Dear fellow D/deafies,
I have something to say. I feel we need to support each other more before expecting hearing people or other disabled people to do the same.
There’s been a few times in my life that I thought D/deaf people weren’t very open to my situation. I was a young deaf person without a strong deaf identity.
This made me feel even more lost until I learnt British Sign Language in London and found others like me. However, at one point in my life both D/deaf and hearing people said that I either wasn’t deaf or was not deaf enough.
This was because I am able to use a telephone or mobile phone to speak to others without specialist equipment to some degree (before getting tired from not being able to lip read the speaker).
Or often because I speak like a hearing person and people forget I may not always respond correctly in noisy environments, echoey places and open spaces. The same applies to quiet voices and whispers too. I cannot always pick them up with my hearing aids.
It hurt. It really hurt when people on both sides of the spectrum questioned my deafness.
We D/deafies also have different views on hearing instruments such as hearing aids and cochlear implants.
We seem to have a big divide in the community on what’s right for the vast majority of D/deaf people – not realising everyone’s deafness is unique to themselves.
We also seem to debate whether learning how ones deafness came about is important or not – genetic testing. I myself have been tested as I was curious if what I’ve been told all my life was true. It turns out my deafness wasn’t caused by the MMR jab when I was a baby, but by a gene.
We also, quite rightly so, fight for sign language to be taught in schools and to be recognised as a language too. We should remember that not every deaf person has access to sign language as the area they live in may not have native sign language speakers. This was my situation when I grew up, until I moved to larger cities.
We could encourage both deaf and hearing people to learn in a relaxed manner so that people don’t feel forced to learn. When you feel forced you are less likely to do something.
Working with disabled teenagers made me realise I’ve had little contact with other disabilities before working with them and little awareness of the barriers they will face to get equal rights.
I could go on and on but I think you get the gist. I feel we as a D/deaf community need to welcome all kinds of deafness and experiences and not disregard someone because we don’t or can’t relate to them.
Kind regards,
Lianne
Lianne Herbert is a deaf professional writer who can be followed on Twitter here. Lianne is also on a Copywriting course to enhance her freelance prospects. She is currently involved with the West Yorkshire Playhouse on a Playwright course.
deafgirlstigma
September 29, 2017
Can totally related to this article!! Thank you for sharing!!
MW
September 29, 2017
Well written – I am in empathy your situation as I was in my early years being rejected because I wasn’t BSL enough.
I think there is better awareness diversity on deafness, and to each, having their own copying strategy, but in a confused state, by our hearing peers due to lack of good quality “deaf awareness” in which I hate – because of the politic embedded and scrutiny lacks – it is not a qualified profession and it should be.
My biggest worry is the education and research doing work on the blinkered perception BSL matters more than deafness and the social impact our wellbeing as individuals. Whilst appreciating the daily fight for BSL to be recognised in which I also campaign alongside – but disgusted with all political parties for not coming on board to give this support – as they do for say Welsh Language my mothers tongue and I don’t use it. I am glad you could explain this so well and having the education to do it – not many d/Deaf have this skill when education fails them because good access was not in place.
Joy
September 30, 2017
Lianne, your point is well made. As someone with progressive hearing loss from early middle age, it is always a joy to be in the company of people who understand/appreciate the complexities of hearing loss, whatever it’s degree. Like you I have suffered the indignity of having my hearing loss questioned, even disbelieved. Initially it hurt me immensely…..nowadays I see it as pure ignorance on their part and shrug my shoulders. I too was ignorant of the needs of those with hearing loss back in the days when I was fully hearing so who am I to complain when others display that exact same ignorance? Such is life. I educate those I come into contact with who are receptive to learning and ignore the rest. Many adult HOH folk don’t progress to learning BSL, for which no financial assistance is available, and so remain separate from the BSL community, despite sharing the same sensory lost, albeit to differing degrees. And that is the crux of the problem I think…..variable degrees of hearing loss lead to varying levels of communication ability, and even that level fluctuates during the day for any given person. It is the latter that I have found flummoxes hearing folk…..if you heard me then why can’t you this time? Critical judgements too often abound rather than understanding and compassion. One day…..