With my friends and co workers, nobody really cares who has a CI, who went to what school or whatever. As long as we respect each other's upbringing or wishes, we get along pretty good. Maybe it is cuz I live in MD and people in the Deaf community are more open minded there. I am sure there are a few that hate others simply because they got a CI or they grew up orally. I faced that discrimination when I first went to Gallaudet cuz of my oral upbringing but I told them off and they realized they were wrong to judge me or others. Most of my friends are deaf/hoh who grew up orally and now use ASL as their primary source of communication.
I met a deaf guy in a store a few months ago who didnt know sign. He saw that I was signing and came up to me asking me questions..I was patient with him answering his questions about CI cuz he wanted to get one due to not being able to understand anyone. I asked him about learning sign language and he was like "Oh I dont need to learn sign cuz the CI will make me hearing." It is that kind of attitude that I get turned off by. I told him good luck and that it was nice to meet him. It was VERY hard not to sign to him cuz he had trouble reading my lips. I also couldnt understand him very well too so without signing, smooth communication became very difficult for both of us.
I dont know about the Deaf communities in the other states if they discriminate against each other but I dont think most people do that..just a few.
Your kids are faced with discrimination? My son is mixed cuz my husband is black and I am white so I am hoping he wont face the same kind of discrimination here in MD.
