The title is exactly how it sounds. Generally Deaf people will share with other Deaf people what we experience and the struggles of discrimination and audism in our society. In fact many can go unsaid because all over the world we Deaf all experience these same struggles. We tend to not share with the hearing community or if we do it will be a light share for caution to prevent an outrage from the hearing person/organization or to prevent them from dropping us altogether in terms of business, especially media and interviews. Now you say we should share and that you want to know--however the issue here is that there is too many reactions from the hearing community. Often times it will be easier to just put up with feeling left out or outcasted because we do not want to feel like a burden on anyone and we especially don't want to hear this thrown in our face. "But I paid for your interpreters-- they're expensive!" "Why didn't you remind us?" or "Please let us know in advance"... Do you know how many times Deaf people do not go to events, interviews or auditions because they either just found out about it and worry that it may be too late to request an interpreter? This is a huge loss of opportunity in so many cases for Deaf people and a big disadvantage. We become so used to this we prefer to stay in our own world-- The Deaf World. It is an amazing world, a beautiful culture yet we all run into the same barriers at some point of the hearing world smacked in our faces.
I must stress------This is by no means a complaint...this is expressing facts of what really happens in our world and what we face everyday. It truly feels like walking on eggshells, treading carefully kindly requesting that our needs and accessibility be met. Sometimes it has to be done more strongly with a bang to be really heard and then eggshells crack and break and it can either go in two directions. 1) The hearing individuals/organizations will actually accommodate us or 2) they will block and drop us. What really gets me is how hearing people will be so QUICK to forget you are Deaf and assume you don't need accommodations just because it seems like the Deaf people is understanding everything. Let me tell you something -- this is very frustrating for us. YET we continue to patiently remind
Every hearing organization, every day we have to educate and explain patiently and carefully. It gets exhausting to explain the same thing over and over again. worry about th. This causes natural anxiety. Even at the airport, I was just telling my friend recently-- I always have to be on the lookout of what's happening and be prepared for anything. An emergency could happen and no one to let me know because they are panicking, the flight could leave early or be late and I don't know because I can't hear the PA System, there could be problems with the plane and they give warning and caution but I still don't know because no one thinks to inform me.
No comments:
Post a Comment