Audism Unveiled
Identity
Looking Ahead
- Deafness is moving further away from being viewed as a limitation with negative stigma
- ASL is gaining popularity and being taught to hearing and Deaf children
- Identity is being fostered in families who educate themselves with the Deaf community
Deaf Identity in schools
- Children in mainstream schools often do not have a strong Deaf Identity
- Children are encouraged to speak and follow hearing guidelines
- Children in residential Deaf schools develop much stronger Deaf Identity
- Schools can make more of an effort to accommodate and encourage the Deaf community
Accessibility to the Deaf community from families
- It can be difficult for deaf children in hearing families to make early connection to the Deaf world
- Many hearing families put their child in hearing classrooms and will not learn ASL
- The children are taught to live in a hearing world
- Parents can change this by learning about Deaf Identity and reaching out to the Deaf community
Speaking out to end oppression and maintain strong deaf identity
Anecdote of Identity: Eddie Runyon
- Eddie saw his Deafness as a disability and a problem
- He underwent many unsuccessful surgeries
- Teachers and students played cruel tricks on him
- he was not allowed to play baseball
- Eddie developed pride for his Deafness and stood up to those who rejected it
- Went on to become successful and play college baseball at Gallaudet
Four Stages of Deaf Identity
- Culturally Hearing
- A deaf person who shares the dominant attitudes about deafness
- Culturally Marginal
- Confusion and Conflict between the two worlds
- Immersion Identity
- Strong into Deaf Culture, shut off the rest of the world
- Bicultural Identity
- Balanced life
Deaf Identity
- When an individual identifies with Deaf culture
- Beliefs, attitudes, history, values, norms and traditions
- Shared language of signing
- Identification is a personal choice
- Includes people hard of hearing and interpreters
- combats Audism
What is Identity
- "A representation of the self"
- A way to find belonging
- Created by past and present experiences
- Formed from family, school, and social environments
What is Audism
- A belief that the ability to hear is superior
- Life without hearing is miserable and a "tragedy"
- Deaf should strive to be like the hearing
- Audism practices authority/ Dictation over the Deaf
- "Audists" may be hearing or deaf
- Acts of oppression