After reading Tony's blog about the ongoing cultural battle with titles such as Deaf, Hearing Impaired, Undeaf etc... It really breaks my heart!!!
I would be categorised into the Hearing Impairment group, neither belonging to the Deaf or Hearing community. Just as I was writing this comment, I reminded myself of a conversation I had a few years ago with an Auslan Interpreter who introduced herself. She had asked me "What am I ?" meaning to ask if I was "Deaf" or "Hearing Impaired'. I replied that I was sitting on top of a fence as an observer, still deciding which side of the fence has greener grass.
After realising that I could not overcome the cultural barriers to become part of the Deaf community and due to the fact that I now have a Cochlear Implant, I opted to hop off the fence and stick with the Hearing Community. There is no doubt that the implant had assisted my ability to mix with the Hearing community, it also had allowed me to discover some of the joys of being "Hearing". I must emphasis that the implant itself is just a more advanced piece of technology compared to the conventional hearing aid. It is just that, a hearing aid. Full stop !!!
Back to my monologue about this ridiculous business of the word "Undeaf", it does not do anyone any favours nor does it help clear up any misconceptions of what people might have on the Hearing Impaired. Although I applaud MM's intention, which is to try and minimise discrimination against HI people from the "Deaf" community. Personally I don't give a shit, the "Deaf" community feels threatened at the moment. So they're doing what is natural to them, what any minority community would do when they're feeling threatened. They start excluding people who don't fit the ideal profile of a member of their community. I believe the main reason why this practice exist is because they are hoping to bolster their numbers of "pure" members and would not consider polluting their community of people who are "Half brood" to ensure the survival of their culture/community.
This kind of discrimination exists in hearing communities as well, they make up hurtful labels to try and push them away. Terms like "Coconut" (to describe a black person mingling with the white community) and "Banana" (to describe an Asian person mingling with the Anglo-Saxon community) are such examples. Let us not forget what happened during WW2, and what happened in Kosovo during the 1990's
In a nutshell, you are not going to completely eradicate these behaviours, like it not, it is part of human nature.
ok.. I'll stop ranting now..
I would be categorised into the Hearing Impairment group, neither belonging to the Deaf or Hearing community. Just as I was writing this comment, I reminded myself of a conversation I had a few years ago with an Auslan Interpreter who introduced herself. She had asked me "What am I ?" meaning to ask if I was "Deaf" or "Hearing Impaired'. I replied that I was sitting on top of a fence as an observer, still deciding which side of the fence has greener grass.
After realising that I could not overcome the cultural barriers to become part of the Deaf community and due to the fact that I now have a Cochlear Implant, I opted to hop off the fence and stick with the Hearing Community. There is no doubt that the implant had assisted my ability to mix with the Hearing community, it also had allowed me to discover some of the joys of being "Hearing". I must emphasis that the implant itself is just a more advanced piece of technology compared to the conventional hearing aid. It is just that, a hearing aid. Full stop !!!
Back to my monologue about this ridiculous business of the word "Undeaf", it does not do anyone any favours nor does it help clear up any misconceptions of what people might have on the Hearing Impaired. Although I applaud MM's intention, which is to try and minimise discrimination against HI people from the "Deaf" community. Personally I don't give a shit, the "Deaf" community feels threatened at the moment. So they're doing what is natural to them, what any minority community would do when they're feeling threatened. They start excluding people who don't fit the ideal profile of a member of their community. I believe the main reason why this practice exist is because they are hoping to bolster their numbers of "pure" members and would not consider polluting their community of people who are "Half brood" to ensure the survival of their culture/community.
This kind of discrimination exists in hearing communities as well, they make up hurtful labels to try and push them away. Terms like "Coconut" (to describe a black person mingling with the white community) and "Banana" (to describe an Asian person mingling with the Anglo-Saxon community) are such examples. Let us not forget what happened during WW2, and what happened in Kosovo during the 1990's
In a nutshell, you are not going to completely eradicate these behaviours, like it not, it is part of human nature.
ok.. I'll stop ranting now..
6 comments:
Miss me do ya?
Well, the term 'Undeaf' wa deliberately created to show up the real damage and real stupidity of the continuing 'Deaf' world's attempts to drive more barriers and wedges between deaf people and the rest of the world.
Like '(D)eaf, 'Hearies', Audism, and (d)eaf it really exposes the whole ridiculous set up the Deaf world has created and continues to mainstain in divisionist 'terms'.
How vulnerable they appear to be, when another 'term' joins up with the 40 or 50 they have contributed to ovver the years ! Read Wikepedia and marvel as they spout statement after astatement of us 'lesser' mortals, doomed to wander the fringes of a hearing community because God didn't give a BSL spoon in our mouth !
We are ALL individuals, none of us live in anyone's pockets, and they can stick their silly 'labels' on any amount of multi-coloured jars they want to. UNdeaf ISN'T alabel or even a term, it's a bloody protest against cultural discriminators.. For those fortunate to have anotehr string top their hearing bow ike a CI or a BAHA that's great, but many of us don't have had to sit pretty much in silence whil ethe anti-spin goes on, and on, and on and on, that they are NOW bleating someone has decided to tell thgem to shut it, is the greatest compliment Undeaf can get.
It's calculated to annoy them, and it seems to work too !
The thing with the word UNDEAF in all its negative connotations, is that I will always associated it with MM.... who refuses to understand the difference between behaviour and culture, and they are not the same..... the word undeaf is not a new term, with a new meaning, it's a new word that pushes the same old medicalised, victimised wailings fo apeoplewho can't accept that there is a cultural definition of deaf.
MM engages in what we call masturbation, only he does it in public!
Negative ? from your direction maybe. I see it as a positive image of bucking the antiquated system in place, you've become 'establishment' ! one that has ignored the majority in the hearing loss world,if you can't stand the heat..... if we want cures, hearing aids, CI's we'll take them, tough if you don't like that.
I'm sorry, I disagree the word UnDeaf is not an entirely positive term to describe those people who are smack bang in the middle between the hearing community and the Deaf one.
If anything it just confuses people, and have you actually thought that you are advocating a *new* cultural discriminator ?
I just think that if it really bothers these people in the middle then they need to be more organised into another cultural group that will be more accepting of people's differences.
The fact is a third option and sector exists, they are making themselves heard (No pun intended). It willtake time to set up groups and such, or they may just operate as dedicated individuals, there is a theory groups are dead anyway, they aren't 'representative' as only less than .2% of us all belong to any. It's the new age ! individuals are more important than groups are, progress ?
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