When Political Correctness Goes Too Far in Deaf Organizations Discriminating Against Hearing Aid and Cochlear Implant Users

“Athletes taking part in the Deaf World Championships shall be forbidden from using any hearing aids or cochlear implant aids during competitions.”

Lately it has come to my attention that certain Deaf sports organizations ban the use of hearing aids and cochlear implants in their deaf tournaments or games according to their rules and bylaws. The shock was revealed by one deaf woman who wanted to participate in the U.S Deaf Golf Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Banning hearing aids and cochlear implants from golf tournaments (or any other sports for that matter as long as the hearing aid does not risk damage) does not make any sense at all. The only reason why I think they ban such assistive hearing devices is to "level" the playing field where one would not have an advantage over the other. Whether or not this is the case it still wouldn't make sense to ban hearing aids and cochlear implants use from Deaf sporting events sponsored by Deaf sports organizations. Although at the U.S. Deaf Golf Championship officials allowed her a temporary reprieve to compete while wearing her hearing aid. She placed in the top five but afterwards the USDG ruled later on to doubly enforce the rule to forbade hearing aid or cochlear implant during competitions according to the rules and regulations under the CISS/Deaflympics organization.

This is the level of hypocrisy set by the few Deaf militants, zealots and their culture under the guise of "equality" in Deaf games and tournaments. This is nothing more than pure discrimination where wearing a hearing aid or cochlear implant has no bearing or real tactical advantage over other deaf/Deaf opponents who do not wear such a device in deaf games. Golf is certainly one of them.


Read below the excerpt:
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I am a serious and very good golfer. My handicap is 10. I love competition and I love to win. Last year for the first time I entered the U.S. Deaf Golf Championships. I was told that I could not wear hearing aids during the tournament. I was shocked. I immediately felt discriminated against. Here is my story.

My name is Lauri and I live in Michigan. I am profoundly deaf, 90% dB loss, and have been since birth. I wear only one hearing aid, on my right ear, due to a disorder called recruitment. I have worn a hearing aid on this ear since early childhood but because of the severity of my hearing loss I still have to read lips to understand what people are saying.

In July of 2003 I went to the U.S. Deaf Golf Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina. It was my first time entering the tournament. On the first day of the tournament, one of the committee told me that I could not wear hearing aids. I was shocked and upset. I was trying to focus my mind on getting ready to play golf instead of being upset. I asked her, “Why?” She said, “Because we now come under The Committee International Sports for the Deaf (CISS) rules and regulations.” I flew all the way to North Carolina and paid to rent a Condo along with a couple of deaf friends, and now you are telling me that I cannot wear hearing aids. Her reply was “It’s in the entry form”. I never found this regulation in the entry. She knew I was quite upset so she went to talk to the officers. When she returned I was told that they will allow me to wear hearing aids this time, but next time I would not be able to.

Fortunately I made the top five and therefore qualified to represent the U.S. Women’s team at the Deaf World Golf Championships, to be played in Stockholm Sweden in July of this year. I was quite upset when I was informed that we were not allowed to wear hearing aids during the Deaf World Golf Championships, also because they now come under CISS rules and regulations. I had to drop out the U.S. Women team. I accessed the CISS now renamed to CISS/Deaflympics – Regulations on the Internet and found the regulations under General Information, item J, (for championship regulations - Kokonut Pundits) which reads…

“Athletes taking part in the Deaf World Championships shall be forbidden from using any hearing aids or cochlear implant aids during competitions.”

I do not understand this rule. If a Deaf person chooses not to use hearing aids for their entire life, then they participate in activities without hearing the associated sounds. They play golf without hearing the sound of hitting the ball. Their learned skills are developed by using other sensory perceptions. On the other hand, a Deaf person who chooses to wear hearing aids uses the sounds of hitting the ball to help orient themselves. In a tournament played under the above regulations, who would have an advantage? A person playing under their normal circumstances or a person made to play under unfamiliar ones? The same regulations also state that deaf would be defined as a hearing loss of ‘at least 55dB’. That means a person without a hearing aid and a 55db hearing loss could actually have better hearing than a profoundly deaf person with a hearing aid. If a person has a 55dB loss, they can hear something without hearing aids. It’s still an advantage over someone with a 90bB loss. I feel that this rule is unfair because it gives an advantage to one player over another and is discriminatory. Would you not permit a person to wear glasses? Would you not permit a person with prosthesis to play in the game?

Because of this outdated and unfair rule I felt compelled to relinquish my place on the U.S. Women’s golf team. Again, I am a Deaf person who has chosen the OPTION to wear hearing aids. I should not be discriminated against for that choice. The sad and unfortunate fact is that this discrimination is being levied by an organization that certainly should know better and be more understanding about new technology and its impact on options for deaf people. Children are learning to listen and speak using hearing aids and cochlear implants all over this country.

Until the United States and World Deaf Golf Championship are included in the CISS/Deaflympics I believe its rules and regulations should be kept separate. I believe that it is time for us to move forward and not dwell in the traditions of the past. After all this is the 21st Century and we have made great progress in minimizing acts of discrimination.

I corresponded with the President of CISS/Deaflympics about this situation last September. She replied back and recommended that if I wished for this rule to change I would have to ask the U.S. Deaf Golf Foundation to submit a proposal to World Deaf Golf Federation (WDGF) who would then submit it to her. She would then put it on the agenda for discussion at the January 2005 Congress in Melbourne. I complied with these directions and contacted the President of the U.S. Deaf Golf Foundation, his reply was as follows:

During its annual meeting on October 9, the U.S. Deaf Golf Foundation(USDGF) Board of Directors discussed the issue of not allowing competing deaf and hard of hearing golfers to wear hearing aids nor cochlear implants at the U.S. Deaf Golf Championships and the World Deaf Golf Championships.

This rule has been in effect for many years with the USA Deaf Sports Federation (USADSF), of which USDGF is a national sports organization, and Comité International des Sports des Sourds, CISS (The International Committee of Sports for the Deaf). The USADSF is affiliated with CISS. Also, USADSF is affiliated with the World Deaf Golf Federation (WDGF).

The USDGF Board has decided not to take further action on this issue. We intend to fully enforce this requirement for those who participate in future U.S. Deaf Golf Championships, as well as the World Deaf Golf Championships. However, we encourage you to express your views directly with USADSF, WDGF, and CISS.

I was surprised and very disappointed at his response. I spoke to a lawyer who works for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and civil rights about rejecting hearing aids/cochlear implant during U.S. Deaf Golf Championships. I believe that they broke ADA law because we are playing in the United States. He said, “They are non-profit organizational, which means they can make whatever rules they want to.”

I am not giving up my rights. I can’t live without my hearing aids. It is a part of my life. They should not be allowed remove a part of me. The next United States Deaf Golf Championships will be held in July of 2005. The top five scorers will qualify for the World Deaf Golf Championship in Edmonton, Canada in 2006. I need your support so please contact these organizations. You can reach the President of United States Deaf Golf Foundation and the President of CISS/Deaflympics. Please feel free to submit any questions or comments; you can reach me at supporthrngaids@aol.com.

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TO CONFIRM YOUR SUPPORT TO THE USE OF HEARING AIDS/COCHLEAR IMPLANTS DURING U.S. AND WORLD DEAF GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS. Please pass the word. Thank you!

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Although through this action by discriminating against golf tournment participants from wearing a hearing aid or cochlear implant the United States Deaf Golf Foundation have violated their own bylaws in Article 13.

Non-Discrimination Policy

The USDGF makes every effort to conduct its official business regarding USA representation in world competition play, Board service, athletes, members, officials, and any other related issue on the basis of skill, training, ability, attitude and character without discrimination with regard to age, gender, sexual orientation, color, race, creed, national origin, religious persuasion, marital status, political belief and disability.

What they have violated was the political belief of Lauri's believing she has a right to wear her hearing aid in a Deaf sports tournament, specifically golf. That's politics in of itself. The whole thing is a sham reeking with with Deaf political correctness influenced by a Deaf International Sports body that have no business telling Deaf/deaf organizations in the United States on what they can or cannot do when it comes to allowing the use of hearing assistive devices during Deaf/deaf games or tournaments. Looking at the other extreme end it would be just as unfair to require participating athletes that they must wear hearing aids or cochlear implants on in order to qualify in a deaf game or tournament. Harmony and understanding are what is needed. Not discrimination and elitism.

Send in your support for Lauri and see that this monkey business stop.


Update: If you go to the Deaflympics website on Deaflympics Games regulation (not championships) under DG2. GENRAL INFORMATION section H, subsection C, it states also as well that:

Participation in the Deaflympic Games is restricted to persons who are:
not using hearing aids or cochlear implant aids during any Deaflympic Games event. (Final Draft of Amended Regulations (March 2003))

They have one mission and that is the promotion of the CISS principles throughout the world thereby creating global goodwill in the Deaf community. By saying "Deaf" they exclude those who do not consider themselves as Deaf but deaf or hard of hearing and know little or no sign language but yet fulfills all of the hearing loss requirements under Section DG2. GENRAL INFORMATION. In their magnality, they, however, have not explained why a deaf or hard of hearing competitor cannot wear a hearing aid or a cochlear implant during a Deafylmpic game or championship in their attempt to skirt the issue. By their virtue of doing this they upset that "global goodwill" by using their foreign imposition by denying legitimate deaf athletes here in the United States (and elsewhere) who wear cochlear implants or hearing aids from competing because of the so-called perceived advantages over those who do not wear such devices. By this very act of denying these talented athletes for being who they are the Deaflympics organization indeed does NOT promote the ideal "global goodwill" among all types of people with hearing loss greater than 55 dB. This is a recipe courting disaster and invite disharmony among fellow brothers and sisters who share the same deafness struggle. What the world does not need is elitism and grandeur but harmony and understanding for all.

UPDATE 2: Not only has Lauri's political belief's been violated according to Article 13 of the U.S. Deaf Golf Association regarding non-discrimination practice against politic beliefs, but also violated her ADA (American with Disabilities Act) by refusing her the needed assistive hearing device (hearing aid or cochlear implant) allowing her the ability to communicate along with her signing ability. However, there are people with hearing aids or cochlear implants who rely on them for vocal and listening communications. Not everybody who is deaf or hard of hearing knows sign language. That would be an unfair stigma and stereotypical response thinking all deaf people know sign language.

A few years ago the PGA violated Pro golfer Casey Martin's use of a cart to go between holes simply because of the perceived "unfair advantage" over the other but still relatively young and agile pro-golfers, who must walk a distance of four miles during the course of an 18-hole golf tournament. These pro-golfers must overcome "fatigue" in order to win. Laughable but it was not funny in Martin's case. For those who do not know Martin, he suffers from Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome, a rare circulatory disease, in his right leg. Such a condition that makes it nearly impossible for him to walk an 18-hole golf course and in attempting to do so would make him the most fatigued tourney golfer at every hole! The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a federal disability law allowed him to use a cart between shots during tournaments.

Now, what makes the U.S. Deaf Golf Association think that they have not violated the American with Disability Act? Justice John Paul Stevens commented :

Under the ADA's basic requirement that the need of a disabled person be evaluated on an individual basis, we have no doubt that allowing Martin to use a golf cart would not fundamentally alter the nature of PGA tournaments.

In Lauri's case, allowing her the use of the hearing aid (or a cochlear implant) would not fundamentally alter the nature of Deaf golf games or championships. The Deaflympics never produced nor provided reasonable proof or examples of how a deaf or hard of hearing golfer use of the hearing aid will alter dramatically in the game of golf against other deaf or Deaf golfers who do not wear such assistive listening devices. This all boils down to that Deaflympics failed to offer a reasonable explaination of why a deaf or hard of hearing golfer cannot wear such a device. They must provide the evidence, not Lauri, on how her wearing a hearing aid will fundamentally alter the nature of the golf game. Anybody who believes that wearing a hearing aid in a golf game provides an unfair advantage over Deaf/deaf non-hearing aid golfers (or cochlear implant) simply does not hold water. It is simply an elitist attitude, at worst, or a badly misplaced intention, at best, within those Deaf sport organizations who have simply gone too far in their attempt to forbade hearing aids and cochlear implants in their Deaf sport games.