Deaf-initely Different

thelegalizeddeafies:

What in the world do I mean by “Out the Deafie,” you ask?

Simple. What we’re doing is, we’re asking our followers to send in stories about the first time they ever felt comfortable and/or stood up for themselves as deaf, hard of hearing, or late-deafened individuals. We’re also asking those who haven’t done so to spill the beans (all of it — your frustration, your anger, the works). Tell us all about it and empower others who are in the same boat.

Granted, there are those who already have a strong sense of deaf identity. They’re usually quick to speak up whenever they feel people are treating them unfairly. You’ll find plenty of deaf and hard of hearing advocates rightfully demanding accessibility in the form of interpreters, captioning, assistive listening devices, and so on.

However, not every deaf or hard of hearing person feels empowered enough to tell the world, Hey, this is who I am. I’m perfectly fine with it.

Let me tell you, there are plenty of deaf and hard of hearing people who tolerate many an uncomfortable situation because they truly believe This is a hearing world. We must live by its rules. They may not even know that there is such a thing as deaf identity.

For example, there are deaf and hard of hearing students in mainstream schools who receive little or no support. They don’t ask for it. They don’t fight for their rights because they have no true peers (it’s hard to have a deaf identity if you’re alone). They grow up believing it’s their responsibility to do things the hearing way. They rarely speak up if they can’t understand their teachers.

There are also deaf, hard of hearing, and late-deafened people who, for whatever reason, feel obligated to attend family events with hearing relatives who do not sign or make any real effort to connect with them. You’ll find these deaf wallflowers sitting politely with fake smiles galore. They dare not rock the boat.

Of course, there comes a time when people say enough’s enough. I personally know one deaf guy who brought a book with him to family events. If he couldn’t understand his family, he figured, he might as well entertain himself with a good read. Some people argued that this was rude, but what else was he supposed to do? Smile dutifully like an idiot?

You’d be surprised at how many deaf and hard of hearing people have mastered the art of the phony smile. And quite frankly, it’s time to stop. It’s time to take off the mask and unveil the deaf identity that helps us thrive.

If enough deaf and hard of hearing people share their stories, it can empower others who’ve been in the same situation.(Come on, folks, life is too short to go around nodding your head when you don’t know what’s going on.)

On the right of this page, you’ll find a “Submit” button that you can easily type it out and send to us. Again, the guidelines are simple:

• Tell us about the first time you stood up for yourself and/or embraced your deaf identity (either as a deaf, hard of hearing, or late-deafened person).

OR

• If you’re still tolerating uncomfortable, communicatively inaccessible environments, tell us about it.

That’s all there is to it.

And now, let the fun begin. Let it all out and send it in. Either way, we value your story! Bring it on!

Deafized yours,

Mike