CHAPTER 110

CHAPTER 110

despise
other deaf especially those
people,
and the social sciences. (...) shun
and
Deaf Studies (See chapter)
next apter.)
who a
culturally-Deaf identity.
nbrace
CIevangelists,
Clevangelists,andth
and thosewho reject
who
oralists,
Audism is a schema of audiocentric assumptions anddaattitudes nghardcore
used to rationalize differential stratifica
of the Deaf community, if
Amongha the n
the notion and value
d e n i g r a t e

broached
is dismissed as nonexistent.
at all, audism
and hegemonic privilege. Humphries mentions thatpremacy, and
and deng
aDDears when deaf and hearing people have no trust in udism topici elephant in the room."
the case of "ignoring the
hat as a
people's ability to control their own lives.and form systems deaf
and
when
the Deaf community, they
that they discuss
necessary to take charge of the deaf a otice
organizations terms
such a s isolated, separate, extremists, small
group lanted
seek social and political change' (1977:13-14). This anfir u s e
and dependent
culture, limited, disadvantaged,
dying
institutional audism noted by Lane((1992] 1999) and dvseonscious umbers,
audism identified by Gertz (2008).2 terms such as complete language, hearing and
reserving
while the mainstream, higher
independent,
part of society, in
speaking, and integrated to describe their
Audism parallels such terms as racism, sexism, and ableism, l a better life, fully
self-esteemn, children's success.
referring to aprejudicial mindset and discriminatory practices pure-oralized
older than recorded his-
own see
based on that mindset. It encompasses the belief that deaf it, is a problem
Audism, as we for Deaf people to
took a couple of millennia
people, being non-hearing, are stigmatized, that hearing is although it
tory namet
to it. Hearing persons
who perpetrated audism
superior to being deat, speech superior to sign language, life a
were doing-anv
assign c o n s c i o u s n e s s of whatthey
without hearing is wretched (unless one "treats" deafness had no particular abusive that she
with technological "fixes" such as hearing aids and cochlear a brutal,
speech therapist realized
more than It was just the way
implants), that the inability to hear or speak coherently con- viciously to her charges.
was behaving deaf children as stubborn,
signs one to an inferior, diminished, limited, unhappy mode done, such as treating
things were who had to be broken of
their bad habits
otexistence, that speechreading, speech, and auditory training animalistic creatures
attain civilization.
forced to learn to speak to
primary goals of education of deaf children, that the (signing) and are certain
use of residual the Deaf community, there
hearing (as with Auditory-Verbal Therapy In the history of to listen to
villains who, by their refusal
rebranded Listening and Spoken Language) is the only way prominent audist have
for a deaf child to learn stubborn advocacy of oralism,
language, that deaf children need Deaf people and their Graham
cochlear implants and AVT/LSL to live "better" lives, that earned a place in the pantheon
of infamy. Alexander
sucession that
deaf people should strive to one of a long
be as "hearing'" as possible-act Bell is a prime example, but only
ing behaving, communicating as hearing people to the best continues to the present day. The 1880 Congress of
Milan and
ot their ability. The more "hearing" a deaf person acts, the Deaf-International-Fourth
its successor, the 1890 Congress on
life s/he audism: a
better-quality enjoys. And so
forth. are outstanding examples of organized
term in Paris, to
he dysconscious audism was coined by Genie convened by a group of
oralists, supposedly
who borrowed Ger Congress" to use in the
the dysconscious from
Joyce discuss the best method of communication class
cOUS TacIsm. Her essay "Dysconscious Audism:King's ays
a Theoretical predetermined), from which
was OOm (but whose results were
deaf teachers were deliberately excluded.
TOposition," included in the anthology Open Your
Deaf Studies Talking (2002). This Eye* a
internalization refers to a deat perso reality-audism isn't
Delieve that of audist attitudes-i.e., deaf vho he situation is complicated by front. It isn't only what
they should behave as
persons nlateral battle fought on a single
720 "hearing" as sible, possi Over
721
FOr Edition 30 years of promoting Deat Awareness
Hearing People Only: 4th
 CHAPTER 110 CHAPTER 110

hearing people do to deat, but something deaf p live with everyday: ASL Rose's perspective
each other. Ie's analogous
to Crab Theory-Deaple do eople do to What
we

exist?

ing down other

Deat persons. tear. audism truly
audism than to effect achsai
Does who says otherwi is in denial. Additionally,
Tt's easier to rail against Anyone

all-con change
familiar with the word
isn'ti
attitudes. The task is endless and Change se the hearing society
st because the.
cknowledge audism doesn't mean that audism
inpublic
Nonetheless, we cancomfort in
take
knowing
that we ning
e
or doesn't ack

I t exists,
period.
given the problem a name, flushed it out of the darl doesn't
exist.

it.
and are actively combating (or indirect) experience with it?
direct
Audists are convinced of the immutable rightness of t has been your
f thei What are going to get loads of stories with this
beliefs. When deat children and teens with Cls willinel sure you
I'm them will pretty much contain similar
that's a slap in th one,a n dd nearly all of audism in all environments,
learn ASL and join the Deaf community, I have experien
face to them, an unmentionable insult. The fact that the f e l e m e n t s .

time a hearing man shied away from me

r o m the
r a n g i n g ffrom

community is alive, diverse, and

vibrant is a rebuttal to the when he found out. was Deaf to the time I
audists. Our survival as a linguistic minority is an affront to in
elevator with administratorsand teachers ofthe
myselfarguing
for the Deaf and Blind for an hour and half
their philosophy and their ongoing attempts to exterminate f ound
ou
School
classrooms and seeing them
ASL and other sign languages. They would deny the Deaf
Florida

ASSL with my s o n in their

with m e because they were using SEE/Sim-
to u s e
community a future; we insist on being there, just as we have angry
a right to be here now. Audists may
have ignored the Deaf get really at that point. Ihave experienced it
Com in their classrooms
restaurants whenIdrive upand see their
community for overa century. Our chalenge is to make sure from some fast-food realize they have to deal with
that we are never ignored again. fall when they
workers' faces audism when, in early 90s, I tried
customer. It was
a Deaf "Can
Keys to identification their first question was always
to apply jobs and
for Deaf
There is a big difference between hearing people's ignorance Audism is a daily thing that every
use the phone?"
you
and anti-Deaf bigotry. We make a distinction between those has to live with.
person
who utter or publish foolish or ignorant statements and those Won't it con-
who have experience with the Deaf community and who the beginning ofhistory?
Has audism existed since
as there's a vibrant Deaf
community?
willfully and deliberately promulgate lies. Those in the first tinue to be aproblem as long of
category are merely uneducated, and it's an insult to brand Deaf Heritage or any issue
If you read Jack Gannon's
them as audists. Those in the second
category, who nave Little Paper Family publication,
The Silent Worker or any althoughnobody
Worked with deaf people and insist on promoting deceptions
see examples of audism,
about our you will invariably
be
community, language, and capabilities-they may called it "audism" back then.
legitimately called audists. as long as there is
a signing Deaf community
Deat persons can be audists too, exist.
even if they're actively cOurse, Inhumannature, opposites
involved in ASL nere will always be audism. be.
advocacy. For e>xample, when a Deat perso how it will always
how it is, and
says, "My speech is better than that of other deaf people or OOd and evil exist. It's audism and reduce
"Thave better shouldn't try to fight
English than most deaf people," that's audism. EST't mean we

722 723
Over 30 years of
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition promoting DeatAwarenes
 HAPTER 110
CHAPTER 110

its impact, though! overcome?aid earlier, education on a massive scale is needed,

answer
Lik The cynic in me doesn't think
a n d Ib e l i e v e
ve, the only
ASL-using.Deafpeople to practiceo
Isitpossiblefor to overcome
audism. But the parent of two Deaf
Genie Gertz's finition of dysconsciou o s dismagainst OSsible
each other? Dr.
onto the hope that some audism
audism is P e is forced to hold
it's sakes.
internalization
an
ofaudistoppression manifested by a dear for my children's
audism is a product
educed,
be
can
Dysconscious
of colonization. person.
scious audists were taughtby their parents, their hools Dyscon- A n y o t h e r c o m m e n t s ?

the society that being a Deaf person wasn't a good thing ,and
Any ot this: I
think culturally people have been
Deaf
Deat person an even worse thine will say
a I job preserving their language and their
be, and being signing a very good
audist doing enormous audism and colonization. We
he. So when a dysconscious starts talking negativel face of
culture
intthe
about ASL and Deaf
culture, it iS a reflection of how succec their liath, and it is truly amazing to me
David to
he
learned from their hearing oppressors, and
fully they've repeated dattempts by aring society and systems
not as a despite
is a
sad thing to see. Inmagine liking yourself signino that our. language and culture, WE ARE STILL HERE.
where don't want to be to
destroy hold onto that.
Deaf person to the point you around that, and
celebrate each other's successes
Remember
Deaf people or to support &
these Dr. Adonia K. Smith co-founded ASL Rose in
to see the existence of people, be- Jacobowitz ana
It makes me angry De E. Lynn children. Dr. laco-
Deaf people have to in origmal multimedia for ASL-speaking
cause it means that all healthy signing 2004: it specializes mother Dr. Smith has had a distinguished
not only fight the oppressors, but also deal with any damage of two Deaf girls.
hozuiiz is the proud Texas, previously Writer/Editor for
Michele Westfall of Austin,
done by dysconscious audists. Not only that, it takes a lot of
feaching career. adminIstrator of the Piss on Bell Facebook group. She

and even more to convince ASL Rose and currently

two boys.
energy to fight oppression, energy mother of Deaf
is the proud
a dysconscious audist why s/he should support ASL and
Deaf culture. It's exhausting, and I believe that's the reason face of audism"
A privileged view of "the ugly
Deaf
why many Deaf people experience burnout. who has a daughter, I have seen
As a hearing person would like. From
audism m o r e times than I
the ugly face of to
What can we do to combat it? to raise her as a signer all the way
the time we decided of audism
Since dysconscious audism is result of successful coloniza- been hit with questions that sting
tion, obviously we have to look at the society and the sys- today, we have don't know better and somne
.
Some by people who just
on a massive scale is the advent of cochlear implants
tem. Education sorely needed to break
through layers of audism and colonization. As you can see, by people who do. With aids and more, the face of
more

am placing the responsibility for oppression, colonization seemingly replacing hearing children
and educating
audism is in every c o r n e r of raising
and audism squarely on the shoulders of hearing people. who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH).
do not blame culturally Deaf people one bit for doing at
a visual language
they have to do to defend themselves, their language, and Mystance on the importance of providing
their culture. to a Deaf child regardless of the technology
that is being used
to
That is why I joined with many protest
How can we
remains strong. believe that
solve this intractable problem? Is it to ustices of audism over the past five years. I
possiole
724 725
For Hearing People Only: On Over 30 years of promoting Deat Awareness
CHAPTER 110 HAPTER 110
out
kicked
are
also
people
ducated and the issu
through action, ues were
kickedall this, Istill believe that we must
table for everyone to see, discuss, a n aare put Eventhr gh continue
out on the those whoseb
educate
and
to change. hopefully ebehaviors discriminate against,to
work together f ace
devalue, . and disrespectvisual languagesand the people who
andd
With that being said, I have stepped outof y comfort ot a funjob. It's far from rewarding. ButI
many nizations, some that I am mfort u s ethe hope
zone and joined ugh the work of "doers, that the word audism
some
tally
totally one d a y
with and as
thatare starkly polarized
aligned frommy ow recogniz
as equally
racism, sexism, etc., and
will
perspectives.
I dothis in order to try and spread the m will be mindsets to be
behaviors and nd changed
ssage
that DHH children should be honored for who thev a8e are respectful of all...
come together rather than divide.
to
ASL, have opportunitiest socialize with the seeking
given access to Tami Hossler
their families to be linked to Deaf menta Fort Myers, Florida
peers, and for tors.
IIn 2012),as a friend of the Deat community in Indiana I
Hossleris Editor of The ndeavor, the American Society for Deaf Chil-
had the privilege of working alongside many talented indi. Tami
sad magazine. She and husband Jefare proud parentsoftrwo groen
HB 1367, which intended
viduals who were lobbying against dren
to remove Outreach Services from the Indiana School for Chelsie,an interpreter, Deaf. She woas also
and Erica, who's actively
taughters
the Deaf lingual Coalition and currently with Tri-County As-
the Deaf and set it up in a "nonbiased center" (meaning not olved with
the Deaf.
Deaf school). While we sociation of
run by ASL users on the campus of a
were unsuccessful in stopping the passage of this bill, it did Richard Clark
ckert and June Rowle "Audism: A
Amy Theory
1.
allow us to see firsthand the ugliness of audism and how it Audiocentri & 37(2)
Privilege," Humanity Society (May
and
dPPractice of
/www.academia.edu/4926125/Audism_ A Theo-
pits parents against parents, people against people. 2013), 101-130(https:/
ry_and_Practice_ofAudiocentric_Privilege).
Most recently, I decided to join into a private Facebook page a
2. Eckert and Rowley,p. 105. The authors draw distinction between
recommended by the AGBell Association. These are thingsI the ditterence in disability-rights and Deaf
audism and ableism, noting
do occasionally to learn more about what is being discussed
perspectives:

by parents. While I knew this site would be made up of wish to contlate and juxtapose
parents raising their children orally, I didn't realize the how We understand that some may
audism is a form of ableism specific
intolerant this particular group of parents would be towards the terms and argue that
While both audism and ableism are
information on educational opportunities provided by Deat to the Deaf Community.
we are not convinced that the concept of
discriminatory, yet
schools. Even worse was the mention that my daughter was assimilation and pluralism
ableism allows for the dual reality of
a signer. While I remained respectful of their choices, I did the realities ot Deat ethnicity. The
in a context that recognizes
on assimilation
and
encourage them to visit ALL educational settings before ru- focus of ableism appears to be exclusively
mainstream will lead
ing them out. I also wanted them to know that ASL users are a setting
presumes that assimilation into
to greater upward mobility. .
equally apart of society astheir own children... I said this coerced,
after of Audism is a discriminatory ideology that emphasizes
many their own comments about their oral children a
unattainable,assimilation and which
denies the plurality ot
being a part of the "hearing world" and "mainstream soci- yet detinition a
other hand is by
ety. Unfortunately, they Cuitural democracy. Ableism on the
werern't willing to be open to my the ot assimilation.
scriminatory ideology that denies possibility that the Deat and
ane arneas
comments and booted me off of their
closed FB page. Later i there
learned that others who the context of assimilation, strategicgoals asboth ableism
joined with similar opinions as mine ne disAbled" communities share
726 727
For on
Hearing People Only ver 30 years of promoting Deat Awareness
CHAPTER 110 CHAPTER 110
inhibits elf-determination, deny Monthly
n t e r c u l t u r a l r e s p o n s i h i l e s s
audism of
and h e l dd
. u r i n gA G B e
August 9,2013, about the outdoorD eaf protests
civic tic
Mont Famianeu
AGBell's annual istening and Spoken Langu
engagement,discourage
However, the DeafA neglect held uage
ethicalcitizenship.
American Community also Delivering Quality Services to Families July 18-
those ideals
same
als in context of a hensiu Hotel
denied Instih1es
seeks and is 20), a t t h e
ni Los Angeles Hotel, John Tracy Clinic, and
concept of ableism
lurality
does not appear to accommodate R e s e a r c h

that the ch Institute. Ringo. met the protesters, listened

H o u s e

q u o t e d
them,
em, and
and strove to give fair
We contend that the goal of disability rights activists to shut them,
representation
to t h e i r viewpoint.2

ilate disabled tudents is to

institutions and assimila
down tably, AGBell issued. denunciation of the perceived
with a plural Deaf agenda to
mentally incompatible aintain
as Deaf space (pp. 119-120).
residential schools
Predictarticle, and the supposedly rowdy, obnoxious,
bias
and
bias law reaking Deat protesters:. . historically the pro-

have, been far from peaceful and have bomb

made
AAA testers vention center, stormed into conferences, de-
conven

reats
at a
and
harassed parents of children."
faced.
historical property,
Aftermath of a protest extremely slanted language, veering into falsehood.
Thisis have ervently denied making any bomb
a of Deaf activists Deaf activists conferences.
On the evening of July 22, 2011, gaggle at any AGBell Although they have sta-
the Volta threats
of stately Laboratorv themselves. at or near EHDIand AGBell conferences,
held a vigil at the entrance
in Georgetown, Washing. tioned mindful of walked into and
& Bureau, AGBell's headquarters the rules. They
AGBell>'s policies, the ex thev have been sit-in at a 2011 session on Cultural Compe
ton, D.C. The vigil was to protest a peaceful
industry staged
ploitation of deaf children by the cochlear-implant tency-which
GBell evidently interpreted as "storming"
children who died as a
and to commemorate the first twelve of "harassing parents," Deaf activists
such as As for the allegation
result of early implant operations and complications and seek, to establish friendly dialogue with
who would still be alive have sought,
bacterial meningitis-deaf children does such a good job of spooking them
them. But AGBell
if they hadn't gotten implants.' afraid to approach.
One of the activists applied four pieces of non-damaging that they're
and Ryan Commerson, co-founders of
blue painter's tape to the bronze name-plaque to the right Alison Aubrecht rebuttal to this
a
Facundo Element, issued pont-by-point
of the entryway so that Alexander Graham Bell Association to give DEAF
accusation. (Incidentally, AGBell refused
for the Here is one «
Deaf and Hard of Hearing now read Alexander Graham its letter in full.)
Bell Association for the Hearing. A LIFE permission to reprint
police patrol car passed by, FE's points:
a
civil-rights lawyer was present, and the vigil proceeded
peacefully Removable blue
tape
Not peacefully enough for AGBell, whose top brass "Defacing a historical building"??? Really? We can accept
considered defacing? Okay.
promptly issued a furious denunciation of this act of "de covering lettering is of specific language.
that everyone has their own interpretation
referred to in the
facement." Even the NAD decried the "desecration" of a But let's get into this: the historical property and
historic funds that come from experiments re-
of which
landmark-an overreaction it soon apologized for letter is actually built off
Allegra Ringo published an article, "Understanding Deaf- and infants, some
abuse of deaf adults, children, defacing Deaft bodies
ness: Not Sulted in deaths. Can we discuss
Everyone Wants to be "Fixed,' in the online Atlan
729
728 For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition Over 30 years of promoting Deaf Awareness
CHAPTER 110 CHAPTER 110
NOTES forms
of oafness, but they will be so
thinly scattered that
ure will be unsustainal Those
wi
who cannot be
some
...
culture
twelve children who
memorializes the first died ohetto
Deaf
that is
that
disintegrating
1. This
clinical-trial phase
in the
of pediatric implants
during the
1980s in the United
the
oved
from a ghetto
society can provide.
will need all the

cumulative toll is tar higher than twelve. States. supportthat o u r

Loeb, M.D.,
Profes
now of Biomedical
Engineering
at USC Neu
The actual erald E. Lding to Edward Dolnick's "Deafness as Culture
erald
2. This was reprinted in DEAF LIFE'S January 2014 issue (pp. 28-34),
Monthly as its September 1993 cover story; originally
roscien. respondin

tlantic Monthly Septemb

(pp. 34-35).
comments" in T h e Atlantic reprinted
followed by "Author's Element's full leti.
o1ublished
LIFE,
December 1993

3. "Unraveling audist propaganda, Facundo in DEAF

also reprinted in the January 2014 issue of nE EAF of sOund is not limited to human
speech, though
Donse to AGBell,
LIFE, pp. 36-41. limited to that in the article.
The cochlear implant, which
it is
indergo
the usual nological development and get more
ficient, allows people suffering from the disabilit of
and more effici
A AA deafness to hearithe symphonies of ethoven, the twitteringof
susurratio of leaves,
and thunder. That adult deafism
Audism then & now: a sampler birds, the
choose to bealienated from these sounds and other
shouldc
cultists
and natural music is their own business; that should they
human
with your liberty of marriage. condemn children to such alienation is shameful.
Ihave no intention ofinterfering
You can marry whom you choose, and I hope you will be happv harles Blinderman (1930-2002), Frofessor ot English
and Adjunct Professor
to the same article
to suit yourselves, Clark University, responding
It is not for me to blame you for marrying of Biology
at
deaf mother, have
for you all know that I myself, the son of a

married a deaf wife. It is the duty of every good man and every other "politically correct movements, the deaf-activist
Like
intolerance and divisiveness. Just as
good woman to remember that children
follow marriage, and I community is marked by
their heterosexual sisters as inau-
am sure that there is no one among the
deaf who desires to have many lesbian radicals scorn

in the "Deaf those born deaf look

movement
his affliction handed down to his children. thentic feminists,
their after a childhood illness;
-Alexander Graham Bell, down on those
who lost hearing
are the purest of the pure. Gallaudet
"Marriage: An Address to the Deaf," those with deaf parents
is deaf but has criticized the
at National Deaf-Mute College, March 6, 1891 who
professor Frances Parsons, with hate mail and once
zealots of "Deafism," has been deluged
I shrink from any reference to my disability, and won't be seen physically assaulted.
who are castigated for not
in publicwith another deafperson....Ihave striven in every way And in the midst of it all are parents
to have that fact deat, and medics who find their work
[my deafness] and to be so completely
forgotten allowing their kids to be
I would pass as one [hearing]. To have anything to anda child who can't under-
normal that
other
compared to that of Nazi doctors,
for her to hear.
do with deaf people instantly brought this hard-concealed stand why some people think it's bad
fact into evidence. So I have helped other things and people... -Cathy Young, "Some deaf won't join
the hearing," Philadelphia Inquirer,
anything, everything but the deaf. I would have no friends among8 November 12, 1993
them.. To say a child was
deaf was enough to make me refuse
choices, because
Parents need to know the consequences oftheir
to take any
public notice of it.
-Mabel Hubbard Bell, must start that very young,
in a letter to her son-in-law, circa 1921
it you wanta child to learn to talk, you that child in a system that
under age five, and you must educate
think that being born deafdoes not
The cochlear
prosthesis,
on which I have worked for
OCuses just on talking.... I different culture, unless
with many other years a n d of itself make you a member of a
scientists, engineers and clinicians, will that culture. I understand that
inevitably the extinction of the alternative
to leaa Ou so choose to bea member of and that it
probably within a decade. There will still be culture
of the Deat,
another language, American Sign Language,
deaf people, re s
Ou choose to learn American Sign Language, and to ony co
by choice and some because the some
technology cannot address (yet)
730 731
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition Over 30 years of promoting Deat Awareeness
 CHAPTER 110 CHAPTER 10
to the expression
"deaf and dumb."
municate in
American 51gn Language, you are part of PepPperPike, Ohio, in People Weekly's
Deborah Gideon,
that deaf May
However, if you choose
to learn spoken
an
omplained about the slur, People issued"Mailbag,
culture. 2005;
aafter apology. Ms.
you can be part of the erican culture, and I think nglish, then
that should did not.'
23, assuredly

Gideon
of the tamilies and the children.
be the choice Central Institute for
r the D. ot
Gallaudet [ i s not
Moog, then Principal of the center of deaf America. It} is no more than
-Jean Sachar Deaf, in the R
first aired on. KERA, Dalas, 1994 of a
For a Deaf Son, (if that) very small and very self-marginalized
documentary nter
deaf people in merica.
segmentof
serve the Deaf Culture," Saun deaf Americans do not knoW American Sign Language
business to
We're not in Co Most
House. "That's not our con
chlear's audiologist, Doug Most deaf
mericans are not part of the so-called Deaf
the road is the hearing parent. Tha (ASL). M
o n ASL. Most
the rubber meets based deaf Americans have little or nothing
Where ulture
whom we serve." common
with the protesting students at Gallaudet, aside from
a Bitter Debate Dividoc in
"As Technology Advances, the and not identify with them
-Marie Arana-Ward, in DEAF LIFE's August 1007 hearing, do
Post, May 11, 1997, reprinted lack of students at Gallaudet want to
Deaf" Washington perpetuate the
issue, p. 19 The protesting resistance that have characterized
hness and to chan8e
culture.
They denigrate those deaf people who prefer to
about whether cochlear implants take awav Deaf
To the question nicate by speaking
and reading lips in order to better
Bill ..

one Boyle, noted, ". what

respondent, integrate with hearing people,
"your Deaf pride," and who get cochlear
child's voice, pianos, interactand
the hell is pride? Proud not tohearyour
deaf the impact of their deafness. (...)
not pride, it's bull-headedness and implants
the birds in the trees? That's
to mitigate deafnesS iS not something that needs to
I am proud They claim that their But their
selfishness...Ifeel the implant enhances my pride. fixed. hat's their prerogative. in-your-face attitudes
considered a severe handicap, proud be
to be overcoming
what was world and tow. deaf people such as me
toward
the.
hearing
as a whole, not to a 'club' of narrow
to be part of the community into Deat culture definitely need fixing.
who do not buy -Lew Golan, "Protest at Gallaudet: By, and for, the Few,"
minded people."
2006 (on the "Unity" protests)
To the question about whether
cochlear implants "remove you Washington Post, October 26,
asa member of Deaf culture," another recipient, Melissa Chaikof,
removed my daughters time for people to go Deaf
responded: "If the cochlear implant has Tt is waste
of energy, money and
from DJeaf culture,' and it probably has, then that is fine by convention to harass AGB people. I say
Bilingual Coalition care for betterment
me. The |DJeaf culturists' opportunities in
life are so limited, without cochlear implant truly
AGB people oral skills who have
and my daughters' are not. Furthermore, it has been the choice with cochlear implant or
of deaf children without cochlear implant
of those in the '[D]eaf culture' to exclude those with implants than deaf children
better opportunity run
from their group." where the world is dominately [sic] by
due to job market
who advocate DBC, don't you find
To the question about whether cochlear implants are a way for For people
spoken language. than just being so obsessed
with your
hearing people to break down Deaf society, Ms. Chaikof stated: anything more exciting
are
"In obtaining implants for our daughter, we did not have the of AGB. Cochlear implant
ulterior motive a motive of 'breaking down Deaf society. If that disagreement with the agendas culture is becoming
the deaf
here to and it is sad to note that
stay
is an indirect result.... m]y concern for my daughters' futures smaller and smaller.
1s as I
fargreater than for the future of 'Deaf society." and I accept the fact
-Bonnie Poitras Tucker, "Deaf culture, cochlear implants, and elective dis Sol am a dying breed of Deaf people been through
ability" Hastings Center Report 28, no. 4 (1998): 6-14 want betterment for deaf
children than what I have
so I have lot
of choice
skills due
in my life since I wish I have oral
who choose cochlear implant
HEAR SAY to make. I don't blame for parents
Has activist Marvin Miller lost more than
just his hearing in surgery for their deaf children. native ASL-speaking Gallaudet alumnus
"Building a Town for the Deaf"? Through the miracle of the a who called it
Open Minded Deaf Person," Rachel Chaikof,
d
deat, in a letter to 5, 2008
Online, April
cochlear implant,
my deaf child lives in the world of hearing. teacher at a school for the
and it on Cochlear Implant
posted
Deafness is not a culture but a
disability. Miller gives new mean neartwarming"
733
732 Over 30 years of promoting Deat Awareness
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition
CHAPTER 110 CHAPTER 110
clear a
therefore
poken language is the wayforward.
and Bob Mathias' children were environm

All three of Kris It is lies in the ironment in which the

and answer
andhearing born deaf. deaf child
cochlear implants educated.
But with speech The and is
as well aas most children develops
each can hear
and speak their education,
age. need help in the early stages of a child's development.
to focus on oral/verb Parents eed to learn how to nanage their child's hearing and, at
"We wanted communicatic said
on,"
the not to learn how
Kris Mathias,
explaining why family opted time,
to interad with their child
in
learn sign same spoken
the
language a matter of language
Nico van der Merwe, Sr. (tounder ot Foundation for Children
"I's a matter of choice,
giving our childro with a Hearing Loss) and Dr. Morag Clark (International Consultant
thing we could."
very-
suditory Oral Education), Pretoria, "Let Our Children Hear
chose a path advocated by And Learn to Speak," South Africa Times, August 23, 2009
he Mathiases Alexander Gra-
Association for the Deat and Hard of Hearino a na-
ham Bell
deat or hard-of-hearing people:
who need to evangelize with most people I meet-they are
tional group that supports I don't of life
and technology to communica
hearing do converts. A way
hat allows for normal commu-
use spoken language Bell and deaf coalitian instant
and Annyse Johnson, "AG confer- with all of ciety is always an obvious benefit. I have
-Jeannine Aquino Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, June 26. tion
ences differ on cochlear implants, 2008 "tha is amazing" and "what a blessing" and
s name was decapitalized and truncated people say
how the Deaf Bilingual Coalition heard was deaf" a million times.
(note Those are
in the headline) "wow,
I c a n ' t believe he
believers...the ones who meet my kids and see that they
that they don't need ASL to be
excuse to autiful and
"Audism" is a sad, pathetic wrongly blame other
missionaries, immediately. (...)
Audists of the Deat (NAD) supports devout
hecome thinking about the child-in fact, the child is supreme
people because the National
ownmembers. Ionce said about
ALLforms of "audism"againstits to igmore all the pamphlets and "pro-
that the NAD endorses, funds and this decision. We have
a certain deaf political group ad n a u s e a m about the beauty of ASL,
on
fessionals"
leaders that, "Gawrsh! No wonder the DBC who go
funnels profits to its is a
the
beautirul thing parent who communicates
sucks!" andI was instantly called an "audist" among other things. forgetting that
child, or a teacher whose lesson is taught
-Joshua Dawson ("Paotie"), in Auditory Verbal Parents, April 29, 209 without barrier to theiron the benefits to our child, not a culture
focus
11nhindered. We
to the past.
You know we don't have quadriplegics running track. Nor do belonging primarily
are making the
we need to have deaf persons serving on juries. . . . But if you who have the power to institute change
Those almost who are making the
think about this realistically, folks, as an attorney, I'm never go- trom parents daily
decisions. I hear child to hear and speak!
deaf person serve on a jury. It's not going to happen.
ing to let a which will forever allow their
choice who decides to stumble along,
And no other responsible attorney, do I think, would allow that. the rare bird
Fortunately, it is the same time, who seeks
-Representative Ronnie Sutton (D-NC) at the legislative debate on SB 293 and teach it at
in the North Carolina General Assembly, July 16, 2009 learning a new language
ASL using child to be the appointed
friend, or who
out the rare which will
classroom in some faraway region
What is needed is an interactive approach that helps each [deafl finds a signing
in an
ASL bubble. Eventually, though,
child to develop spoken language: this then lays the foundation allow their child to live
to communicate in higher education and
forskill in reading, which leads, therefore, to academicattainment. they either struggle dole. Giving kids Cls allows
the workplace, or live on the public in a
In addition, the number of people who understand and use self-esteem (based on a study
them to succeed, have higher rather
Sign language efficiently is very small, and so those comfortable as
the world hearing
ony in sign language are socially isolated and dependent on peer-reviewedjournal), and navigate
deaf culture.
than handicapped. Oliver were born deat and
It's claimed by some that sign language is the generic language sons Elliot and
-Amy Starr Kwilinski (whose to a comment on anartice
of a deaf child. cochlear implants in infancy), responding 2009
received Los Angeles Times, September 8,
This is totally false. aDout the boom o n pediatric CIs in the

ne generic language of any child is the language of the home,

and
only 37% of all deaf children have two
signing deaf parents. 735
734 ver 30 years of promoting Deaf Awareness
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition
 Bimodal
language learning
diferent parts of the brain, and(spoken and signed
CHAPTER 10
ous effects on the oral lan
about because she is a
hassbeen shown
loss, language learning of to ha guage) uses know
that near-pertect lip reader and
especially when we childrenu ve deleter- and rigorous training had learned to speak by
long it did well.
relatively
models is KEY for the consider that access to ot the implant and amazing
learning of fluent larhhearing, things for
any life. Just being make phone calls insteadher quality
parents who begin learning language, and nguage of of
are at a distinct sign when their to rely on texts and email to run her business was almost life.
having
disadvantage in this
arena.
hearing
child is identi
entified changing for her.
-Elizabeth
Boschini, "Bilingual Oral Reing Deaf isn't a culture it's a disability, and capitalizin
in Cochlear
Implant Language doesn'tchange it. You are missing perhaps the most vital fyour
Online, MayLearners
15,2012 five senses when it comes to
IThe CRPD] attempts to communicating with your fellow
establish beings. And yes, that need to be "cured" either
ferred language of the "deat sign language as the
pre. mplants, stem cells or anything else science can devise. Lepers through
community."
"preferred communication modality of the That means that tha had their own highly evolved culture and communities too, but
Parents will have their choice child" will be sipn
the natural and removed. Statements that sign is I don't see any of them agitating against penicillin.
Michael Galleher, commenting on Lilit Marcus's article, "Why You
preferred language of the deaf will allow
school districts and chouldn't Share Those Emotional Deat Person Hears for the First Time Vid.
others to support only states, onc The Wire, March 28, 2014 (http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/03/
and strategic move to sign. This is a deliberate
undermine parental choice and why -vou-shouldnt-share-those-emotional-deat-person-hears-for-the-first-time-
and spoken listening videos/359850/ #disqus_thread)
The
language options for children.
ADA and other
disability laws do not
currently include When you become presbyopic at around age 42, will you wear
and
deaf-specific language; the CRPD recognizes sign
deaf culture as "human language glasses, or
will you just go through life claiming you're proud to
rights," and includes language such as Culture?
"deaf culture," be part of the Presbyopic
"linguistic identity," and "deaf community" We are cut oft, or wither and fall off from some
do not If your hands
object to competent sign language rights, but rather to will you seek prosthetics, or will you wave a
the exclusive use of the natural disorder,
terms and the for Limbless Culture and sneer at anyone
pre-emptive strike against big old obnoxious flag
parental rights and family culture. dares to their missing limbs and smiles when they
-Theresa who replace
Oral
Bulger,
Director of Option School Services and CEO of
Auditory/ can pick up a pencil again?
Foundation of New York, in an E-mail
opposing the U.S. Senate's ratihcation be
of the United Nations
Convention on Rights for People with Disabilities, What YOU consider "not a disability" would definitely
2012. (On December the
4, 4 July considered a
without my
CRPD was defeated in a vote 6 votes short or
61-38, disability by others. IfI woke tomorrow
two-thirds majority needed for ratification. Eight
tne I would want it back and would consider
tavor, as did all the Republican senators voted in hearing, you can bet can
Democrats; all of the opposing votes were from How you not
Kepubicans myself disabled after a lifetime of hearing. for
me doing what I
understand that? How can you begrudge
That sounds "normal"?
terrifying. BUT it sure as hell beats not hearg can to return myself to MY sense of
anything.2
Jay Brock, commenting on the audio simulations posted on culture" and "ethnic
article, "Hear What a Familiar Tune Sounds Like with a Hearing Gabrielp
Implant, All I know is that all this talk of "deaf
sure sounds a
lot like actual
o8.9, October 14, 2013 (http://kplu.org/post/hear-what-familiar-tune-soue SIurs and "you (hearing) people" to
hearing-implant) your community. Articles
1gotry and doesn't endear anyone community sound petty anu
he "Deaf activist" community may be some of the stupiaes
ke the one above make the deaf ostracizing anyone wno
of
activists
annish, and paints a picture you Of Deafness, as it it s
on God's
green earth. And they are literally the las The
ESTt wholeheartedly accept at theWay risk ot public sndlt
people qualified to judge whether
hearing implant tec culture, youe
orth it or a good thing. If you are deaf you iterally have NO
noly writ that must be followed to have a rich
For who claim
IDEA what group of people clandestine, snotty, looking-aown
you are uat
missing. Is the Cochlear perre
aclose akingit sound like it's a thing
Ta miracle, and instead ofa positive
s e - a t - o t h e r s sort of thing,
the tech is improving all the time. I
riend who was hau ot
deaf since birth, but whom most peopie u 737
736 ror Hearing People Only: 4th Editop
Over 30 years of promoting Deat Awareness
CHAPTER 110 CHAPTER 110

teaches acceptance and respect for other people's cho: negativeview of themselves, but to consider
witha
noices.
You say you don't have a disability and don't want tok been
affected

a
a
treatable condition when a reliable treatment is
treatable

treating
differently from "us hearing people," and so I'm not treatined not
is bewildering,
and if given the choice, I can't think of
said they would have chosen to be deaf
available

differently: 1f the deaf people in this thread are any indicatisu patient who has
to ask) if there had been an alternative.
deaf culture is chock full ot selfish, Judgmental jerks who activel have made it a point
seek to punish people who don t accept their world-view,Hor condition that has no treatment
ing or not, a jerk with a chip on his shoulder is the same to We're
not talking about a

me. In 1975
Humphriesha a point, discriminating against
As for me, well, I'd consider my poor v1SIon a disability. I'm anymore.

disabilities that cannot be treated is wrong. We have

with
not about to go around saying the presbyopic culture frowns on people
and practical reasor to make accommodations

people who wear glasses. oral, ethical,

a
those with isabilities into society. But that's not the
-Nix_Nightbird, on the same thread to
integrate
If you look at the other s o u r c e s I
having is it?
argument we're find hat Cls are increasingly etfective and
r'dlike to articulate my own thoughts butI cannot do so because cited you're
going to
better i t h every evolution. Your anecdotal
technical
Iwill bedemonized for being "ablist" [sic] or "audist" by Nicole or getting
evidence" as to how poorly they
work
is simply not supported
thoselike her. However,becauselam unwillingto feign deference statistical evidence. StatisticsS have outliers, and not
to the sacrosanctity of "deaf identity," I will say that sound is an hy any
general
a rule Cls work. As we
enormous part of life, and while I certainly understand that not everyone can be treatea, but as
that there will be no such thing as an
forward it is likely
all deaf people are able to hear from implants, or able to hear in move
hearing loss.
untreatable congenital
a way that does not feel overwhelming to them, I also think that We should make accommodations
deliberately remaining deaf, and not looking for options to hear, So now what's your point?
want to hear because it has cultural
who just don't
is in many ways pride in insularity, pride in willful ignorance for people
You know why deat people can't be truck drivers?
of the rest of the great big world outside a very limited sphere. significance? communication ability while driving is
Because 100% of your
Of course I'm being too honest, and the insular sanctimonious
the phone and radio) and reading and drivingis
crowd in love with their victim status like the authorof this article by hearing (on You know why the deaf don't serve in the
will tryto murder me through their righteous indignation at my slightly dangerous.
in the military is armed, even in most
"ablist" realism. military? Because everyone able to hear DUCK! when some-
civilian settings and not being
And of course it never occurred to the martyr-author that one gun could
has a be an issue. Then you suggest we
should
perhaps people watching the videos were actually trying to somehow overlook that despite that
condition being treatable
empathize with the woman, and
trying to fathom, although as
a
hearing person I don't feel I when applicable)?
am fully able, (meant sincerely) because I am by your perception
what it
might mean for someone to be able to hear after forty get that you're upset
Look I
to identity yourselt
years of deafness.3 diminishing a culture and life you have come
-Adam Gregory Stein, in the same thread with. I also know I won't change your
That said, it doesn't
mind.

really matter. I have friends who are pediatric Audiologists who

Well here's someone who works out (with great success) and
and the deaf
with the hearing impaired do nothing but CIs day in and day
everyday and I can tell you there's nothing beau by the time another generation has past there won't be the
enough
tiful about it at all.
Anyone with either acquired or will be lost along way
aeatness is
going to have their opportunities in life congenitato deat culture left to sustain it. Something in the long run you ve
oPportunities that will accommodate their disability.subjugated
Want to be a Dut if you can't see that is a good thing
lost all objectivity on the matter.
eman,police officer, truck driver,
other careers? Sorry, but those telemarketer,
or about a
Sand thou- he
unemployment rate in the deaf jobs aren't for you. In fact tne
Deat people cannot do anything, because they cannot hear. T
6U% to 70% and community runs
90% of deaf adults are anywhere fron itself is by definition limiting of your
freedom in a way
nanons. l unemployed in ition resilience and
can
understand not wanting to
develOpr nat cannot be denied. there an amazing
Now, is
738 subject those who navc

Por Hearing People Only: 4th Edition ver 30

739
years of promoting Deaf Awareness
 CHAPTER 110 CHAPTER 110
they can't
.
interact
a b e c a u s e
they
with coworkers or
a
that cope with disability and with clients
fortitude to those job work. This
perseverance and ingenuity that those individuals eauty
have, tobutthea at chnology completely changes their life
a n y m o r e

etter. Unfortunately we know far too many

beauty to the condition? 1s there beauty to the paralysis caused people who
this
of For 1
u n a w a r e
nology. every person who has a
This culture, and are there are 10out
this language, was born trom
implant,
neces- there who could
by polio? it's a chlear benefit from
desire or choice and hopetully necessity that wi whose life could bebetter, whose communication and hear-
sity not become but a memory of what one,
day soon nothing c o u l d be
some better, but don't know about it,
abilities
no other can't afford
theythiseither
technology.
to do because we had alternative. And as far as the deae ing c a s e s , they
many
lace Wolfe, Ph.D, Director of Audiology at the Hearts for Hearine
Iwork with I've noticed that an overwhelming majority of them
Foundation,
nDiscussing cochlear implants with Dr. Wolfe" Surgery Center of
or not employed at all, and they continuallu
are under employed, ahoma, June 19, 205 (http://w
www.surgerycenterok.com/blog/ discus
tamilies without assistance. It's n
struggle to provide for their cochlear-implants-with-dr-wolfe/)
and despite being proud of themselves quotation reposted on Piss on Bell, July 23, 2015
"fair" or "easy" for them
none of them are "happy" to not be
for doing what they can NOTES
to be able to choose the careers thev
able earn a decent living, or
had ever been given the chance. In the wRuilding a
Town for 1he Deaf was published in People Weeklyvs
might have chosen if they deal with it. If given a choice publisheda single rejoinder to Deborah Gideon's
absence of an alternative, fine, they 2, 2005 issue. People
deaf. May
nsulting remark:
none of them would have chosen to be

If asked do you like who you are, do you accept who you are, S O U N D EFFECT

do you want to change yourselfI would think any Deaf person letter written in respornse to your story "Build-
In a Mailbag
would say no, and as deafness is a contributing factor to their for the Deat," the parent of a deaf child used the
ing a Town
person they would choose to not be "someone else" by reversing "deaf and dumb" to express her opposition to the idea.
their deafness. But this isn't the point anymore. Pediatric CI im-
phrase would allow such a derogatory comment to
plantation is stunningly successful, and the question to be posed
i can't believe you
called "deat and dumb" is a term that belongs
be printed. Being
isn't do the Deaf want to hear (as in "do you feel lacking in who in the dark ages.
or what you are now and want to change it")
but whether do you Chriz Dally
support a world where there is no deafness. Where you actually Pleasant Hill, Calif.
have a choice. Obviously, you can take a pair of knitting needles
Editor's Note
and make yourself deaf anytime you want to, but the absurdity
of the statement only highlights the fact that no one chooses to offended.
was
be
We regret if anyone
so is to be a given that with the option to give a
deaf it
a chance to
child -People Weekly, June 6, 2005
hear, or not, that CI should be the standard of care.
-Edwin Nelson, on the same thread in Piss on
2.
the KPLU article
Jamie McElfresh, who posted a link to
ASL 1S unnecessary in many, if not the majority, of cases of a Bell on August 23, 2015, noted that this "was
the most idiotic comment!"
child born today with hearing loss who has the benefit of early Michele Westfall replied:
identification, early amplification and good intervention.
Meredith Sugar, Esq, President of AGBell, in "Response to Pediatrics, but it's what I'dexpectclueless
LISTening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center Jamie, maybe a n idiotic comment, have this
them persistent idea that
an official
8andspokenlanguage.org/ AGBelIResponsetoPediatrics/),(http://www.listenin*
response nearing people to say. Many of at all.
toshould AlI Deaf Children Learn Sign Language?" (Pediatrics, Vol. 130
July 1,
INo. any amount of hearing" is better than none
2015); quotation
reposted on Piss on Bell, July 23, 2015
We see 3. See Lisa's rebuttal to Adam Gregory Stein's post:
people
who have withd rawn
hey don't
interact with family or with
from social situations.
see friends any longer. vv in a limited sphere?
people who have lost their An, soyou feel that being deafequates to living
jobs or are at risk of losing their
740
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition Ver 30
741
years of promoting Deaf Awareness
 CHAPTER 110
CHAPTER 111

don't know very many deaf/ Deaf pecOnl

I take it you dont get to decide for ua
us live very
full lives. You
You can decide
for yoursel if you live a whether or
full What iss
not we do. lifeor
as far as it goes. sorry to burst your
egoistic
not. That's
dysconsciou audism?
several forceful rebuttals to Edwin Nelson's Ison's posts. One
4. There were Genie Gertz, who borrowed the
his attitudes were audist, an accusation he ignored. term coined by
reader told him that t's a
that Deaf people could indeedbe ers from Joyce King's dysconscious racism. (This
Another pointed out truck driv (they oncept
a successtul campaign
to obta
btain waivers fro have internalized racist values and
in fact, waged Blacks wh
have, the refers to
hearing test), and that most mili
mandatory and discriminatory allies o f their oppressors.)
actual combat. Other respondents focused on otb. become
tions don't involve presente
"Dysconscious Audisi The Conceptual
misintormation, and Gertz
inaccuracies, prejudice in Nelson's posts. Nelsan of Dea. People
in a Hegemonically Hearing-
rceration
in the audiological/CI industry, which helps to explain Incarce
appears to work OrientedCulture DeafWayl1, and her essay "Dysconscious
towards the Deaf community.
his deprecatory attitude is included in the anthol
Theoretical Proposition,"
Audism:a

Your Eyes:
eaf Studies Talking (both in 2002).3
Open
ogy refer to a deat person's internalization
We use the term to who believe that they should behave
values-those
faudist who despise other deaf people, es-
as possible,
as "hearing" a Deatf identity, who denigrate
ASL.
those embracing
pecially audism in action, check the
to see dysconscious
Ifyou want
oral-deaf militants
and ASL speakers who have
writings of stance. Not all critics of the
anti-Deaf Community
taken an or
orits
organizations,
Deafcommunity prominentmembers, as
audists (there is such a thing
institutions are dysconscious
a agenda,
but those who have negative
legitimate criticism), whether
and hostile language,
who use slanted, derogatory editorials, articles, gossip,
blogs,
signed, written, in videologs, malcontents with a
be they
books, or
departmental memos, advocates who lobby
the Deaf Community,
grudge against Association for the
Graham Bell
behalf of the Alexander
on who promulgate
Hard of Hearing, o r Deaf people label them
Deat and other Deaf people-we can justly
latred against
as dysconscious audists. activist we il
now-deceased
a
excellent case in point is
n out hard-of-hearing becane
in
call "M. T. Kettle." He started earned a degree
mainstreamed,
L at remained
age 11,
743
742 O 30 years of promoting Deaf Awareness
For Edition
Hearing People Only: 4th
 CHAPTER 111
CHAPTER 111
nd Intervention pro
1e H e a r i n gD e t e c t
Fullerton, and in s civilization evolve
lves and advances, the communities within
Computer Science atCalState fou
1988, founded
Center, which well.
No communities are willing to advance
his Deaf Advocacy operated with as
'vances
a d v a
The sign language based deafcom
ommunity is one
w i t h civilization.
credentials. He described it and oftshoot Modern D dubiou
eaf CCom
Deaf seem advance with
as "a service organization They may technology, but they
munication deaf them. m e d i e v a l .
providine
communication8needed of medieval state of mind that still believe in staving
and in a living in a closed society.
needed remain and
educational, employment taxpayers
in need in which no otherdeatanand d e p e n d e
on a
to deafpeople maintaining pendency based deaf community
af service c o s t s of
Bugler |sic) wrote in the
agency, Theresa styles magazine
productsFederal or State Government Office, or schonl tor the ool enormous.
to
$800,000 to teach a deaf child sign language [sic].
He gained notoriety for the is that it c o s t s
$800,000
0,000 when taxna
taxpayers has to pay for
deaf is contributing."S beyond the
costs go
selling"ADA
kits" to hotels and businesses at hefty The their schools, pay for their videophones in
interpreters
compliance pricec, us in th
tactics. their and.
for their living expenses for the restof
ing high-pressure marketing theirhomes,
finally pay
butas time went because
the usually end upnotworking. Modern Deaf
Initially, he wrote some positive things, n, lives
Communication
their has determined that deaf people who routinely
his stance became more perversely and biliously anti-Deaf occurrence in the deaf societ
videophones
have allower job
more hateful. He considered himself. use when ifornia
more vituperative, is strained financially, it
Given
these times
leader, and reveled in being a controversial figure. He was a n e w deaf community that does not end up
more to create
pays on society
as we've see they have become
d e p e n d a n t s

noisy, consistently negative in his attacks on Deaf Commu sic

as the taxpavers.
as a drain on
and
institutions, advocates, not end up
organizations,
nity leadership, and does the parents the options on how their deaf
causes. Although he signed, he publicly took an anti-ASL m o r e to give
It pays return the deaf babies back to the soft
raised. Lets
to arouse the ire of Deaf advocates. If babies are to be instead shipping them off to
stance-guaranteed a r m s of their parents
warm loving a closed deaf (June 5, 2010)
the Deaf community supported an initiative, it was a fair crab claws of society.
the hard cold
bet that Kettle would proudly proclaim his stance against
AB2072 with 47 to 7 votes 20 ab-
it. He dished out the negativity, while promoting his Deaf California Assembly passed
to the Senate.
Advocacy Center and Modern Deaf Communication, with stained. It goes out of the
celebration? No. Basically its crabs getting
Is this a raised their parents, not
incredible arrogance. He had a cadre of supporters, but was bucket. Deaf babies
will finally be by
heartily detested by many in the Deaf community, especially organizations. (...)
those who had been targets of his public attacks. Attempting special interest needs is Mandatory
Cochlear Implant to
Now what California
to engage in civil dialogue with him was like trying to have children out of the claws of
to lifting deaf
end the final barrier
a rational conversation with a 2010)
roaring buzzsaw. deaf culture. (August 24,
Two
samples of his skewed and truth-twisting rhetoric: noise and
do? He made a lot of
How much damage did he so
Regarding AB 2072 vetoed by the governor,
Dear Members of the clatter. AB 2072 ended up being
California State Senate, Kettle's ranting and bile ultimately
had scant eftect.
hank you for taking the time to read this letter and are
consiaer
ne historic opportunity for parents to play a role in charting tne to the Deaf community pro-ASL
life EVen more damaging and libel others.
journeys of their deaf babies. social media to demean
Deafadvocates using deluded, destructive,
as foolish,
his historic opportunity is known as
Assembly Bill 2072 oy dDelingother Deafadvocates
ASSemblymember
Dabies are Tony Mendoza that changes the way
ae parents and alienang
handled once they're r n g their own cause, misleading leaders, in the absence
determined through the ra
hem from Deaf culture, labeling Deaf
744 745
For Hearing People Only: 4thh Edition Over 30 years of promoting Deat Awareness
 CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 111
victims of the oralist system, which did not provid
provide
of evidence, as greedy and inscrupulous, fabricating stories theyith the foundations of language or ASL so they could
about unethical behavior (when those who promStories
ugly them with

become
bilingual.and use two
l e a r n
to
languages."
to examine their own), are all ha be Deaf voice that is not
would do well hear a
a Deaf person's clear, I hear
stories lImarks When
I
audism. By this standard, some Drorks "That person's voice is not understandable
ofdysconscious
Deafmedia figures are dyconscious audists-even ifuent
ynent
sup-
my
mom
omsaying And I say,
guttural." "Mom, they can't can
hear, how Can
so
and speech isn't that
that impor
important. It is
ASLandIDeaf Culture. They're still aud they talk perfectly

portand promote the Deaf what have to

i m p o r t a n t

One doesn't
have to reject community and ASL they they say than whether they
more

Deaf people. it orally."

be an enemy of can say
NOTES see a
Deaf person signing who is "low-verbal," I
Racism:
ldeology, ldentity, and he
can
When I
"Dysconscious Mom
is not clear. English is bet-
1.Jovce E. King,Teachers," The Journal of Negro Education, Vol 60, hear
hear
saying "Their signing
Miseducation of expressing
one's self clearly. ASL lowers the quality
(http://www.jstor.org/stable/22956051
No.2(Spring, 1991),pp.133-146 ter for tor expressing themselves well." I say to her
The Conceptual Incarcerationof Dead
2.Gertz's"DysconsciousAudism: oftheir minds
ot at fault for their inability tor clear communication.
Culture" was presented
Peoplein a Hegemonically Hearing-Oriented
See http://videocatalog.gallaudet. is again with oralism, that they did not have
onJuly 10, 2002 at The DEAF WAYII. The problem
edu/?video=14048. to develop the ideas, concepts, information,
Audism: a Theoretical Proposition," the o p p o r t u n i t y
Genie E. Gertz, "Dysconscious so n o w they cannot express themselves well."
Chapter 13in Open Your Eyes:DeafStudies Talking, edited by H-Dirksen and language,
2008) pp.219-234. Deat people talking about Deaf issues, Mom
L. Bauman (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, When I see
was founded by Morton Warnow
3. Modern Deaf Communication again pipes up with "Deat people use ASL and they are
(1926-2006), a hearing inventor with a colorful past who, paradoxically, the Deat ghetto." And I tell her, "Mom.
took an anti-Deaf Community stance. (See Chapter 116.) He championed stuck or hiding in is a
It community that we socialize in, and
networkedTTYsfor communication and literacy practice, seeking tobring it's not a 'ghetto.'
1ssues of concern to us all in common as
deaf and hearing people together through technology without the use of we are discussing
ASL. Before his death, he granted Kettle the rights to the name of his firm. like the Jews and Italians have
part of our community, just
not a 'ghetto, and we do get out and
their communities. It's
world' too."
AAA interact with the 'Hearing
WhenIsee Deaf arguing with Deat,Ihear Momagaincoming
Confessions of a Dysconscious Audist can't get along, they can't handle their
up with "See, the Deaf to help you deat
My name is Don Grushkin, and I am a dysconscious audist. own affairs, they need us Hearing people
I "Cut it out,
When I read something where I struggle to understand a to behave, learn, and improve yourselves." say,
Deaf person's English, I hear my Mom's voice.. . yes, hear, Mom! Deaf people are divided because Hearing people op
because my mom doesn't know how to sign . .. I hear my pressed usall this time. Hearing people caused the problems,
Mom's voice So please back of!
saying,
ASL caused their
"Don, Deaf people's voices are awful SO we don't need more Hearing 'help. a dysconscious
English to be bad. If I had let you use ASL, name is Don Grushkin, and I am
am sure your English would be terrible too. You can be Yes, my
audist.
thankful for being oral, since it Dr. Donald Grushkin
to tell helped your English." Thave
my mom, "It's not their fault their
English is not gooa Dr. Don G.'s Deafhood Discourses, YouTube, November 15,2009
746
For Hearing People nly: 4tdition Over 30 years of 747
promoting Deaf Awareness
 CHAPTER 112

noticed that successful

ve
are alwavs
Deaf persons put
d o w n by
her Deaf people,
means of lack of support
by
and gossip-back-stabbing,
name-calling, nasty rumors,
Can't Deaf people
appreciate successful

achievers who benefit

their community?
word here is "jealousy." Deaf culture
he operative "closed
embodies a group'-small in numbers,
linguistically unique, and mindful of their differ-
ences. Deaf have traditionally tended to
people
various reasons and causes.
band together, and still do, for
social institution and
Deaf clubs proved not just a vital
information and experiences and
positive means of sharing a hot-
garnering support ("networking"), but less admirably,
character
bed of destructive rumor-mongering, and
gossip, brick-and-mortar
assassination. While the influence of the
Deaf club has been steadily waning, gossip shows no signs
anew form ot cyber
ofabating. Indeed, the Internet broughtchosen
the victim insult
Pouution: "flaming," e.g., sending form of attack.
& anonymous E-mails-the most cowardly
748
For Edition 749
Hearing People Only: 4th Over 30
years of promoting Deat Awareness
CHAPTER 112
CHAPTER 112
videologging, and Those who cherisha different
Weblogging
Facebook also
at specificpersons 8ave gave rise able.
hle. dream-taking risks,
scurrilous attacks aimed Thotraditional professions.
Oppressed in blatant and subtle ways from theclub mentality-may rejecting
themselves
ing intoiy-may find(Hearing)
have very arly becoming targets
most vicious imaginabl brand of gossip.
age, Deaf people
traditionally reacted byi
ora at starts as a cultural issue shades into a moral one.
something like solidarity: "Let's endure thi huddling into
This group loyalty]has in turn
togethe are Wh says
plenty-about the jealousy, bitterness, and weak
we all here?" fostered a Gossip
of those who spread it.
lent in rigid characters

conformist mentality. (lt is more prevalent not

Well-adjusted, happy,
to
feel the need
some schoo aractersduals do
the ones that foster goSSipy cliques instead of encoos, project their own
inadequacies onto others
the Hearing
leadership.) If T'm oppressed by culture,raging
and participate in slander
without even
we can One
can realizing the
you're oppressed, help each other out, but if TO u do Luczak's
d i m e n s i o n s . Raymond ASL play, Whispers
the boat or break loose from the noral
something to rock group Sort, w a s first staged at the New American Deaf
even if it will ultimately benefit me, you've disrupted the fa.
Savage
the ofa
o Creators Festival in Fall 1996, at NTID's Panara Theatre
order of things and behaved disloyally to your Deafculture
stark
drama was given an appropriately stark, propless
I feel threatened by your success, and I'm jealous. This
The situation is analogous to that of black students in with strongpertormancesby Deafstars and students.
staging,
of lightingevoked the various settingsS: a bowling
inner-city high schools who are serious about their school- Clever use
a
bank, a park ench, couple's bedroom.
work and trying to excel in academics-the kind of young alley, a destructive effects of gossip in the
-really-want-to-go-to-college achievers everybody wants to
Whispers focuses on the
Deafcommunity.
The willingparticipants consider itharmless
encourage. Everybody? What kind of peer pressure are they recreation: We don't gossip. We share news." As a result of
experiencing? How much support do they get from the oth innocent Deat man's reputation is irreparably
this gossip, an
ers? In the early '90s, we saw a World News Tonight segment tallout also affects several other persons
on the harmed, and the toxic
plight of these students, who complained about being several of the Deaf perform-
in the community. Ironically,
verbally and physically harassed-even beaten up-by other ers and members
of the audience disliked the script and felt
black students because they were seen as "nerds" or
"trying tore open the covers and
to act were under tremendous
threatened by the play, because it
white." They pressure to be darkest, dirtiest secrets.
part of the gang, and when they refused, the gangies vented spilled out one of the community's town where
their wrath on them. It sounded The Deaf community is like a small
everybody
eerily familiar.
Many Deaf people don't understand what "dreams ana knows each other. Once a person acquires
a bad reputation,

about, and this

or wrongly, s/he is apt to be gossiped
ambitions" are. They are schooled in lowered expectations rightly canhave terrible repercussions.
almost from the start. kind of character-smearing
(That is undoubtedly one reason why vicious-
nnocent people get hurt, and badly, too. The sheer
Some parents of deaf children prefer the idea of mainstream- to
ng and not without reason-some residential schools for the of Deaf-against-Deaf hostility has to be experienced
deat don't ness
offer the same be believed.
quality of academic challenge as becomes the
pubic schools.) They have been conditioned to take the least hyis this aDeaf problem?Ifa hearing person and make
challenging
ana settle
path: seek out a a to another city a
down,
factory job, buy house and ca
"just like everyvone else." That's whae's ac- cet of slander, s/he can move moves to a new city, s/
l start. But even if a Deaf person
750 751
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition over 30 years of promoting Deaf Awareness
 CHAPTER 112
CHAPTER 112
snd reinf
munityand reinforce theideathatOralism willsave their
In a sense, s/h.
he's still
in the Deat
community.
he's stuck.. As nity from this imagined fate. It
promotes the idea
as s/he
r e m a i n s in thatcommunity, there" no
conhildren
D e a fc h i l d

is better ter.
long
am fond
f saying, ADeaf
person can't get a escape. to
be
Oral
this?
AsI (MSM) that
discussing

from the
Dear community."
Why
aml
Recently one vlogger called
ne vi
people inaDeaf-owned video
Crab theory is considered a prime "moral illness" in our
divorce
"Deaf Trash." "Trash is another word asso-
vlog/
community. Deafleaders have even convened disc gate are of lower education and
th people who are
on what to do and
how to comt cussions ag8
jatedcocially mobile. By using the phrase "Deaf trash,"
ciated wit

led workshops les

and Deaf achievers, the kind o Deaf people as substandard.
eople tog,associate
u p w a r d l y

a problem
that successful
havople people upwa
itcauses people
I saw a person take this. association fur-
to b e c o m e targets of slander, blo;
who are most likely
one

pe on
hetto." This means that this trash talk can be
No cure's in sight. Plus,

with every day. ther to audism.

connected

NOTES directly
directiy Association John Tracy Clinic are strong
and the

ofa Savage Sort and Other Plays AGBell perpetuate that negative view of
1.Raymond Luczak, Whispers About of audism. They
Experience (Washington,
D.C.: Gallaudet Univo sity b a s t i o n s

the Deaf American

substandard.

as

Press, 2009). Deafpeople t0 say that there was

people try
Some
m u s t look
at the message, not the words. The
that w e
about how people are targeting other
AAA and
message i s (possibly)
Maybe so.
s
their ideas.
instead of

Talking "trash" about Deaf people is audist! people without using offensive names like
can say that
But you like "trash"or"ghetto"
"ghetto."IFYOU usewords
Ghetto. The dictionary defines this word
to mean: A section "trash" or
that means YOU ARE AUDIST,
to Deat people,
usually ofan ethnic or minority group, in reference
ofa city populated by people,
cwho are restricted to this area due to economic conditions or public PERIOD! ourselves
a community, cannotrespect
Ifwe, Deaf peopleas to describe
policy. The definition itself is fairly neutral. words like "trash" or "ghetto"
But when people hear this word, they attach connotations and avoid using to
should we expect Hearing people
ourselves, then why
to it.
They think of people in ghettos as poor, lazy, of loWare respect us?
morals, drug-using, violent with gangs, and the like. They AUDIST! ENOUGHOF
THAT!CUTIT OUT!
"Trash talk" is
not seen as
wanting to better themselves. This is not always
true, but that's what comes to mind when people hear the Dr. Donald Grushkin

word "ghetto." YouTube

Discourses, May 9, 2011,
about Don G.'s Deafhood
EWas growing up, my Mom always talked Dr.
( h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = Z w 3 P y b l j i A w ) .

me to be Oral because she didn't want me to end

Wanting
up in "the Deaf ghetto."
here did my Mom get that phrase from? From the John
racy Clinic, which is a strong Oral program. They in turn g
t from theAG Bell Association. They use the word"ghert
in order to
create those 753
negative associations with the Dee
752 Yer 30 years of promoting Deaf Awareness
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition
 CHAPTER113

What do linguicism
and phonocentrisnm mean?
And wh hearization?
hey are all forms of audist privilege and prejudice.
Tinguicism, coined by Danish linguist ad human-
rights
Ling advocate Tove Skutnabb-Kangas in 1985, to
parallel
parallel racism, sexism, bleism, and audism, is the
prejudicial belief that one language is
belief inherently superior
another
In action, this prejudice exerts discrimination
to a language that is ascribed a lower status or value
gain: dominant,
than the
language, and mistreatment of users of
Persons who practice linguicism judge one's
o
that language. g e
educational level, and social status
character, quality,
based
and use of language.
their choice
That includes speakers of nonstandard varieties of English
Vernacular English. AAVE has
such as African-American
its Own grammar, and is not a degenerate form of
complex
standard English. But it's commonly denigrated as "lazy"
its
bad"or "broken English," speakers automaticallylabeled
uneducated.2Likewise, there's considerable sentimentagainst
native-Spanish speakers, including schoolchildren who are
punished for speaking Spanish in class or even the hallways.
And we're all familiar with the movement to make English
thenation'ssole official language. Deafpeople,especially those
We
who are native ASLspeakers, have a stake in this dispute.
support teaching and learning standard Englishas part ofour
education. We insist on the highest caliber of English teachers
and instruction. We acknowledge the crucial importance of
English literacy to our success in the workworld. But we also
eclare our right to
bilingualism and multilingualism. The
Official English" agenda does not acknowledge these rights.
754
For
Hearing People Only: 4th Edition Over 30
years of promoting Deaf Awareness 755
CHAPTER 113
CHAPTER 113
one.
In our community, linguicism volves linguicism:
language is given more
the example of importance
of oralism and English-based forms of Cham than a n o t h e r

MCE champi
overASL.It also encompasses various actions ( ch aso SEE,
example:
the Deat community of Italy has been
administrators, teachers, Yetanothe
campaignto gain fficial recognition for
waging alo
etc.) against sign languages,
audiological professiona ls,
deaf
legislators Italiar
t a l i a n a
alongTIS. Lingua
(LIS, Italian Sign Language). In 2011, thev
and
preventing child renAGBel froml,
freely learning using ASL, encouraging them submitteda
Segni locument setting out their argu
formal doc
signing and use speech, compelling them to o dei ment that
to lear But members
nuine language.
of the Parlemento
LISw a sa
leam and stop a ger wanted to
speech only. use Parliament)
was (talian reclassify LIS as Lin-
Italiano
This is a long-running feature of our Gestuale
(the history Mimico
Italiano (LMG), which can be roughly
Congress of 1880 was a linguicistic putsch), and ad Milan io
g u a g g i o
"the jargon
or nime and
as
gestures." The word
franslated whichhas no exact counterpartin English, denotes
headache. linguaggio, whichh

A fine-and glaring-example of linguicism is fon communication or a

a s p e c i t i cc o d e
code of
specialized jargon that
a language. It encompasses a specialty such as
than a
Helmer Myklebust's The Psychology of Deafness,
less
in 1957, which for many years served as the standard xt
published is doublespeak,i
politicalc but nota full-fledged
on hechnobabbleor
tec
the subject for countless graduate students:
language.
larnternational Deaf community reacted with outrage,
The manual language used by the deaf is an petition campaign againstthe reclassification
ideographic lan- vigorous
guage.. . it is more pictorial, less symbolic. . . . ldeographic and a
e n s u e d . 5
language systems, in comparison with verbal symbol systems
another useful term
lack precision, subtlety, and flexibility. It is likely that Man can- Linguiciae,
used by Skutnabb-Kangas,
naturalor
not achieve his ultimate potential through an ldeographic lan- the death ofa language,
either from
political
refers to
is theeradication ofthe
guage. Themanual sign must be viewed as inferior to the causes.6The
goal, or result language-
verbal as a language." from the roster ofliving languages. Natural
disappearance
its
the dying-out of a geographically isolated
Despite ASL's gaining linguistic respect and greater official causes include and
causes include torced relocation, coercion,
tribe; political schools
recognition, it is still denigrated. Even in schools that permit in the infamous boarding
Deaf children to punishment, as happened
sign freely, they may be subjected to subtle the British government's sup-
or not-so-subtle for American Indian children,
linguicistic oppression, as this example from and Turkey's banning performances
the ASL Rose Newsletter pression of Irish Gaelic,
suggests: and recitals in the Kurdish language.
For ASL-users, a native sign language by a
linguicism is the The aggressive replacement of
cational settings.
oppression of ASL in deaf edu- as with Filipino
Perhaps you've seen such a scenario? A three form of MCE is another form of linguicide,
year-old deaf child enters a classroom filled with parents and the incursion of SEE. If's
distinguished visitors, where she tells the ASL Story of the Three Sign Language's subjugation by
a more subtle form of suppression
than imprisoning and
Bears.Upon finishing, the audience in the room stands to but the effects
silently,
a executing speakers of a proscribed language,
politely applaud and nod with stiff smiles. Next, three-year-ola
aeat boy enters the room. He one word-in fact, he utters are no less deadly.
it pertectly: "Ball." The room says
thunders
1s
Doy greeted with applause and tne nonocentrism, a term introduced by deconstructivist phi-
by beaming faces and smiles. This is an
756 glowing
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition Cver 30 years of promoting Deaf Awareness 757
CHAPTER 113
CHAPTER 113
Derrida (1930-2004) in schools alize deaf children
1974, refers
10
losopher Jacques f. These young
for the dea
into: e ideology of the
auditory-based
belief that spoken language superior to orters to English,
is to the dlts,
through
ch them to imitate and repeat certain aspects of
ore
language, primar
world and teach

or natural
than written language. Spoken ors
behaviors order to
in order contorm to the
expectations
auditory-based.
ing to this beliet,
is tundamental, writing less aut accord-
dcor world.8

capturinhentic, less
Hearing

the
a derivative means of of
primary, merely
Derrida believed that the fields of philosophy, liter speech. t h e s e enemy
isms enables us to recognize the philo-
thropology, and linguistics had become highly pho ture, an- ming ing theliniusticesthat drivethem. Thebigchallenge
hicorpracticalinjustice

tric, and took a bold stance in opposition to it7 The co ocen- manifestations, andnat's
theminalltheirma thae's what
combatting vill continue to do
a n d will continue do.
be extended to the oralists denigration of sign cept now,
can
langua
to render them
re
doing
es and their ongoing campaign extinct. The NOTES & CITATIONS
early oralists used heavily phonocentric and eugenic
ments-that speech was the badge of civilization, thatargu
si ie akin to the other negative-isms: racism, classism, sex
is akin
sign Linguicism "oism. It can be defined as ideologies and structures which
languages were primitive, brutal, and alien. 1.
effectuate and reproduce an unequal division of power
Hearization, coined by research scientist Stephen M. Nover to
legitimate

and
used
s (hoth
a r e resources (bot, material ana non-material) befween groups which are de
in 1995, refers to the systematic audiocentric acculturation bAsis of their mother tongues)-Tove
language (on the
the basis of Multilingualism and the
fined on#he
of Deaf children: Skutnabb-Kangas, " M iucation of Minority
Ofelia García
and Colir Baker, editors, Policy and Practice
Hearization is a process whereby deaf children are forced to Children,"
i n B i l i n g u a l E d u c a t i o n : Extending
the oundations (Clevedon, UK:
42. This was originally published
imitate and then are directed to repeat the unnatural language Matters, 1995, 40-62), p.
Multilingual.
behaviors, preferences, expectations, values, perspectives, ethos,
and characteristics of an auditory-based culture through spoken or in 1986.
and Kobert Phillipson, "Mother Tongue'
amanual code ofEnglish. This process thus delays deaf children's See also: Skutnabb-Kangas Construction of a Concept" in Ulrich
acquisition of a natural language (ASL) and prevents them from The Theoretical and Sociopolitical
and furnction Languages and Language Vari.
of
Status
Ammon, editor,
fully understanding their own Deaf culture. In other words, this New York: Walter de Gruyter & Co., 1989, p. 455.
eties (Berlin,
process not only delays acquiring ASL, but wastes valuable time
Skutnabb-Kangas, "Why
Should Linguistic Diversity be Maintained
and may be Guide for the Develop-
cognitively damaging to some degree. For example, Some Arguments:
in oral schools, children are and Supported in Europe? Diver-
taught
to imitate how
educators talk and are also directed to
English-only ment of Language
Education Policies in Europe from Linguistic
repeat the appropriate way Division, Directorate
Education," Language Policy
of
talking; they are repeatedly taught not to use hands or point sity to Plurilingual and Higher Education, DGIV, Council
of Eu-
ing and not to make facial expressions. of School, Out-of-School
repe: edly told to use voice when
Additionally, students are 2002 (http://www.coe.int/t/ dg4/linguistic/Source/
talking with their deat peers rope, Strasbourg,
even though these peers cannot hear. The practice motivates Skutnabb-KangasEN.pdf).
children (and their hearing family members) to treat other aear (https:/7
children and adults differently (i.e., in a subordinate dear "Linguistic Discrimination"
2.
See the Wikipedia entry on

Furthermore, hearization leads many deaf children intomanner wishin8 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_discrimination).

Orthinking they will become hearing some Some prerert
be called "hearing impaired" or "hard of day. of Deafness: Sensory Depri
deat. Unfortunately, deaf and hard of hearing" rather than 5. Helmer Myklebust, The Psychology York: Grune & Stratton, 1957),
toview Hearing people as superior to hearing children may learn On,Learning, and Adjustment (New
Im
short, hearization those who are Deaf. (.) PP.241-242. Quoted in H-Dirksen Bauman, "Listening
to Phonocen
policies dictate that the function of schoOlS Sm with Deaf Eyes: Derrida's Mute Philosophy of (Sign) Language
758
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition ver 30 759
years of promoting Deaf Awareness
CHAPTER 113 CHAPTER 113
ble Action as Utterance (New York
Kendon, G e s t u r e :

Essays in Philosophy 9.1 (2008):2. University Press, 2004

Ad Ke

4. "Back to ASL Kose Cambridge

School, Newsletter, August William
William Cran, Do You Speak American? (New
and
2007 (http:/ MacNeil
tail and
www.aslrose.com/2007/08/01/back-to-school/?cat e r Books, 2005).
ee also "The Robert.
Four Enemy Isms" udism, linguicism, York:Mariner.

tion) in the same issue.

phonocentrism, an Deaf Identities (New York: Oxford University
yo A L
Leigh,

P r e s s ,2 0 0 9 D p . 1 1 7 .
Irene

5. Alison Bryan and as well sa

Jen Dodds, "Italy might
use Monkey Language!" Grumpy Old Deafies, May221,2011 peaf People Amy June Rowley, Audism: A Theoryand
lark
Eckertand. Humanity & Society 37(2) (May
grumpyoldeafies.com/2011//05/italy_might_as_well_say_deaf.p.
(http:/p.html)
|www. Richard
of
CAudiocentric Privilege,"
Practice o f .
"Letter to the Italian Parliament from Dr.:Steven D.
2013), 101-30.

Old Deafies, May 23, 2011

Emery" G;
(http://www.grumpyoldeafies.com/2011 /n05
letter_to_the_italian_parliame.html).
in
Will Spiva, "The Italian Deaf Community Protests Denigration of I
gua Dei Segni Italiana," CiaoDC! May 28, 2011 (http://ciaodc.blogSPnt
com/2011/05/italian-deaf-community-protests.html).
6. Tove Skutnab-Kangas, Linguistic Genocide in Education-or World.
wide Diversity and Human Rights? (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, 2000).
7. Jacques Derrida (author) and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak(transia
tor), Of Grammatology (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press,
1998). Derrida's work has been controversial in the scholarly community;
Of Grammatology asisn'tonea straight philosophical or linguistic study, or
iterary work, but, reader puts it, "rests uneasily among these
three disciplines." Although Derrida's work is notoriously dificult, Of
Grammatology is considered his most accessible book.

8. Stephen M. Nover, "Politics and

and English in Deaf
Language: American Sign Language
Education," in Ceil Lucas, editor, Sociolinguistics
in Deaf Communities D.C.: Press,
(Washington, Gallaudet University
1997), pp. 123-124.

Tove
Skutnabb-Kangas, Tove, and Robert Phillipson, "Linguicism: A
lool tor Analyzing Linguistic Inequality and Promoting Linguistic Human
Tights,"International Journal of Group Tensions 20.2 (1990): 109-122.

Katherine A. Jankowski, Deaf

andRhetoric Empowerment: Emergence, Struggle
(Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University Press, 199/).
David
Armstrong, Original Signs: Gesture, Sign, and the Sources O
Language (Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet
University Press, 1999).
760
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition Over 30 years 761
ofpromoting
Deaf Awareness
 C H A P T E R1 1 4

community has
Deaf
The to a "ghetto
compared
heen
thati s disintegrating."

Isit true?

September
1993 Atlantic Monthly contained a
he cover
Edward Dolnick, "Deaf
essay by
p r o
provocative
Culture."In response,
The tlanticreceived
ness
as
SIWAa letters the editor, many written by
numerous
to readers.
self-described oral-deafr
t e w self-d
a n d aa few
persons,
SClHOOLIORTIAEDEAF hearing ressed tremendous contempt
expres
for the
them
of three such
Several are excerpts from
C u l t u r e . " Here
"Deaf
ot of in D E A F LIFE). The
first is written
concej
DEAF (all reprinted
r e s p o n s e s
reader (with a CI) who
CLUB reader; the he second by a
hearing hearing-impaired.
by a as "profoundly
describes herself
their games with unwitting
FuN How dare deaf culturalists play which cannot
that theirs is a state
dare they decide
children? How and pride, deny
How dare
through vanity
they,
be improved? of sound?
and w o n d e r s whether hu-
the blessings their true sympathies,
this test, to gauge of deaf
I posit children
self-centered: What
do deaf culturalist
mane or Do they
is born hearing?
culturalist children
do when their baby Do
its they
Do deny the use of ability?
with
ignore its faculty? outthey ice picks?
poke its ear-drums
of
silent world on
future generations
l ask, "Why inflict your
children who can be helped to enjoy
deaf and hard-of-hearing
one little corner?"
the whole world, and not just

thus:
D. Gerald Loeb, a surgeon, responded
worked for years
cochlear prosthesis, on which I have
ne clinicians, will lead
wn engineers and
many other scientists,
762 763
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition Ver 0 years of promoting Deaf Awareness
CHAPTER 114 CHAPTER 114

to deaf children?"

inevitably to the extinction ot the alternative cults to

deaf

re
probably within a decade. There will still be deat of the Deat, deny
hope
community
a "ghetto culture"?A ghetto is im-
people, some of oppressing it, keeping it
by choice and some because the technology cannat you

he Deat
Is the
Deaf
as a means

thinly ddress (yet) moralized, terrified. The mod-

populatio

ome forms of deafness, but they will be so

ndercontrol-powerless, demorali,
a

scatter- osed
on
owerless,
the Deaf culture will be unsustainable. (...) is of a deteriorating neighborhood
Given the rapid advances inthe science and nder cooea"ghetto"
these devices, it seems sate to predict that failure technologs
hind
ern-dayim
-dayi mpOverished, disempowered, crime-ridden
c o n s i s t i n 8 o f i m p o v e r i s h e

lure to include violence, illegal

cochlear prosthesis for a deat ive-year-old will
will soone
soon constit aprescribe consishe usual
victims. The
accoutrements

crime, hools that don't teach,

malpractice Hearing parents will rejoice
over the
restora n of
victin ngs,
unemployment,

of hopelessness.
their child to a reasonably normal life. Deat parents will feeling
aeoni dr unity, consists of persons who live
pervasive
the dilemmas that Edward Dolnick described.
over
Thoe and a
ghborhood,
a
children who remain deat because of parental choice or other because they want to.
logical shortcomings will not sustain the
techno Anelgr asSOciate with, each
competing educational and shared
near, a n d / o r .

institutions and rich linguistic torms ot the present Deaf near, feeling of satety, security, support,
a
culture They
derive

the best possible quality of life from

Deaf culture shares many characteristics of the Yiddish
culture They enjoy
of pre-war Europe (including uncertain status as a
proper noun).
concerns.

finity.
There is a bond, a neighborly feeling, cohesive-
Both reflect a triumphant expression of will and
ingenuity to cope that network andsupport. A neighborhood
with criminally unfairghettoization. Both are unsustainable in friendship,
the ness
to live. A community is a positive and
absence of tragic circumstances from which
they sprang. People desirable place
is a
institution. A community works.
whohave devoted their lives to creating these alternative cultures nowerful
deserve our highest respect and from without. A community is built
deepest sympathy even when ghetto is imposed
they reject both as patronizing. Those who cannot be removed A
up from within.
from a
ghetto that is disintegrating will need all the support that and coldly hostile view: The
our society can provide.2 To focus on Dr. Loeb s negativeto dwell together, not only for
traditionally chosen
Jews have
but to share their taith, languages, values,
These remarks are indicative of the
hostility with which some safety and security, to live in ghettos, in over-
hearing and oral-deaf people view "Deaf Culture." and traditions. True, Jews wereforced conditions.
You can look at deafness as crowded, undesirable, even
horrendous were They
a
pathological
condition to be sometimes peculiar-looking
eliminated or remedied. Or you can look at it as a cultural compelled to wear distinctive,
forbidden to dress certain
attribute, an
ethnicity, a way of
being human, even a way of
hats, cloaks, or badges; they were
life. To certain colors or styles, carry weapons, engage
culturally-Deaf people, being deaf is a part of their ways, wear
these
personalities that they cherish, that they consider special. in most trades, own land, travel freely, etcetera. All of
Something that
they consider worthy of passing on to tne were means of oppression, disenfranchisement, humiliation,
children. In accordance
are not
welcomed
with this view, cochlear
as the latest
implants and control. Ways of expressing hatred and tear.
The first ghetto was established by Catholic rulers in Italy
conquest of deafness, but as an technologicalandadvance in tne
with the
mvasion of deaf person's body.
a unnecessary able
Segregate the Jews-to prevent them from mixing
It can be very Catholic populace, to forcibly hold them down. In taste
persuade antagonistic (or simply difficuit
deaf persons of the ignorant) hearing pe, having originally been invited to settle there by the
E validity of this view. "Why and
World on
future generations?" inflict y llers who wanted to boost their kingdoms' prosperity, they
764 they retort. "How ca were gradually restricted to certain cities or areas ot cities.

For Over 30 years

Hearing People Only: 4th Edit of promoting Deaf Awareness 765
 CHAPTER 114

CHAPTER 114 assimilate into thehearing com-

to
npelled) approximations, to forsake
Deaf"
bae h
p
s" eea
cr in
to fg,speak
n i zg king"
sometine hearinc
But the Jews made the best of the Nover
situationn, creating
be ofourselves,
to be un-deaf. (Stephen
ometobe" to
self-suffici communities. At the
brant, munity
t h i s a s h e a r i z a t i c
tion.)
houses and heea
as
heart were tVi to be in
t h i s
synagogues-the of prayer associate with each other,
wana
study-the
(for commerce. at"
described nt to nmunicate freely. The hearing
people
and yeshivot, the marketplaces d socializa- situations where thev can
commu
tion), darich home life. When they fled persecution a Deaf them freedom to do so.
ut where they permitted

massacres, and
finall forced n o talways
conscription, pogroms, ityhas who wisheded to cleanse the human
annihilation, they established a flourishing commur systematic Graham
Bell,
Comm
Alexande anted to ban schools for the deaf,
the Lower East Side in Manhattan. Was it a ghetto? on subspecies,
dear
wanted impeded
Alexas deaf
deafpress,and a
clubs for that purpose: they
or r a c e

Within a generation two, many of the inhabitante ofits nd deaf into the
Hearing culture. Deaf
deaf person'sassimilat
na assimilation
migrated north to South Bronx (which was then a desiral fostereda sense of culturalidentity
not
attractive, even tony middle-classneighborho to Brook and clubs
schoolsa
only also promulgated ASL. To us, it's
cohesion, they
social
refined by generations of
orthe suburbs. As they became progressively assimilated into and
created and
language
American culture, they gradually lost their Jewish identity a n o t h e robstacle
r to be dismantled.
g l o r i o u s
was
to the point where their children's children or grandchildren To kBell, it by
aDeafpeople.
Deafpeople. were, on
the whole, "pure-oralized"
deaf
were no longer recognizably Jewish. Was this, then, a good or the and transmitte among
Schools SL was taught
but
War I, clandestine
thing? If you feel that Jewish faith, identity, and traditions World out-of-class or activity. It was
are worth preserving, no. Something uniquely beautiful and as an
student the dormitory
the Deat churches,
clubs, and
valuable was lost. reserved
in the Now, that
to wipe it out.
Dr. Loebevidentlynever visited Boro P'ark or CrownHeights s u r v i v e d all attempts

in Brooklyn, or Monsey, New York-three major Yiddish-

toilets. ASL
says something. Geneti-
speaking Orthodox Jewish communities. They are not ghettos, there will always be deaf people.
We believe that
but they are flourishing, densely populated Jewish neighbor- that cause Usher syndrome
identified nine genes
cists have deatness (e-g, Connexin
hoods. Their inhabitants choose to live there, as they can only torms of congenital
and some other
live a full Jewish life in proximity to other Jews, with shops others, but there will always be
26), and will likely identify Those
and institutions that cater to their needs as Jews-e.g, kosher children born to untested parents.
butcher shops and grocery markets, Jewish bookstores, busi- deaf and deafblind
have their children undergo
who have sufficient money may
nesses owned and staffed by religious Jews, clothing stores families may not. That
cochlear-implant surgery-butpoorer deaf
that supply the particular styles that are deemed suitable. means that w e will end up
with a "class" of un-deafed
They have their own clubs, schools, books, and newspapers.
comfortable, and a class of poor
EtCetera. Their languages are Yiddish, Hebrew, and English people who are financially as it looks, too many
a tolks withstrong Deaf identities (and,
and there's flourishing Yiddish press. Yiddish, like it or not
1s alive and
well in these communities, in both with substandard educations).
spoken di we
printed forms. There has also been a some doctors' blithely clinical predictions,
resurgence of interest Despite and
historic Yiddish literature-the collection and commonplace
of preservauo ont think that implants will become as
pre-war books, for number of consCien
L e case of example. nevitable as smallpox vaccinations. A
Deaf people, we have been encouraged (and children implanted.
766 usnearing parents refuse to have their
For Hearing People Only: 4th E Over 30 years nf nn 767
CHAPTER 114
CHAPTER 115

And we harbor dark suspicions that childhood

a medical fad that will run that the plants
its course, and
w
implants
are ASL
the anti-A
vigorous anti-implantbacklashspearheaded by deat beaa be Does

who were implanted as children, and who have long adults lobby make better
stopped using their implants. And those who hau experi-
enced medical problems as a result of their implantaation, o f the media than
something that Dr. Loeb doesn't acknowledge. (Nor doec does1h
use

acknowledge the catastrophic failures or the fatalities of i

e does the Deaf community?
CI boom.)
And there's a glimmer of encouraging news: in 2015, the auditory-oralist bloc likes to portray itself,
he
as the David standing in
major CI corporations reported declining profits. Perhaps the absurdly enough,
CI bubble is indeed bursting. to the Goliath-bogeyman of
courageous opposition
In one sense, the Deaf community is like a ghetto: it is hard the Deafcommunity. But they certainly have clout,
for us to establish free, open, and comfortable communication unlimited
revenue. hey are also aided by the ignorance
with the hearing community. There is, after all, a limited pool
and
mainstream
media and neral public. Much news
of persons with whom we can communicate openly. There of the Deaf-related issues is farcically unbalanced.
coverage of
are not enough interpreters to go arournd, and even hospitals not much m o r e than
thinly-disguised-or
amounting to
and other major facilities may not provide them when they're for the agenda ofAGBell. Reporters
undisguised-promotion
needed. and ignorance are still widespread. The to genuine Deaf advocates, preferring
Prejudice shy away from talking since most
boom in cochlear implants hasn't altered that a bit, as faras oral-auditorypartisans--after all,
to sidle up to most comfortable
we can see. Currentmedia images of deaf people and coverage that's the mode they're
reportersare hearing
of controversial issues are as superficial and their existing prejudices and
uninformed as with. They certainly bring If
ver-witha few
noteworthy exceptions (such as Dolnick's e r r o n e o u s assumptions
to the stories they're covering.
are normal,
thought-provoking article). hearing and speaking
believe that
That's nota ghetto or unrepaired cochleas as
they already people? Deviants?
ofsilence mucn then what do they consider signing-Deaf
as it is a ghetto of attitude. And that's a ghetto we would like
malcontents? Extremists?
The loony fringe?
to demolish-right now. Anti-technology
All this and more? to
amount of space
have a limited
Keporters usually has to be chosen
NOTES
1. The Atlantic Monthly cover story was reprinted as the their stories, so each quotation
ccompass
DEAF LIFE cover story of October 1993; the letters were care. Soundbites-snappy,
briet, attention-gerting
with interviewees-are popular
published in the December 1993 issue POtically-charged remarks from
2. Also especially to end off
their articles. They are
quoted in Chapter 110. reporters, who see the CI as
fond of advocates, :Surgeons
quoting
CI
of being dear wi ana

Brand solution to the "problem" of the Deaf community

e l y predict the imminent demise
768 769
For Hearing People Only: 4th Edition Over 30 years of promoting Deaf Awarenes.