Discrimination and Segregation

 Recently I've begun to notice a rather curious thing, the blatant discrimination and active support for segregation in some "deafhood" circles. Mostly identifying people with hearing loss in the form of whether they know ASL (and not SEE, et al) or not. Sometimes as blatant as a flyer with the words you cannot miss, "For Deaf ONLY," compounded with an enticing "free admission" invitation to an "Intro to Deafhood." I wonder how a person with a hearing loss with no knowledge of signing would react after reading that sign? Imagine how a hearing person would think, too. Would a deaf/hh person go and check it out because that sign advertisement piqued his or her curiosity? Imagine his/her surprise once the person gets inside and finds out there is no communication access because, silly, you have to be "Deaf" first and not "deaf" or "hard of hearing." No real time captioning. No voice interpreter. No FM loop. All that to go along with sign language access. Something a deaf/hh person would naturally expect at a HLAA workshop or seminar like the flyer below (note the red box at bottom).

But not so in this case at a "deafhood" workshop. Ya gotta know ASL, too. Does not help if you're a CODA, you can't go. Even if your significant other is hearing and you're deaf/hh. It's either Deaf or no Deaf and that hearing, deaf and hard of hearing people are segregated and discriminated on the basis of a communication requirement. You can't say the same thing for HLAA where they do provide communication access for all their workshops and seminars, and everyone is invited regardless of hearing status.

Would anyone be interested in going to a workshop that favors segregation while practicing their brand of discrimination?  Yet it is rather curious to see this "For Deaf ONLY" phrase meticulously posted on a flyer for an intro workshop on "deafhood" that discusses this "journey"

That sort of warning announcement reminds me of time when the differences between black and white were clearly spelled out and a line drawn during the 1950s and 1960s decades of racism.

Maybe it'd be better to spell it out so there be less confusion? Like, for example...

"For ASL-users only. Must be deaf or hard of hearing. No SEE allowed. Turn off your hearing aids. Turn off your cochlear implants. Voice interpreters are NOT available. We do not use FM loop. We do not use CART. Late deafened must know ASL! HEARING PEOPLE ARE NOT ALLOWED!"

Just really get to the point of who are not welcomed to come just so other deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people can know what to expect. Don't leave them guessing if they are in fact invited or not.

It's only fair.  And I wonder wistfully so whether such a workshop would be held at one of those future HLAA conventions?

And just as well, with that discrimination requirement imposed by those "deafhood" workshops leaves out 99.5% of the population of people with hearing loss who are unable to attend even though they themselves are undergoing their own personal journey in life where hearing loss is a part of that. Kind of sad that they get to experience discrimination and segregation from other people with hearing loss and chalk it up as part of their personal journey in life. Who says that signing is a requirement in a personal journey for any deaf or hard of hearing person?

Such ego.

More incredible stories.

Last year, there was an instance when both deaf husband and his hearing wife wanted to go to a "deafhood" workshop together only to be turned away at the door because hearing people weren't allowed into that workshop. The deaf husband decided not to go because he didn't like their segregation requirement.  It appears that he didn't like the discriminatory attitude as well. And, yeah, I read/watched the reasons as to why it was for "Deaf people only" (which essentially means ASL-only) which I found a bit disconcerting if not disingenuous on seeing how they came up with those excuses. Imagine a deaf/hh non-signer surprise on the lack of access.  For them, it'd be called "reverse discrimination." Suppose the wife was hearing and her husband is deaf and blind where she does the interpreting for him? Yeah, kick that oppressive hearie out the door.

Another lost opportunity to reach out.

This whole thing is a slippery-slope issue when you have people turn the concept of "deafhood" (i.e "the journey") into political agenda by focusing on cultural attainment and signing ability requirements. A focus on "Deaf-centric" attitudes which ironically has become a new way of segregating and discriminating. That's not a personal journey. It becomes a CULTural attitude instead.

Good luck with that approach.

ADDENDUM:

Here's an example of segregation and discrimination at work. Two separate workshop coming this April with one called "Journey to Deafhood" that is done in "ASL ONLY." It makes clear that "there will be no voice interpreting." And that "this workshop is designed for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, CI, Advanced ASL students, ASL Teachers, interpreters and YOU." If you're deaf or hh and don't know sign, then too bad. Tough guano. While another workshop is for "hearing people" entitled "Understanding Deafhood: Becoming A Great Ally." That I find ironic considering the first workshop does not provide any additional communication access such as CART or voice interpreting when the topic is about journeying toward "deafhood." Whatever. More like learning and understanding how segregation and discrimination work in a reverse order.