Recently my children posted a vlog in DVTV on homeschooling called "why homeschooling is fun". Several people questioned whether it was a good idea to home school deaf children. They said they understood why it might work for hearing children but questioned whether it'd work for deaf children. I was sort of expecting this kind of crap to show up in my children's vlog so I created this vlog in preparation for potential ignorance. Sure enough, the ignorance showed up. Several vloggers mocked our kids and began to question whether it was a good idea to home school deaf children... hence, I posted this vlog in response.
The headline, "I'm deafless" was created in comparison to "ageless" term. For instance, I see a 80 years old man that's very active and is into jogging, rowing and exercises. I say to myself, my gosh this guy is ageless. I see myself under the same light as in 'deafless'. The term deafless was also created with sense for humor in mockery of audism, which is also an invented term that has not been recognized by panels of scholars. I figured why not poke fun at audism while I'm at it. If you didn't have any sense of humor when you read this then I'm sorry.
The point of the video is to emphasize the fact that we're more than just deaf. We're human beings therefore why not seek equality / common grounds with the rest of the world by reclaiming ours statuses as human beings? Why degrade ourselves, voluntarily, by allowing the term 'deaf' to own us and control us the way it has been done for many years.
In the good old days when many deaf people held respective jobs across the nation they did not find the need to identify themselves as 'deaf' but today we see high unemployment in the deaf community, I suspect, largely due to how we introduce ourselves as 'deaf' and degrade ourselves voluntarily. In short, we've become slaves to this term, deaf, which is unnecessary in my view. Naturally the choice is yours but I've made my choice by introducing myself as a human being first rather than making an issue of my deafness.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not asking us to conceal, hide or be ashamed of our deafness. I've said it many times and will say it again. I'm not ashamed to be deaf but I don't see the point of being too proud of it as if we're some what less than human beings the way deafhood people does it. What they're trying to do is make us forget the fact that we're human beings first before we're anything else. They want us to forget that we have the same leverage as the hearing people. Instead they want us to be colonized and isolated in the deaf world whereas they could control us by turning us into slaves of 'deaf' terms. Well, for your information, it's not going to happen to me. Don't know about you but I say it's deafless for me. Good riddance to deafhood. Go and fish else where.
Interesting perspective. I can see where you are coming from. Too bad one can write a whole novel to why there are so many discrimination penerating society and why there is such high unemployment rate.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your point however in the reality, people will identify us deaf first before anything else.
ReplyDeleteJFLMad
Well said, Barry. I find it ironic that hearing people are accused of paternalizing and colonizing deaf people, when in actuality it is deaf people doing it to themselves. The Deafhood supporters are not mingly freely with the hearing community. They may be out there in the world conducting their daily lives, but are not interacting with hearing people in a meaningful way. Instead, they socialize only with each other in their own little Deaf world. That's why 95% of the people who went to the DBC conference were deaf, when the purpose of DBC is to encourage hearing parents to teach their babies ASL. Life is funny.
ReplyDeleteI had to watch your youtube video several times to get your point(s). Being a linguist with intermediate skill in ASL, I'm beginning to notice more and more vlog(s) (I prefer to watch them both for my receptive skills and styles of expressions in ASL) that express or state opinions that are already stated by that "seemingly" starting researcher by name of Anthony O...(something). You should pursue the studies of a budding scholar at Univ of Arizona, who holds both degrees in Anthropology and Linguistics. He has showed that Deafhood is paradigmatically and theoretically flawed via both spheres of interests (Cultural Anthropology and Sociology of Language, i.e. Sociolinguistics). It is heartening to know that, unless I mistake my eyes in perceiving you, you are among few who are at a form of "enlightenment" which that researcher at UofA has already observed.
ReplyDeleteI've tried to leave a few comments similar to this effect and found that I seem to have to be part of an "in crowd" in order to begin a thread of conversation, especially about metaphysics. I'm still new with all this "Deafread" thing, both for its name, aggregator and the people that frequent it. But many thanks for the vlog! A very good one, despite how many times I had to watch!
Ha, great post. I clearly saw your point in your vid. The term "deafhood" is simply over-rated. I'd rather see the person for who he/she is as a human beings who happen to have a hearing loss. Or is blind. In a wheelchair. Has a learning disability. And so on. Improving oneself isn't about just one thing but everything that life throws at you.
ReplyDeleteDeafless? What a great tongue-in-cheek response to "deafhood."
Mike
Aka - Kokonut Pundit
http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com/2009/08/deafless-in-seattle.html
Yes, yes, I know this blog was written LONG time ago!
ReplyDeleteYour video is simply well-said. I'll give you and other readers (doubt it) example(s),
1. I have written my resume, without saying I am Deaf and blind.
2. I introduce myself to people with my name and others, not deaf.
I find it is unnecessary to tell people that I am deaf. I also find that saying deaf in first place, a great way to turn people off to talk with me. It also can make they wondering (hearing) why it is important to state that I am deaf? Of course, letting them know that I am deaf, so have communicate by write on paper or via interpreter. Other than that, it is unnecessary to state that I am deaf.
In conclusion, some people will wondering, like "wow, deaf people can do many things like us. They have great characteristics".
I already know this, long time ago. It is nice to review it.
By the way, I find your blog is very informative.
Riley