How do we overcome deaf politics to show way towards the broader disability politics?

Grummer

Grummer

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Recently, under the thread, "You ever get people who tell you not to use sign language?" has been an interesting topic, quite revealing right across a wide spectrum of deafness levels and various reactions to and from with ignorant or aware hearing people about communication.
I have tried posting this question as below but on a hindsight I felt it needed to be on a new thread so here it goes as I am repeating (copy/paste) here again, which a specifically looks at approaches to overcome this 'communication malfunction' which exits between hearing and deaf people, with the ultimate impact being laid on deaf people (of course).
From "You ever get people who tell you not to use sign language?";

Good to see alot of people here agrees that disabilty is a significant factor as a barrier to assert for d/Deaf people's rights. Now it must be asked what can we do to confront the stubborness of the Deaf politics' parochial nature which is overwhelmingly informed (and controlled) by the Cultural model of deafness. (dont get me wrong sign langauge is very important but it can't advance without broadening the interest in the matter of oppression.

Rephrasing it, Deaf politics has denied how society has systematically repressed rights and diginity of deaf people merely because they (deaf people) are medically different so the language issues are 'seen' as an extension of a medical problem, thus rendering the language disputes/issue which Deaf people know so much about to be completely ignored. It is argued that is from the dis-abling attitudes rather than lack of 'cultural awareness'.

The question to be asked is what new information or approaches we may adopt to get past the cultural model that is believed to be compromising the progress for d/Deaf people's rights.
 
Grummer said:
Good to see alot of people here agrees that disabilty is a significant factor as a barrier to assert for d/Deaf people's rights. Now it must be asked what can we do to confront the stubborness of the Deaf politics' parochial nature which is overwhelmingly informed (and controlled) by the Cultural model of deafness. (dont get me wrong sign langauge is very important but it can't advance without broadening the interest in the matter of oppression.

Rephrasing it, Deaf politics has denied how society has systematically repressed rights and diginity of deaf people merely because they (deaf people) are medically different so the language issues are 'seen' as an extension of a medical problem, thus rendering the language disputes/issue which Deaf people know so much about to be completely ignored. It is argued that is from the dis-abling attitudes rather than lack of 'cultural awareness'.

The question to be asked is what new information or approaches we may adopt to get past the cultural model that is believed to be compromising the progress for d/Deaf people's rights.
Click to expand...

I am trying to figure out what do you mean that Deaf politics has denied how society has repressed our rights. I am not denying that the society has repressed our rights as I have experienced discrimination firsthand. The only thing I can think of what you do mean is :"We can do anything except hear". Is that what you mean or am I way off?

I think I don't really know exactly what do you mean by our stubborness? We learn to speak so how is that stubborness?? They refuse to learn ASL so I see that as stubborness on their part.

If we are insular, it is because of their own insular as in refusing to hire/promote us. I can even see them refusing to come to a deaf person's business. I guess that is why we turned insular in order to support each other. You know... Newton's third law. :)

The whole thing you were talking about is in reverse from what I believe in. I'd appreciate it if you expound on what you mean. Throw us some examples, too. I will check this thread later on.

I agree with you that we need to do something to change this situation.
 
Buffalo said:
I am trying to figure out what do you mean that Deaf politics has denied how society has repressed our rights. I am not denying that the society has repressed our rights as I have experienced discrimination firsthand. The only thing I can think of what you do mean is :"We can do anything except hear". Is that what you mean or am I way off?

I think I don't really know exactly what do you mean by our stubborness? We learn to speak so how is that stubborness?? They refuse to learn ASL so I see that as stubborness on their part.

If we are insular, it is because of their own insular as in refusing to hire/promote us. I can even see them refusing to come to a deaf person's business. I guess that is why we turned insular in order to support each other. You know... Newton's third law. :)

The whole thing you were talking about is in reverse from what I believe in. I'd appreciate it if you expound on what you mean. Throw us some examples, too. I will check this thread later on.

I agree with you that we need to do something to change this situation.
Click to expand...

Hi,
Sorry it took me ages, i forgot all about this thread, it's still not useless!
i was trying to say something that seem quite difficult to say, but for one of the biggest mistake I made in this express above was;

Deaf politics has denied how society has repressed our rights.

it should have be something along the lines of;

Deaf politics has provided society new ways to furthering repressions on our human/disabilty rights. I mean sure we have seen alot of 'improvements' like having SL interpreters, but this is, to me, it is a smokescreen of something else really happening, like a 'Boom' of the Deaf industry, steering everyone to believe everything is about language, which is not entirely true - actual experiences of d/Deaf faces are far has not all to do with language!. The problems we have with society is on a far more strutural basis and by which, it is concealed in as an institutional form of discrimintion outside education spheres of life.
It seems the configuration of the majority's way of thinking about [written] communication (and otherwise) is there to prove that the deaf way have no grounds for challenge, it is 'deemed' there is no arguement deaf people have to struggle to gain access literacy, with or without bilingualism in education., Furthermore society's ways of thinking about justice or (conventional - if not deaf culture) political viewpoints also permeates through the deaf community as well. So it becomes extremely difficult for d/Deaf academics/advocates to challenge this situation which delimits deaf people’s real aspiration to be a full member of society.
 
The heart of this matter I feel is the damage that the oral only approach has done.

Things will only improve when more and more parents expose their babies to sign language.
 
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