Crack the myth: Reverse Audism does NOT exist.

[mbrek]

^^^That's going to far! I'm sorry you had that experience.

 

[AJWSmith]

I think VacationGuy was assuming that just because we don't call it reverse audism, we don't hold prejudiced deaf people accountable.

At first, I thought they were talking about audism being just another form of discrimination (this is when reverse audism makes sense), but they were talking SPECIFICALLY about the power that THIS specific form of discrimination (hearing looking down on deaf) holds. Simply because hearing people are the majority.

A hearing person can experience "reverse audism" (in terms of type of discrimination) in a place like Gallaudet, but the HUGE difference that you are missing is... he can easily leave. He can get ANY service he wants that he could have gotten in Gallaudet. He can easily be friends with most people outside of Gallaudet with no discrimination. However, you cannot say the same about deaf people, because we experience it EVERYWHERE and we can't just "leave". This is where the power of audism lies.

Discrimination is discrimination, but not all forms discrimination are equal in power.

However, I do agree on Naisho about some people here calling everything audist/audism, and this is where the confusion lies.

If you define audism as simply discrimination that comes from believing that hearing is superior, then obviously there IS something LIKE a reverse audism. There is really no denying this.

But what people here are saying audism is MORE than that. And their definition of audism cannot have a reversed version.

I blinked and almost missed this post.

 

[jillio]

I think audism lends itself more in the form of discrimination than bigotry. It encompases the whole idea of ignoring how a deaf person will interact with the world by the society (which is primarily made up of those with good hearing). To the point that many people do not even realize they are being detrimental to the deaf.

Bigotry is more of a prejudice against an idea or a group.

Bigotry is a conscious choice to believe in a prejudicial premise, such as "deaf people who speak are more intelligent than those who don't". One has to think about and embrace the bigoted way of thinking. Audism, as I think we have demonstrated so well here, does not have to be a conscious choice. It is the direct result of living in a society that automatically grants priviledge to the dominant faction of society. The dominant does not even realize they have the priviledge because they never have to consider it. It is automatically available to them. Only the non-dominant have to consider it because of the negative impact it has on their lives.

 

[VacationGuy234]

Deafism:
I attended a Deaf camp to learn sign language. While there, I had an allergic reaction to something. A Deaf staffer came over to me with a hearing friend who is bilingual. The staffer asked me what was going on and I tried to sign but not being able to think, walk, sign, or breathe made it a fair bit difficult. So I looked at the friend and asked her to interpret but the deaf staffer interrupted and said, "No, you HAVE to SIGN what's going on!"

Being refused an interpreter in the middle of a medical emergency. One would think a Deaf person would be the last one in the world to cause that to happen.

I'm sorry you went through that too.

I think everyone has a duty to make an effort to understand people from someone using a foreign language to ask for directions all the way to emergency situations. The least we can do is point someone in a direction for help, just a little effort.

 

[Frisky Feline]

Deafism:
I attended a Deaf camp to learn sign language. While there, I had an allergic reaction to something. A Deaf staffer came over to me with a hearing friend who is bilingual. The staffer asked me what was going on and I tried to sign but not being able to think, walk, sign, or breathe made it a fair bit difficult. So I looked at the friend and asked her to interpret but the deaf staffer interrupted and said, "No, you HAVE to SIGN what's going on!"

Being refused an interpreter in the middle of a medical emergency. One would think a Deaf person would be the last one in the world to cause that to happen.

Im sorry how it did happen to you. but how can you speak if you couldnt breath ? just wonder.