From: Betty.Mcbroom@f27.n3615.z1.fidonet.org (Betty Mcbroom)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Deafness & Education
Date: 7 Apr 92 17:59:51 GMT
Reply-To: Betty.Mcbroom@f27.n3615.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:3615/27 - TN Deafness I N BBS, Knoxville TN

Index Number: 20857

[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

Ann-

AS> >  JW> <Body Text>Lesson: Though efforts are made to educate
AS> >  JW> deaf children to be like hearing children, they still
AS> >  JW> grow up to be deaf adults.
AS> >
AS> > Amen, James.  Well stated.

AS>What is it with you two regarding the above statement?  We are
AS>PEOPLE first, not DEAF people first.  We just happen to be
AS>individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

        Then we should shut down this SilentTalk conference and join
        All Other People over at other conferences.

AS>I think the above statement is what is wrong with the Deaf
AS>Community and why they are often slighted in getting accepted.

        Getting accepted by whom?  The hard-of-hearing? Hearing
        people accept us.  The only rejection of Deaf people I've ever
        seen has been on here.

AS>Sorry if my comment offends you but that rubbed me the wrong
AS>way.  I grew up in the hearing world and I'm damn proud of it.

        I was born profoundly deaf and grew up in a 100% hearing world
        until age 22. Nothing to brag about.

AS>I wouldn't want to be isolated by sticking to the Deaf Community.

        This is the second or third time at least that I've seen you
        mention the "Isolation" of the Deaf Community.  Isolated from
        what???  Isolated from whom???  From the hearing world?  No,
        Ann.  No way.  We work with hearing people. We have hearing
        parents, hearing children. We have hearing neighbors,
        friends and relatives.  We go out to eat and mingle with
        <gasp!> hearing people.  We go to meetings, to church,
        to weddings and baby showers.  Hearing people come to our
        parties and are welcome.

        Sorry, Ann, but the Deaf Community does not sit in a deep dark
        cave or on a desert island.  Nor do we reject a person just
        because he or she has a perfect audiogram.  Audiograms aren't
        important to us.  It's not how much of a pathological "loss" a
        person has that makes him or her acceptable. If any rejection is
        done, it is because that person projects such an uncomfortable
        attitude (patronizing, oppressiveness, critical, whatever) that
        the other people don't want to be around.

        Is it at all possible in this conference for more than one group
        to co-exist and respect each other's differences?  Just because
        one group is different does not make it *Bad*.  I have seen in
        this conference many put-downs of the Deaf community and
        degradations of NAD.  All the evils and woes of deaf ed. has
        been blamed on ASL.

        I teach my students to be proud of who they are.  We stress
        daily that they CAN!  When one girl asked me if I'm sorry I'm
        deaf, I looked at her straight in the eye and said "No. I like
        myself for who I am."  Her eyes widened. I could see her brain
        gears start to grind.  I want her to accept herself for who she
        is. She (as well as several other children I see daily) came
        from a mainstreamed environment with a low self-esteem. She is
        blooming now.  She is not isolated any more.

        If you do not want Deaf people here, perhaps you should revise
        and repost the rules of the conference and stress that only
        people with certain dB audiograms or members of certain
        organizations are allowed here.  I feel you have put down my
        people, my language, my culture.

        I've saved this message for two days in the hopes that I can
        cool off -- if it is a Flame message, then I apologize for not
        toning it down.  If you wish me to leave, then I will.  But I
        cannot sit back and read only messages with my hands
        tied down. (They were tied for 22+ years.  No more.)  (But I'm
        glad I didn't leave last time, otherwise I'd have never known
        Kimberly's Little Sister is going to the same conference I am.)

                                             B. McB.
 ~ SLMR 2.1a ~ E-Mail: your window on the world

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