Final answer:
The Deaf President Now (DPN) movement led to increased Deaf pride, acceptance of Deaf culture, and a shift towards pluralistic values which better incorporate and appreciate cultural diversity, including within Deaf communities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The influences and societal changes from the Deaf President Now (DPN) movement include a heightened sense of Deaf pride, an increased acceptance of Deaf culture, and to some extent, a resurgence of cultural assimilation pressures. DPN, which marked a significant moment in Deaf history, led to a greater awareness and recognition of American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf culture as rich and full rather than lacking. This cultural shift can be understood within the context of broader societal movements that promote the acceptance of diverse cultures and discourage the idea that minorities should assimilate by abandoning their own traditions to fit into the mainstream.
Deaf individuals often attend schools that support their linguistic needs with ASL and expose students to Deaf culture, reinforcing values that prefer sign language over verbal communication, such as reading lips or cochlear implants. However, parents face complex decisions about their deaf child's education, potentially influenced by whether they are hearing or Deaf themselves. The decisions they make reflect broader notions about the importance of maintaining one's own cultural identity, which parallels shifts seen in other minority communities, such as Native Americans, who seek to reclaim their heritage and languages after periods of enforced assimilation.
In essence, after DPN, there was a move toward embracing a pluralistic society that values the unique contributions of all cultures, including Deaf culture. The impact of DPN was substantive in determining societal attitudes towards Deaf culture, moving away from a strictly oralism approach which emphasizes teaching deaf children to speak and read lips, and instead valuing the Deaf cultural experiences and linguistic traditions.