,
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lack of accommodations,
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stigma,
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prejudice,
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assumptions about competence.
Audism, stereotyping and discrimination
The article documents audism and discrimination.
Examples:
“Some people treated him differently.”
“They pointed at me.”
“Students and parents accused the teachers of giving him good grades because he was deaf.”
“Students’ parents doubted me and paid me less.”
The article presents these mainly as obstacles Benedict overcame rather than as social injustices requiring systemic change.
The article is primarily a supercrip success story told through a medical model perspective. It portrays deafness as a personal hardship to overcome and frames Benedict Ho’s academic success as extraordinary because he is deaf.
While it does acknowledge discrimination and some accessibility barriers, these issues are largely backgrounded in favor of a narrative of individual perseverance and achievement.
There are several reasons why the word “silent” in the title can be problematic.
First, it can perpetuate the stereotype that deaf people are inherently silent or voiceless. Many deaf people communicate actively through sign languages, speech, writing, texting, video calls, interpreters, and other means. In fact, the article itself notes that Benedict spoke, lip-read, tutored students, wrote for a newsletter, and completed an interview. He was clearly not “silent”.
Second, “silent” often functions as a metaphor for marginalisation. Headlines such as “Silent achiever,” “Silent hero,” or “Silent sufferer” can imply that disabled people exist quietly in the background until their achievements are discovered by the hearing or nondisabled majority. This can subtly position them as passive subjects rather than active participants in society.
Third, there is a long history of linking deafness with silence. Expressions like “the silent world,” “trapped in silence,” or “living in silence” emerge from hearing perspectives and often reflect medical model assumptions about what is missing rather than deaf people’s lived experiences and cultures.
Many deaf scholars and activists have criticised such language because it frames deafness primarily as absence and loss.
The headline could have used many alternatives such as:
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“High-achieving undergraduate excels academically and as a tutor”
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“Deaf undergraduate aces exams while tutoring students”
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“Psychology major overcomes barriers in education”
Instead, the editor chose “Silent achiever”, which foregrounds deafness as a defining characteristic and uses a familiar journalistic trope associated with deaf people.
The word does more than describe. It frames. It invites readers to see Benedict first as “the silent deaf person” and second as a successful student.
That’s different from seeing him first as a student, writer, tutor, and aspiring psychologist who happens to be deaf.
The word “silent” carries traces of audist and medical model perspectives because it defines a deaf person through a perceived lack of hearing and inability to speak instead of his agency, identity, skills, or accomplishments.
Irony - The article is ostensibly about Benedict’s achievements, yet the headline labels him with a term that suggests absence of voice, even though the article repeatedly demonstrates how much he has to say.