Discrimination in the Deaf-world: A Commenter Wants to Know
A friend of mine once told me he doesn’t often read postings themselves. He finds the actual posts “somewhat boring.” While I disagree with him on this, what he said next is true. “Often the real meat is in the comments. That’s where the excitement is.” Anyone who’s hung out on DeafDC for any amount of time certainly knows this (the most recent essays/entries by Shane Feldman are a case in point!). It’s true for a number of blogs.
Here, I get a mixed bag; sometimes I get a number of comments, and some interesting ones. Other times no one says a word. I’m not sure why that is, but perhaps I’m not controversial enough (and no, I don’t plan to aim to acquire the title of “most controversial blogger” in the Deaf Blogosphere anytime soon, thank you. There’s a few folks out there already that certainly (over)qualify for the title, methinks).
Most of the time I either let comments stand (the commenter has said what I would say, or there’s nothing I can really add to it), or respond within the comments section. However, I recently received a comment that I think merits its own post.
On my post about the “Blogger’s” conference focusing on Gallaudet that I attended back in February, Terry Charest stated the following:
Hi,
I am a teacher for special education students and in a master’s program. I am writing a paper on discrimination. My focus is on discrimination between hard of hearing and ASL users. I am also concentrating on hearing people who use ASL, and discriminate against people who are Deaf and do not sign. I know this subject is very sensitive to all parties. I have been in contact with a professor who is Deaf and is considered “not deaf enough” because he wears hearing aides and voices instead of using ASL. If this subject offends you, I appologize. If you could suggest a site, or offer an experience I would appreciate your input.
Respectfully,
Terry
While I’m not sure I’m responding in time for Terry’s own work, I certainly think this is a topic a lot of people might be interested in, or have an opinion on. So I’d like to open the floor to you, my readers, and ask if you know of a website or webpage on discrimination between hard-of-hearing and ASL users, or hearing ASL users who discriminate against deaf people who don’t sign (not common, I think, but it certainly happens, I’m sure), to share it.
If you have a personal experience, feel free to share it here too. I haven’t seen any discrimination per se from hearing ASL users towards non-signing deaf people, but I know I’ve witnessed incidents between the hard-of-hearing and ASL users. Nothing’s coming to mind immediately, but eventually a memory will pop up. When it does, I’ll be sure to share.
This discussion could turn out to be a whirlwind, or perhaps no one will really say anything. But at the very least, we’d be able to help Terry Charest out, and perhaps learn something about ourselves and our community. We might also learn something about ourselves, and in the process, heal or at least confront our biases and their origins.
[I know these types of comments with web links often end up in the spam folder, so I’ll be sure to keep an eye out; if you comment and it doesn’t immediately appear, don’t fret! I’ll make sure it shows up.]
[Also, a belated “Happy Anniversary” to DeafRead! The site’s been online for a year now, as of yesterday. Congratulations and thanks for all the hard work all of you do!]
Deafread isnt being inclusive!
Check our blog and vlog on “We Can Adapt Ourselves” - Our 2007 Deaf Awareness Education Booth Theme
http://www.deafadvocacy.org/blog/2007/07/we-can-adapt-ourselves-our-2007-deaf.html#links
Aw, delete the above comment. It’s comment spam and Roehm is famous for that. You can delete this one too.
*laugh* Just like everyone else, Roehm is free to say what he wants. Certainly hasn’t violated my house rules yet…
I do think it’s a sad commentary that a serious question that could spark an interesting discussion has yielded only Richard Roehm. Still, I did post on the weekend. Maybe someone will say something when Monday morning rolls around bright and early.
This is a wonderful topic, one deserving further discussion. I hope you’re right and that more people comment on Monday.
I haven’t experienced nor witnessed hearing discrimination against deaf nonsigners myself and that’s an interesting twist. I’m wondering where that idea came from and if it’s something prevalent where Terry Charest is from. There must be a story behind that choice of focus, y’know? Intriguing.
I think the hard-of-hearing and ASL users thing is sort of overblown in many people’s minds. I think some people in both camps are hyper-sensitive and ready to scream “discrimination!” at the slightest perceived offense. Yes, there are jerks in every population, but there are more nice people than rotten apples in every group. That’s just my two cents.
I think what needs to be clarified before people can respond is what you mean or the student doing the research means by “discrimination.” It’s a loaded word. I can see numerous posts on DeafRead over time where Deaf ASL users seem to be rejecting of hard of hearing or deaf non ASL users (those who use oral methods, Cued Speech or CI’s etc.).
I believe there might be some deaf or hard of hearing non ASL users who might experience a kind of reverse oppression from certain Deaf people if they don’t meet their expectations of what Deaf people should be, or how they should communicate. It’s something I have questioned at times.
I don’t know of a website that discusses this, but I can see hints of it sprinkled throughout commentaries on blogs in the deaf community.
In my humble opinion, what matters is not the method of communication we use, but rather HOW we communicate to our fellow human being.
~ LaRonda
LaRonda, I agree that it doesn’t matter what method of communication we use. However, I think it’s unnecessary to scapegoat “Deaf” people as being discriminatory. I’ve been discriminated against by oral deaf people because I prefer to sign. It’s a two-way street, and I *don’t* assume that all oral deafies discriminate, because I know many that don’t. One of the problems this community faces is how people repeatedly accuse “Deaf” people of practicing elitism. Please don’t be part of the problem - be part of the solution by discussing discrimination in more general terms and giving more balanced examples, while recognizing that many people in both groups *don’t* do that.
Thanks.
One example I have seen is places that will offer sign language interpreters for communication access, but won’t offer CART services. The attitude seems to be that if you don’t use a sign language interpreter, then you don’t need any communication assistance - you should be able to do “just fine” on your own.
Of course, we all know that’s not necessarily true. While there may indeed be individuals out there who can do fine on their own just using their hearing aids, lipreading, etc. there are many who do need services other than sign language interpreters, whether that be CART or Assistive Listening Devices or oral interpreters or whatever.
I did personally witness a deaf non-signer going up to the interpreter coordinator at a conference I attended and asking if there was anyone available who could provide oral interpreting, as he was having some difficulty being able to lipread the presenter (having seen the presenter myself, I did notice he had a rather large mustache!) The interpreter coordinator just looked at him in disdain and said “sorry, I only coordinate sign language interpreters for those using ASL.”
I was furious! As a person who grew up oral and didn’t learn ASL until later in life, I could feel for this guy and his needs. I stepped up and said “hey, I think this gentleman has the right to have the same equal access as I do…surely we can find someone in the interpreter group who would be willing to oral interpret as needed!” The interpreter coordinator just cringed under my strong stare and stammered “I’ll see what I can do….”
Well, to make a long story short, I switched my own scheduled interpreter (who did have experience with oral interpreting) for another interpreter, and things worked out.
But yes, I have seen it happen, and it’s truly unfortunate.
Jenny, I agree– there’s probably a story behind that. I have yet to hear from Terry Charest again, but I’m hoping s/he comes back, if only to respond to you, LaRonda, and Ocean.
I think there’s discrimination, but not so much based on audiological profiles; I think some people do draw lines based on ASL usage. I’ve seen plenty of hard-of-hearing people accepted, but they tend to be ASL users. So in that sense, I do agree with LaRonda.
>I think what needs to be clarified before people can >respond is what you mean or the student doing the >research means by “discrimination.â€
You’re correct– neither of us really specified that. Since Charest is the one who initially broached the subject, I think it’s in Charest’s interest to clarify.
Back to Jenny again… I don’t think LaRonda is “scapegoating†anyone. I too have seen a select few who take umbrage at anyone who doesn’t wholeheartedly embrace ASL, just as I’ve seen some who know ASL, have attended Gallaudet, etc. take potshots at others (you and I can think of at least *two* frequent comments on DeafDC who do this, hmmm?). As you pointed out, it’s a “two-way street†and there are a few bad apples in every barrel. Unfortunately, some of these people happen to be rather vocal, and a few of them attract far more attention and support than they really should.
Ocean, thanks for chiming in– your story is exactly the kind of example I was hoping someone would offer (and that I suspect Charest is looking for). I too have heard of the choice of interpreting OR CART offered, NOT both. Sometimes it has to do with limited resources, but other times, it’s due to a lack of imagination, bias, misunderstandings, and perhaps even discrimination. That was great what you did– allowed the situation to be flexible, as it should’ve been in the first place. Hopefully your act of selflessness in that situation will come back to you in good ways.
Hi everyone,
Thank-you so much for your responses. In the late 90’s I was hired as an aide/teacher/interpreter for a 6 year old student who was profoundly deaf. She did not have a language at the time. I did not know what I was getting myself into. It was the journey for both of us because I didn’t know anything about Deaf culture or sign language. We lived in a very rural area. I tried very hard to learn ASL, and signed English. To this day I will never admit that I know either one very well. I know that I will be under scrutiny from all sides. As a special education teacher of children with severe disabilites, what little I do know has come in very handy. A few of my students can now communicate, and their behaviors have decreased.
To respond to the discrimination part of my paper is to discuss part of my journey as an outsider looking into Deaf culture. The response given by Ocean was exactly the experience I encountered. I went to a meeting consisting of a group of board memebers (hearing) with an interpreter to interpret questions, or input from the audience to the board of directors. In the front row was a woman working for a school for the Deaf. She was profoundly deaf, did not sign, but she could read lips and speak with clarity. People, who did not know her, would have thought she was a little “hard of hearing” because she wore a hearing aide. She asked the board if they could please voice because she could read lips, and did not sign. The president of the board signed, no, because it was written in the rules they were required to sign. The audience, including me, was appalled to think they would not bend the rules for the only perosn in the room who was deaf. At break time I asked the interpreter why they could not bend the rules. The interpreter explained that people needed to know how the deaf feel. We needed to know the struggle and pain of people who were deaf. I explained to her that she was discriminating against the only deaf person in the room. They would not bend, and several of us walked out of the meeting.
One of my professors, Owen Logue, submitted an article in Audiology Today, Jan 2005, about “Not Deaf Enough”. Reading about his experience sparked my paper on Deaf Culture:An Outsider Looking In.
Yes, I suppose everyone is sick and tired of talking about this subject, but I really appreciate the time and effort of everyone responding.
Respectfully,
Terry Charest
About Roehm… may I suggest that you add to your House Rules, then? Comment spam shouldn’t be allowed on any blog. It only encourages people to stray from the topic. Roehm’s comment was not connected to your post, except that they are both about deafness.
Terry Charest, thanks for returning and adding a bit more to the dialogue. It’s still not clear what you are trying to find exactly, or what you hope to prove in your research. But thanks again.
Cali, hmm… I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I want as few rules as possible. Freedom of speech and all that. On the other hand, what Roehm did was irresponsible. I too was not pleased with the attempt to hijack the discussion and use my blog as a platform for himself.
Personally, I ignore Roehm (here and everywhere– he posted the exact same “comment” over at MishkaZena’s blog, and she too left it alone and ignored him), and encourage my readers to do so. But at the same time, perhaps I’ll need to monitor the comments a bit more closely and nip these kinds of things in the bud. If it does become a problem in the future, I may take your suggestion and use it.
Thanks, Cali, for caring enough about this blog to comment on the problem.
Much appreciated!